After battling the whole game and fighting for contention in the ASUN Conference, a last-second shot by Jacksonville University brought the final score to 79-78, handing Kennesaw State its sixth conference loss of the season on Thursday, Feb. 16.
What would’ve been the game-winning shot for the Owls by redshirt senior guard Kendrick Ray went into the basket and out again, just as time expired.
Kennesaw State (12-16, 6-6 ASUN) started the game with a strong shooting performance as it built an eight-point lead, but Jacksonville (17-12, 5-7 ASUN) stuck to its game plan and started to crawl back as the first half played on.
Owls guard Tyler Hooker gave KSU the lead again late in the second half after hitting two free-throws. Kennesaw, however, couldn’t get any separation, and the lead moved back-and-forth between both teams until the end.
Ray hit a layup with 13 seconds left to put the Owls up by one point, but Jacksonville’s Omar El Manasterly hit the game-winning shot five seconds later to secure a victory for the Dolphins. The loss drops the Owls to fifth place in the ASUN Conference standings.
Senior forward Aubrey Williams led the Owls with his 17th double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds while sophomore guard Kyle Clarke contributed with five assists.
KSU will host the University of North Florida on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
