Stats and interviews can be found here http://ksuowls.com/news/2010/8/7/MBB_0807105256.aspx

Looks like LaDaris, Matt, Dawson, and Kurtis didn't make the trip

KING CITY, Ontario- Markeith Cummings led all scorers once again with 19 points and Spencer Dixon had another 18-point outing, but the Owls dropped a tough decision to Guelph Phoenix, 79-72, on Saturday in their second game of their week-long, five-game tour of Canada.

After an afternoon that saw the momentum swing from one team to the other, it was Guelph, which was made up several distinguished Canadian college stars and was coached by Canadian coaching legend Stu Julius, that was able to pull it out in the end.

Up five with less than two minutes to play after a three-point play by Dixon, Guelph responded with a quick flurry of points, nailing a three-pointer and turnaround layup to tie the game at 72. Dixon’s points would turn out to be the last ones that Tony Ingle’s squad would score, as Guelph took the lead for good with 1:12 remaining and made clutch free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

Saturday afternoon’s contest was one of big runs for both teams, as the Black and Gold responded to an early, 19-11, deficit with an 11-1 run to take the lead 22-20 and end the first quarter tied at 22 (The game was played under FIBA rules, which calls for four, 10 minute quarters). Guelph, which was led by Canadian coaching legend Stu Julius, briefly took command of the game, extending their lead to 39-26 after beginning the second quarter on a 17-4 run.

The Owls defense would buckle down the remainder of the first half, as nice defensive plays by Artie Marine and Aaron Anderson led to steals at midcourt, part of a stretch in which the club held Guelph to five consecutive scoreless possessions. The Owls were able to keep the game within reach from that point forward, heading into the locker room down 39-30 at the half.

“I thought today was a great learning experience for all of us, we were down but we battled back. We definitely need to get better as a team when it comes to rebounding, and make sure that we play all 40 minutes and never quit,” said Cummings, who was the leading scorer in the game for the second straight game despite shooting just 5-for-20 from the field. “Our energy level was good out on the floor, we just need to keep playing with one another and we’ll start winning close games.”

Anderson’s play turned some heads on Saturday afternoon, as the sophomore transfer from Central Arizona College pulled down seven rebounds and had caused several deflections off of passes by Guelph.

Artie Marine (13 points) and Kelvin McConnell (10) joined Cummings and Dixon in double figures on Saturday. Cummings led the way on the glass with eight rebounds, and also had three assists to lead the Black and Gold.

The Owls have the day off on Sunday before taking the court once again on Monday at 5:30 p.m. against LTD Toronto in Mississaugua, Ontario. They move to 1-1 on the trip after winning their opener on Friday night against the Niagara All- Stars.

I didn't know you guys were playing in a preseason Canadian tournament. We did it a few years ago; it was a great prelude to the season.

Tough when 4 out of your top 7 or 8 players don't make the trip....

Since the recap mentioned it twice, I think I'm gonna start introducing myself to women as "Canadian coaching legend Stu Julius."

(08-07-2010 08:06 PM)KennesawBasketball Wrote:  Tough when 4 out of your top 7 or 8 players don't make the trip....

Tough for who? Looks like they are having fun!

Is anyone else enjoying those video clips as much as me? I'm glad the athletic department is listening because we were asking for more interviews last year. Kudos to them.

I also have a random question for someone that isn't worthy of its own thread. I just graduated in May, so now there's no more free student tickets for me. For those of you who buy tickets to the games, or even season tickets, what's the best way to do that?

Always best to go through the 100 club Escalade....that way the money you spend goes towards the men's basketball program and isn't divided among the 20 spots equally. The KSUowls.com web site should have a link to the 100 club...

By the way escalade, where did you get that picture? I love it....

To be honest KB, I just did a search for Kennesaw State Basketball on google images and found that little gem.

Do we have any word on why Kurtis, Ladaris, and Matt didn't make the trip to Canada? Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Passport problems I believe was the main issue....

(08-10-2010 01:41 PM)KennesawBasketball Wrote:  Passport problems I believe was the main issue....

In some cases, grades were an issue too .... hummmm.

That is not a good thing....we are gonna need Woods

I know this is going to sound stupid, but in the future if you see a player slacking off/not attending class it would probably be a good idea to go to one of the assistant coaches and let him know what is going on. I am sure they would keep it confidential, and it would help our coaches keep our players on the right track, which helps our players graduate - the main purpose of getting a scholarship. Sounds kind of tattle-tale to do so, but I am sure that our players would rather make their grades and pass then get caught up in being a stupid teenage and end up missing a semester of playing time.

Just food for thought for the future. I know I sound like an old fart saying that, but I think it is probably the best decision.

Yeah, that is not good. Even if it is summer school - those grades count the same amount as during the school year. Hopefully everything ends up ok.