February 12, 2026 — MTSU overcame a nine-point first-half deficit to defeat Kennesaw State 90-87 in a Conference USA matchup at VyStar Arena in Kennesaw, Georgia, in front of 1,676 fans.
First half
Kennesaw State controlled the opening 20 minutes, shooting 56.7% from the floor and 47.4% from three. The Owls built a 10-point lead behind Trey Simpson’s three first-half triples and 10 points from Braedan Lue. MTSU cut the halftime deficit to 49-45 thanks to Kamari Lands’ nine points and four assists.
Second half
MTSU tied the game at 49 within 70 seconds on buckets from Alec Oglesby and Torey Alston. Kennesaw State pushed back ahead by seven at 70-63, but MTSU answered with an 8-2 run capped by an Alston dunk to retake the lead 71-70 with 8:29 left. Sean Smith hit clutch free throws in the final 23 seconds to push the lead to 88-85. After RJ Johnson scored on back-to-back fastbreak layups to pull within one, Lands sealed it with two free throws with 0.8 seconds remaining.
Top performers
| Player | Team | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braedan Lue | KSU | 23 | 10-16 | 1-5 | 2-2 | 5 | 0 |
| Sean Smith | MTSU | 22 | 7-13 | 2-3 | 6-6 | 3 | 5 |
| Torey Alston | MTSU | 21 | 7-11 | 1-3 | 6-9 | 6 | 1 |
| RJ Johnson | KSU | 21 | 7-16 | 1-6 | 6-11 | 3 | 7 |
| Frankquon Sherman | KSU | 19 | 6-12 | 2-6 | 5-6 | 10 | 3 |
| Kamari Lands | MTSU | 13 | 3-6 | 0-3 | 7-8 | 5 | 7 |
| Marcus Whitlock | MTSU | 13 | 5-8 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 |
Team stats
| Category | MTSU | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | 54.7% (29-53) | 50.0% (31-62) |
| 3PT% | 40.9% (9-22) | 38.7% (12-31) |
| FT% | 82.1% (23-28) | 61.9% (13-21) |
| Rebounds | 32 | 28 |
| Assists | 14 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 8 |
| Blocks | 7 | 2 |
| Steals | 7 | 8 |
| Points in Paint | 36 | 38 |
| Second Chance Pts | 6 | 17 |
| Bench Points | 38 | 3 |
| Fast Break Pts | 15 | 8 |
What’s next
MTSU improves to 13-12 (7-7 CUSA). Kennesaw State falls to 14-11 (6-8 CUSA).
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