A defensive battle can be expected from the Kennesaw State Owls (6-17) and USC Upstate Spartans (8-16) when two of the nation’s top scoring defenses battle it out at KSU Convocation Center. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 1 and will air on ES3.
The Owls were beaten by NJIT 75-67 on Saturday. Yonel Brown was the team’s high scorer, contributing 19 points. The Spartans are coming off a 92-91 win over Lipscomb on Saturday. Mike Cunningham led the game in scoring with 23 points on 5-for-13 shooting.
Over the last five games, Kendrick Ray has been playing at a high level for the Owls. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Owls won the first game 78-75. Ray was a top performer in the victory with 23 points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks, and three three-pointers.
Notes
USC Upstate won its last game by a one-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Kennesaw State is 1-1. USC Upstate is 3-4 in close games this season.
The Kennesaw State Owls average a field goal percentage of 43.8% this season. The USC Upstate Spartans have an abysmal record of 2-13 when opponents have a FG% of 43.8% or greater.
The Kennesaw State Owls and the USC Upstate Spartans both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Kennesaw State is 238th and 195th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while USC Upstate ranks 131st and 116th in these categories.
USC Upstate ranks 44th in assists, recording 15.9 per game. Kennesaw State performs worse at 266th with 12.2 assists per game.
The USC Upstate Spartans rank 29th in offensive rebounds. The Kennesaw State Owls rank 318th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Kennesaw State has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.3% this season. USC Upstate is an even 8-8 when its TO% is 18.3% or higher.
