Kennesaw State one win away from trip to NCAA Tournament
Kennesaw State is one win away from another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The sixth-seeded Owls (20-13) outlasted second-seeded Sam Houston 79-73 on Friday in the semifinal round of the Conference USA Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. KSU will play fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech (20-13) at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday to determine the league’s automatic bid.
Kennesaw qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2023 after winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament.
Amir Taylor scored 23 points, including 17 in the second half, to pace the Owls. RJ Johnson added 20 points, five rebounds and six assists and Frankquon Sherman had 17 points, 14 in the second half.
Sam Houston, which swept KSU in the two-game season series, looked ready to run away with the game after a 10-0 run helped the Bearkats take a 12-point lead with 10:27 to go in the first half. KSU responded by scoring six straight points and had whittled the deficit down to 30-28 with 2:16 remaining. Sam Houston led 37-31 at halftime.
“We played probably as bad as we played in a long time in that first half,” coach Antoine Pettway said. “And so I talked to them, but then I told them to stand there and talk amongst themselves. And they did it, man. We saw a different team. I just wanted to see my team that last 20 minutes, and however the chips fall, I was good with it.”
The game was tied 67-67 with 4:46 left after a 7-0 run by the Bearkats. But KSU scored six straight and outscored Sam Houston 12-6 over the final 3:24.
“I talk to them all the time about not being afraid to fail in this program,” Pettway said. “That’s something we believe in, and that’s why Trey Simpson’s able to take those kind of shots. That’s why Amir Taylor came out and went 3-3 from the 3-point line. That’s why Frankquon [Sherman] got every rebound, and he just tried his hardest. These guys are not afraid to fail, and they want to win. They play to win.”
Fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech advanced to the championship with a 69-66 win over ninth-seeded Missouri State. Kennesaw State split the two-game season series against Louisiana Tech, losing 82-76 in Lafayette and winning 58-55 at home.
“We’re going to have another big challenge on our hands starting tomorrow,” Pettway said. “So we’ve got to go get rested up, and we’ve got to get ready to have a battle.”
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
