Eastern Kentucky University’s Men’s Basketball team had a thrilling Saturday night as they defeated the first-place Kennesaw State University with a 77-74 win. The game was held at Baptist Health Arena, where the Colonels (16-9, 9-3 ASUN) had a slow start in the first half, trailing by 13 points at one point, and nine points at halftime. However, the team’s second-half comeback was sparked by several key players who helped secure the win.
Leading the charge for the Colonels was Devonate Blanton, who had a game-high 24 points, along with six rebounds, and four assists. Tayshawn Comer and Leland Walker also contributed to the victory, finishing with 15 and 14 points, respectively. The defensive pressure in the second half limited Kennesaw State (18-7, 10-2 ASUN) to just 4-for-14 shooting from the field.
Richmond native Isaiah Cozart broke the program record for blocks in a season with four blocks in the game, along with 10 points and five rebounds. Cozart surpassed the previous record of 55 set by Nick Mayo during the 2018-19 season.
The Colonels’ comeback started when Cozart’s lay-up closed the nine-point halftime deficit to five points, 46-41. A basket by Walker made it a four-point game, 49-45, while Blanton’s two free throws got the team within two, 54-52. With 9:33 remaining in the game, Comer hit one of two free throws to tie the score, 56-56, before his lay-up gave the Colonels their first lead, 58-56.
Blanton nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner with 7:53 to play, giving the team the lead for the remainder of the game. Walker’s 3-pointer from the left corner staked the home team to an eight-point lead, 70-62, with 5:32 left. Kennesaw State came within one, 73-72, on a bucket from Terrell Burden with 13 seconds left in the game. However, Blanton and Comer hit all four free throws in the closing seconds, securing the win.
The game ended with EKU shooting 52 percent in the second half while limiting Kennesaw State to 31 points on 33 percent shooting from the field. Despite a slow start in the first half, where the Colonels shot 37 percent, they managed to outscore Kennesaw State in the second half.
The Owls’ Terrell Burden finished with 16 points and 10 assists, while Brandon Stroud had 12 points and 11 rebounds. EKU’s next game is against Queens University of Charlotte and Liberty next week, with Thursday’s game against the Royals scheduled for 7 p.m.
