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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Kennesaw State played one of its best defensive games of the season, holding Louisiana Tech to under 31% from the floor to claim its first-ever Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship title, a 71-60 victory on Saturday night from VBC Propst Arena. The Owls (21-13) received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, for their second-ever trip to March Madness in the school’s Division I era, and first since the 2023-24 season.
STAT OF THE GAME: LA Tech was held to 22-of-72 (26.3%) for the night from the field, and 9-of-37 in the second half for 24.3%. KSU’s defense was even better on the outside, as the Bulldogs made just 2-of-28 (7.1%) from three-point range.
OWL OF THE GAME: For the third straight game in the tournament, a different player led the team in scoring, and this time it was senior Jaden Harris that stepped up in the biggest moment of the season. He finished with a game-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, double the number of made threes that LA Tech had as an entire team.
THE FIRST HALF: The story of the first half was KSU’s slow start and LA Tech’s struggles from downtown, as the Owls held them without a made three-point shot (0-of-12). It was a back-and-forth game from the start as well, with five ties and seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than one possession until Harris drained a pair of threes to spark a 7-2 run, putting the Owls ahead 29-25. They would never trail again in the contest. Amir Taylor converted a layup in the final seconds of the half to give KSU a 35-32 advantage going into the break.
THE SECOND HALF: The Bulldogs managed to close within a single score three times in the second half, but the Owls answered every charge. A run of five straight points to make the game 46-44 was responded by another Harris trey and a pair of Taylor free throws. One minute later, LA Tech reeled off six straight points to close within 55-52 with 8:42 to play. A dunk from Taylor and a layup from RJ Johnson started a 10-2 run for the Owls that essentially put the game away, putting KSU up 65-54 with 3:54 to play. KSU finished the win off by holding the Bulldogs to just two made field goals in their final 19 attempts over the last eight minutes of the game.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY
“We played a tough, gritty competitive team in LA Tech. Talvin Hester is one of the best coaches in this league. He does a tremendous job, and we talked before the tournament and said, hey, we hope we meet each other in the championship, and we knew if we met each other, it was going to be a battle, and today was it. I thought we guarded these dudes really well. Defense and rebounding is what carries you in March. We were able to hold their two guards, [DJ] Dudley and [AJ] Bates, to, I think, 0-15 from three. And we knew that was going to be a tremendous challenge, because they are really, really dynamic players, and they go as they go. Our guys stood up to the challenge, and we were able to win the game. A great, great victory for our university, for our community, for our students. And how about our fans? I mean, we painted this place black and gold, man. Kennesaw showed up in a major way. Truly blessed and truly thankful I get to live out a dream and coach young men like these two sitting up here every single day. We going to keep going, man. We got practice at the home on Monday, and we’re getting ready to go play in the NCAA tournament. God is so good. God is so good. This is what we prayed for, this is what we dreamed about.”
NOTES
– Johnson was named the Tournament MVP after his third-straight double-figure scoring game in the tournament, as he finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists.
– Taylor joined Johnson on the all-tournament team, as he scored in double-figures for the sixth straight game with 17, and went 9-of-11 from the line. He also added six rebounds.
– As a team, KSU shot 43.1% from the floor, making 25-of-58.
The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.
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