KENNESAW, Ga. — Jamil Miller had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Kennesaw State dominated No. 24 Rutgers and held on for a 79-77 victory in the home opener against a ranked opponent in history of the program.
Kennesaw State (5-1) led by as many as 21 points and led for about seven minutes early in the game. Simeon Cottle had 15 points and Ricardo Wright scored 14.
The Scarlet Knights (4-1) fought back in the second half thanks to strong efforts from freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, who finished with 21 and 17 points, respectively.
Takeaways
Kennesaw State: The Owls dominated the paint, outscoring Rutgers 46-27. They won despite losing the turnover margin 22-9.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights opened the second half with a 10-0 run and shot 50 percent from the field after halftime, but could never take the lead, closing within two points in the last seconds of the match.
Key moment
Trailing 9-8 early in the first half, Kennesaw State took its first lead of the game when Miller made a 3-pointer at the 13:08 mark to give the Owls an 11-9 lead and incite a raucous home crowd.
Key statistic
Kennesaw State shot an impressive 50% from the field in the first half and finished 46.7% (28-60) overall. The Owls got double-digit efforts from four separate players.
To be continued
Rutgers travels to Las Vegas to face Notre Dame on Tuesday in the Players Era Thanksgiving Festival, while Kennesaw State will host UC Irvine on Thursday.
