Four freshman scored double figures in their Owls debuts en route to a 110-61 win over Toccoa Falls on Tuesday at the Convocation Center.
Braden Lue led the way with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Ramone Seals, Jamil Miller and Adrian Wooley combined for 49 points on 18-of-28 shooting.
“We’ve got a great group (of freshman),” Owls coach Antoine Pettway said. “These guys believed in us and came here. We’re trying to build this thing the right way – I wanted to really go out and target guys and build a relationship with some really high-character and really talented freshman. We were able to bring in some guys that can really help us.”
As expected, Lue, Miller and Wooley started the game. Alongside them, junior Simeon Cottle assumed the starting point guard role in place of the recent NBA G-League draftee Terrell Burden, and Florida Gulf Coast transfer Andre Weir got the nod at Center.
The Owls outpaced Toccoa Falls 50-26 in the first half, running a 10-man rotation. Lue finished the half with 14 points in 15 minutes, followed by Wooley who had 10 points.
A few minutes into the period, the upper-bench side of the Convocation Center was opened to allow more spectators to enter. The section quickly filled, and the attendance was announced as 2,405, the second-highest for a season opener in program history.
“I want to give a major shoutout to our fan support tonight,” Pettway said. “Our students really showed up and showed out. We’re so thankful for it, our guys do a great job, my staff does a great job of getting out on campus, engaging those students and they showed up for us tonight.”
The Owls kept the foot on the gas in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 60-35 in the period while leaving the starters in the game for a chunk of the half.
With a little under seven minutes remaining, walk-ons Charles Stone, Eric Holland and Dozie Onyirimba checked into the game to the delight of the crowd.
Stone notched the final field goal of the game to put the Owls up 110-61, igniting the crowd one final time.
Senior Rongie Gordon finished with a respectable stat line of seven points on 3-of-3 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Weir also made an impact in the paint, scoring seven points and accounting for five rebounds in his KSU debut. Another member of the Freshman brigade, Mekhi Turner played 11 minutes in the second half and scored his first points as an Owl.
“That three-headed monster at the center spot, they’re going to be competitive every single night,” Pettway said. “Andre got into foul trouble tonight, but he’s been really good in practice and in the scrimmages as well. Rongie, that’s our junkyard dog. He loves that, he invites that. And Mekhi being a freshman, he possesses some of the things I love at the five spot. His shot blocking abilities and his rebounding abilities.”
The Owls hit the road for their next test, traveling to California Baptist on Saturday, Nov. 9.
