Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle dropped 28 points in the first half to give the Owls enough breathing room to stave off Jackson State and clinch an 88-73 win at VyStar Arena.
The Owls overcame a nine-point deficit early in the first quarter on a three-pointer by sophomore forward Ramone Seals. Seals finished with 13 points, one of five Owls in double figures. Kaden Rickard, RJ Johnson, and Frankquon Sherman also put up double figures. Rickard was clutch down the stretch, knocking down 7 of 9 free throws in the last two minutes to seal the game.
The Owls overcame a nine-point deficit early in the first quarter on a three-pointer by sophomore forward Ramone Seals. Seals finished with 13 points, one of five Owls in double figures. Kaden Rickard, RJ Johnson, and Frankquon Sherman also put up double figures. Rickard was clutch down the stretch, knocking down 7 of 9 free throws in the last two minutes to seal the game.
Daeshun Ruffin provided the scoring punch for the Tigers. The senior guard scored 14 points in both halves and handed out five assists. Back court mate Mike Williams was the only other Tigers player in double figures with 12 points.
Sherman’s putback early in the second half gave the Owls a 25-point lead, the largest of the game. KSU maintained the lead with a smothering defense that dropped the Tigers shooting percentage from 40.7% in the first half to 29%.
Jackson State’s taller post players are mostly freshmen and were ineffective on both ends of the court. The young bigs were unable to stay in front of the smaller, quicker Owls.
Kennesaw State takes to the court again on Saturday when Georgia State travels outside the perimeter for interstate bragging rights.