Feb. 29, 2008

MACON, Ga. - The Owls season will end tonight as Kennesaw State concludes its third transition traveling to play the Mercer Bears in the regionally televised Atlantic Sun Conference Game of the Week from the University Center.

The Owls and the Bears had less than satisfying seasons by their own standards, but did provide numerous memorable moments over the course of the year. The Mercer Bears (11-17, 6-9 A-Sun) season started on a high-note as they knocked off the USC Trojans and O.J. Mayo in the season opener in Los Angeles. The Owls provided back-to-back wins over conference foes Belmont and Lipscomb, marking just the third time in two years a team has accomplished that rare feat.

Tonight's game also marks the final collegiate game for two of the most popular and talented players in recent history, Ronell Wooten and Shuan Stegall. The Owls top-two leading scorers end their KSU careers as the Black and Gold officially break its Division II links as they say goodbye to the final two members of Kennesaw State's last Division II team. Both played on the 2004-05 team that advanced to the NCAA DII National Tournament.

Tonight Wooten, a native of Statesboro, puts his final mark on a career that has seen him become just the second-ever play to eclipse the 1,600-point mark. Stegall, from Atlanta, has a chance to etch his name in the record books, needing just 12 points to become the 11th member of the Kennesaw State 1,000-Point Club.

The game also has some relevance for Kennesaw State (9-120, 6-9 A-Sun) as they look for another double-digit win season. Since joining the A-Sun in 2005, the Owls have won 12 games in 05-06 and 13 games last season, finishing seventh and fifth in the conference respectively. To put things in mild perspective, North Florida, who also joined the A-Sun from the Peach Belt Conference in 2005, has won just 10 total games (seven total in conference) since becoming a DI program.

Friday's game is also a battle for sole possession of seventh place in the conference as the Bears also hold a 6-9 record in the conference heading into tonight's game. The teams met in the conference opener with Mercer winning in overtime. Wooten tied the game with a half-court jumper as the buzzer of regulation forcing the extra period.

The regionally televised broadcast will mark the eighth time that Kennesaw State has played in either a regional or national broadcast. The Owls have a 4-3 in televised games and are 2-1 in the A-Sun Game of the Week telecasts.

The Owls and the Bears will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. The game can be heard live on SuperTalk 1230/1340 AM with Craig Corbin and Scott Webb broadcasting the action.