The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team picked up their second consecutive conference win on Saturday as they defeated the conference-leading Jacksonville Dolphins, 90-69.
The Owls never lead in their loss to the Dolphins the first time they met last month, but there was a different story written on Senior Night at the Convocation Center.
KSU opened the game with a Yonel Brown three-pointer and never looked back, as they played with high defensive intensity and energy throughout the game.
It was a fitting start to an incredible senior night performance for Brown, as he finished the game with a game-high 27 points and five rebounds.
“I had a good shooting night tonight,” Brown said. “But more importantly my teammates played so hard tonight. We trust each other and guys came off the bench and were producing.”
KSU controlled the tempo from the tip and moved the ball well throughout the entirety of the game. Great team passing led to Brown’s second three-pointer that gave the Owls a 15-8 lead, which was followed by a Kendrick Ray steal and three-pointer of his own.
“They are getting more comfortable with each other,” KSU head coach Al Skinner said. “When we move the ball, we get good shots. Keeping the turnovers down and having more assists than turnovers is a formula for us to be successful.”
J.R. Holder was the only bright spot for the Dolphins and his aggressiveness kept JU in the game in the first half. He finished with a team-high 18 points for the Dolphins, but there was no answer for Ray and Brown, as they continued to knock down shots for the Owls. They had a combined 28 points and shot 6-11 from beyond the arc in the first half.
The Owls scrappy defense was stifling as well, as they limited JU to multiple low-percentage shots and helped KSU take a 44-34 lead into halftime.
JU began the second half in a press to try and fluster the Owls, but KSU played fundamentally sound and broke the press without any problems. This led to multiple Owls’ layups, but the Dolphins stayed close by getting to the foul line. JU shot 22-34 from the free-throw line, led by Holder who was 9-12.
The game began to break open for KSU after a crowd-erupting alley oop to Ray assisted by Bernard Morena. The Owls took the lead, 62-50, with 12:02 remaining.
Moments later, senior Nigel Pruitt got into the action after hitting a three-pointer, followed by a layup to extend the KSU lead to 67-53. Pruitt finished his Owls’ home career with nine points and five rebounds in the big upset victory.
“It’s great. It’s great to see the fans,” Pruitt said. “We beat North Florida and Jacksonville, so we’re making a name for ourselves and trying to get that ring. That’s our goal. Anybody can beat anybody and it’s about whoever is playing the best that day.”
Yonel Brown secured the victory with a shot clock, buzzer-beating, dagger three-pointer from far behind the arc with 8:44 left, giving the Owls a 72-56 lead.
KSU continued to play relentless defense down the stretch, ending the game on a 30-19 run led by Brown and Ray on the offensive end of the floor.
This was the Owls first two-game conference win streak since February 2011, when they defeated Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson.
“Now we have to be able to take this act on the road,” Skinner said. “It (the momentum) has the potential to travel well, but we have to execute. Cutting down on the mental mistakes when you play on the road; that’s the most important thing.”
KSU will look to continue their momentum on the road and end the regular season on a high note versus Stetson, Florida Gulf Coast and Lipscomb.
