Kennesaw State earns NCAA Tournament berth
For the second time in the last four seasons, Kennesaw State is going to the NCAA Tournament.
Jaden Harris and Amir Taylor combined to score 35 points and No. 6 seed Kennesaw State defeated No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech 71-60 to win their first Conference USA championship and clinch a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Harris scored 18 points, while Taylor finished with 17 points. RJ Johnson added 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Owls (21-13) led 35-32 at the half, and used a 10-2 run starting with 8:42 left in the game to build up an 11-point lead inside the final four minutes.
This is the Owls’ second 20-win season in school history, and their first title game in the second year in the conference. They were the third-lowest seed to win the Conference USA tournament. It’s their second trip ever to the NCAA Tournament.
In this tournament run, the Owls also defeated the No. 2 seed (Sam Houston) as well as the No. 3 seed (Western Kentucky).
The Bulldogs (20-14) were led by Avery Thomas II’s 10-point, 10-rebound performance. Scooter Williams Jr. had 10 points. Kaden Cooper had 10 rebounds. AJ Bates had eight assists.
The Bulldogs were done in by 7% shooting from behind the arc (2 for 28). They shot 31% from the field (22 for 72). They entered Saturday’s contest with a 35-year NCAA Tournament drought.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this article.
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