Redshirt junior Tyler Hooker tied Kennesaw State’s Division I record with 36 points as the men’s basketball team beat Stetson 83-82 on Friday, March 1, before the women’s team fell 58-45 to the Hatters on Saturday.
Both teams played their final home games in preparation for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
Hooker set the tone for the men’s team by scoring early and often. He scored 22 of his points in the first half, converting nine of his 14 attempted shots.
The Owls maintained a steady lead early in the game, opening as much as a 12 point gap between the two teams with less than 10 minutes to play in the half. A 13-1 run brought the Hatters back within one point at 36-35 with around five minutes remaining.
A three-point shot by Stetson along with three free throws gave the Hatters a 47-45 lead at halftime.
Stetson pushed its lead to nine points early in the second half, but KSU managed to gain composure to mount a comeback by reducing the deficit to two points.
The Owls took a 71-70 lead with nine minutes to go. The two teams proceeded to trade the lead with Stetson holding a slim 82-81 advantage with just under four minutes to play.
After a defensive stand-off, which resulted in a nearly three-minute scoreless drought for both teams, senior Kosta Jankovic made both of his free-throw shots to give KSU an 83-82 lead with a minute to go.
After having a rough start without scoring in the first half, Jankovic scored all 15 of his points in the second half to secure the win.
The Owls fended off two three-point attempts from the Hatters in the final minute to book its ticket to the ASUN Tournament.
The women’s team sought to avoid a home loss on senior night but were outdone by the Hatters.
Sophomore Kamiyah Street led all scorers with 18 points while freshman Amani Johnson was not far behind with 14 points.
Sophomore Alexis Poole scored 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The three leading scorers accounted for 43 of the team’s 45 points.
The Owls were able to keep up with Stetson in the first half until the Hatters broke away late. KSU trailed by two points just before halftime but fell further behind by 15 points soon into the second half.
KSU fell behind due in part to a low shooting percentage and a lack of scoring from bench players. The Owls shot just above 30 percent during the game.
The loss marks the third straight for the Owls as they look to finish their season on a high note away from home.
Up next, the women’s team plays its final regular season game at Lipscomb on Tuesday, March 5, before heading to the conference tournament. The men’s team plays in the conference tournament on Monday, March 4.
