#4 Kaden Rickard driving for a layup in a game against Midway on Nov. 2 at VyStar Arena. Photo by Marcellus Miller
Kennesaw State men’s basketball had six players reach double figures in a 116-57 rout of Midway to open its season on Monday night at VyStar Arena.
The 116 points scored were just five short of the school record, set last December against Southern Wesleyan.
The Owls opened the game on a 16-2 run and never looked back.
Freshman Kyler Theophile scored 18 points in the first half in his debut game at the college level, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 3-of-3 from deep, leading all scorers on the night.
With a 58-23 lead at the half, KSU didn’t take its foot off the gas and won the second half 58-34.
Antwane Daniels, another freshman, scored 12 points in 24 minutes off the bench.
Levi Ball and Sam Houston transfer CJ Beaumont each finished with 11 points, with Beaumont leading the team in rebounds with nine.
“(Beaumont) has a big-time motor,” Owls coach Antoine Pettway said. “The transfer portal, you never know what you truly get. But we did a great job, I think, of going to get guys that we played against, and CJ was one of those guys at Sam Houston. He from day one has just brought great energy.”
Trey Simpson finished with 10 points, one of only two returning starters from last year’s Conference USA championship team.
“It feels great to be back here at Kennesaw State,” Simpson said. “Yeah, it’s a new team, but these new guys though, just like the last ones, it’s a great relationship with the guys.”
Tobiaz Tolbert and Dozie Onyirimba were able to log some minutes in the second half and get themselves in the box score- Tolbert finished with three points, five rebounds, and three blocks and Onyirimba had four points.
Every player who touched the floor on Monday got themselves in the scorer’s book.
“These guys put a lot of work in,” Pettway said. “We ask them to work outside of practice. These dudes show up every single day and work hard for the hour and a half/two hours I have them. But then you see guys in VyStar Arena all the time on their own, getting shots up. If you put the work in that we put in, you should have a confidence about yourself and know that you deserve success.”
KSU was big on the offensive glass, grabbing 20 offensive boards on the game and nine in the first half.
“I want (offensive rebounds) to be a staple of our program,” Pettway said. “Here at Kennesaw State, we rebound with anybody in the country, so you come to practice and we’re constantly harping on that.”
The Owls will host Austin Peay on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
