On Monday, Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team faced off against Kennesaw State University at the KSU Convocation Center. The Colonels started strong, with eight early points from Cooper Robb and a put-back dunk by John Ukomadu giving them a 14-5 lead. However, the Owls responded with a 12-6 run, tying the game at 22-22. The two teams then traded five unanswered points and were tied at 27-27 with 3:40 left in the half. Robb hit his third 3-pointer of the half and Tayshawn Comer added a jumper, giving Eastern Kentucky a 32-27 lead. Kennesaw State scored the final six points of the half and took a 1-point lead into halftime, 33-32.
In the second half, Kennesaw State started strong, stretching their 6-0 run to end the first half into a 10-1 run to start the second. A 3-pointer from Kasen Jennings and a lay-up from Terrell Burden gave the Owls a 10-point advantage, 43-33. Eastern Kentucky fought back, getting to within five points, 47-42, after another 3-pointer from Robb and two free throws from Ukomadu with 14:43 left in the game. However, the Owls responded with an 8-point run to go back up by double figures, 55-42. They took a second 13-point lead, 68-55, with 6:37 left to play. The Colonels closed to within five again, 76-71, on a 3-pointer by Devontae Blanton and a putback from Moreno with 1:24 on the clock, but ultimately fell to the Owls, 79-75.
Moreno led Eastern Kentucky with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, while Robb added 16 points. Spencer Rodgers came off the bench to lead Kennesaw State with 17 points, and Burden had 15 points. Robinson finished with nine points and 12 rebounds. The Owls shot 54% from the field in the second half and went 6-of-11 from 3-point range after making just one in the first half. Eastern Kentucky will continue their road trip at Central Arkansas on Thursday, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
