Box Score KENNESAW, Ga.—Jax State dropped their second Conference USA game of the season on the road at Kennesaw State, 88-82 on Saturday.
 
"We weren't good; 88 points, that's not us," said coach Ray Harper. "They were tougher than us, you can't just let guys run and duck their shoulder into you."
 
Three turnovers and six fouls in the first 8:09 of the game and got into the bonus at the 10:40 mark of the half.
 
The Gamecocks trailed by 11 at the 10:05 mark of the half, but 3-pointers on three straight possessions by Marcus Fitzgerald Jr., Jaye Nash, and Fitzgerald again got it within four at the 8:43 mark at 29-25.
 
Simeon Cottle scored six straight points to put his team up 11 with 4:44 left, knocking down one of his four first half 3-pointers and connecting on three free throws.
 
Cottle finished with 28, going 5-of-6 from 3-point range and 11-of-12 at the free throw line.
 
AC Bryant made back-to-back 3-pointers at the 2:18 and 2:00 mark of the half to get his team within two at 43-41 but the Owls answered 20 seconds later with a 3-pointer.
 
Bryant finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
 
Toby Nnadozie's basket with 75 seconds left cut the halftime deficit to three at 46-43.
 
In the first 20 minutes, Jax State shot 54% from the field, going 6-of-12 but a 7-of-18 performance from 3-point land by Kennesaw State was the difference.
 
Mostapha El Moutaouakkil was the catalyst for Jax State, finishing with his fourth double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds despite being limited to just 25 minutes due to foul trouble in the first half.
 
After trailing by as many as eight in the second as late as the 7:32 mark, Jacoby Hill knocked down a 3-pointer with 4:16 left to get his team within three at 76-73 and Jaye Nash came away with a steal on the next possession to give the Gamecocks a chance to tie it by a 3-pointer by Bryant was off the mark.
 
A 3-pointer by Hill with 2:25 left got his team within one, but the Owls scored the next five points of the game at the line. The Gamecocks had a golden opportunity in the final minute, getting a layup from Emondrek Erkins-Ford with 54 seconds left off a turnover, then forced another just a few seconds later but were unable to capitalize.
 
Hill and Erkins-Ford had 11 apiece.  
 
In the second half, Jax State was just 8-of-15 (53.3%) at the free throw line compared to 16-of-22 (72.7%) for Kennesaw State.
 
The Gamecocks will start a three-game homestand on Wednesday against Sam Houston at 6 p.m. at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.