Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team will host Kennesaw State University on Saturday, February 5th at 7 p.m. ET at the Baptist Health Arena. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and WCYO 100.7 FM in Richmond, while worldwide listeners can tune in on EKUSports.com.
In honor of First Responders and Military Appreciation Day, first responders, active military members, and retired veterans are eligible to receive two free tickets to the game. Additional tickets can be purchased at a discounted price.
The Colonels currently lead the all-time series against Kennesaw State 4-2, with their last meeting resulting in a triple overtime victory in Richmond. In their first meeting this season, EKU trailed Kennesaw State by just one point at halftime, but the Owls started the second half with a 10-1 run and eventually won 79-75. EKU’s Cooper Robb and Michael Moreno led the team with 16 and 23 points respectively, while Spencer Rodgers and Demond Robinson led Kennesaw State with 17 points and 12 rebounds respectively.
With a record of 15-9 and 8-3 in the ASUN Conference, EKU is in third place and have won 11 out of 12 home games this season. Devontae Blanton was the leading scorer in the Colonels’ recent win against Jacksonville State with 21 points. Over his last four games, Blanton is averaging 18 points and 7.8 rebounds. Leland Walker had six assists in the win and is second on the team with 2.8 assists per game. Isaiah Cozart leads the ASUN with 2.21 blocks per game, with 53 blocks this season, just two away from tying the program’s single season record.
Kennesaw State currently sits at 18-6 overall and is tied with Liberty for first place in the ASUN with a 10-1 record. They have won eight straight games since losing 89-86 at North Florida in January. Terrell Burden and Chris Youngblood led the Owls in their recent win against Bellarmine with 47 combined points. Youngblood leads the team with 14.6 points per game, while Burden contributes 12.8 points and a team-high 3.8 assists per game. The Owls average 76.2 points and hold their opponents to 68.9 points per game.
Isaiah Cozart is only two blocks away from matching Nick Mayo’s program single-season record of 55 set in 2018-19. The team’s current 113 blocks puts them on pace to beat the 2004-05 squad’s record of 122 blocks in a season.
In the conference, the Colonels rank first in rebounds per game (39.88), leading Kennesaw State (8.75) and EKU (8.50) as the top two teams in the ASUN for steals and two of the top three in scoring. The Colonels also lead the ASUN and are 10th in the nation with 13.50 offensive rebounds per game. With 4.71 blocks per game, EKU ranks 33rd in the country.
One player who has been making a big impact is Devontae Blanton. Over his last four games, Blanton is shooting 57% from the field and averaging 18 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The team has a strong record of 6-1 this season when scoring 80-plus points and is 48-14 (.774) under A.W. Hamilton when scoring 80-plus.
Two players, Michael Moreno and Isaiah Cozart, were recognized for their standout performances. Moreno was chosen as the ASUN Player of the Week on January 16 and Cozart was picked as the ASUN Newcomer of the Week. Moreno also hit a crucial 3-pointer in the game against UNC Asheville, becoming the 37th member of EKU’s 1,000-point club. He was voted by fans as ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Preseason All-ASUN Team, selected by the league’s head coaches.
EKU’s 2022 recruiting class was ranked highly, with a ranking as high as 65th in the country by 247Sports, beating out programs like Kansas St. (68th), Pittsburgh (74th), Connecticut (75th), Georgia (81st), and Oklahoma State (83rd). CBB Nation also rated three Colonels among the top eight freshmen in the ASUN, with Leland Walker ranked first, Tayshawn Comer third, and Turner Buttry fourth.
Don’t miss the exciting match-up between Eastern Kentucky University and Kennesaw State University on Saturday, February 5th at 7 p.m. ET. Tune in on ESPN+ or WCYO 100.7 FM to catch all the action.
