The Thorobreds (3-12, 2-6) have lost five consecutive games including four against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents, none of which are a part of the west division. The Panthers (14-1, 7-0) remain undefeated against the SIAC and only have one blemish on their record, dating to the second game of the season against the University of Montevallo on Nov. 11, winning 13 in a row.
The first half provided a physical battle against the two squads with KSU trailing by just four at 43-39 heading into the locker room. The Panthers controlled the turnover ratio at minus two, outrebounded the host by six, and shot 50 percent from the field.
The start of the second half began to sway in the Panther’s favor with a 13-1 run in the opening four minutes. The Thorobreds worked the lead back down to single digits on two occasions, but the size differential caught up to the green and gold, as the visitors scored a total of 54 points in the paint and pulled down 45 rebounds.
Senior guard Reggie Breeden notched his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes of play. The last double-double for Breeden was nearly a year ago on Jan. 5 of 2017 against Morehouse College when he notched his third straight game of recording a double-double in his junior campaign.
Junior guard Ray Croon led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game with 20 points, hitting 8-of-10 free throws on the night. Croon has now scored 20 points or better in three games this season.
The Thorobreds will look to end their skid when they go on the road this weekend for a matchup at Paine College; the tip is slated for 7:30 PM ET.
by Eric Mathews
