Kennesaw St defeats Missouri St 90-80

Kennesaw St Edges Missouri St Behind Strong Home Performance

The Kennesaw State Owls (H) took down the Missouri State Bears (A) 90-80 on Wednesday night, handing their conference opponents a tough home loss at the KSU Convocation Center.

Halftime and Game Flow

At halftime, the Owls led by a slim margin of 42-37, setting the stage for a closely contested second half. As the game wore on, Kennesaw St expanded its lead to as many as 21 points, but Missouri State never gave up, trimming the deficit to just three before the buzzer sounded.

Top Performers

For the Owls, senior forward Simeon Cottle led the charge with a season-high 25 points on 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in with 11 assists and seven rebounds. Fellow big man Frankquon Sherman added 14 points and seven boards off the bench.

In contrast, Missouri State's Michael Osei-Bonsu paced his team with 20 points, including a strong shooting performance at 53.8% from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out three assists.

Comprehensive Team Statistics

Kennesaw St shot an efficient 52.0% from the field, including a remarkable 64.0% mark from two-point range. The Owls also excelled on the defensive end, holding Missouri State to just 42.0% shooting. In contrast, the Bears struggled with their three-point attempt, hitting just 35.0% of their shots.

The game's pace was frenetic, with both teams combining for 61 fast break points and 15 points off turnovers. Kennesaw St held a slight edge in advanced metrics, including an eFG% of 62.5% and a true shooting percentage of 68.1%.

Context

This matchup marked the latest chapter in a conference rivalry between these two teams, with Kennesaw St emerging victorious behind its strong home crowd.

In the end, it was a well-balanced performance from both sides that made for a thrilling contest.