KENNESAW, Ga. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive struggle defined more by missed shots than made ones, Kennesaw State edged Louisiana Tech 58-55 in a Conference USA men’s basketball game Saturday night at KSU Convocation Center.

The contest, witnessed by 1,827 fans, saw both teams labor offensively, with neither shooting better than 35% from the floor. The Owls improved to 16-11 overall, while the Bulldogs fell to 15-12.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final two minutes. Trailing 53-50, Kennesaw State’s Kaden Rickard, a reserve guard from Madison, Alabama, drained a critical three-pointer off an assist from Frankquon Sherman to tie the game with just under three minutes to play. After a Louisiana Tech miss, Jaden Harris of Atlanta connected on another three-pointer, again assisted by Sherman, giving the Owls a 56-53 lead with 2:03 remaining.

Louisiana Tech’s AJ Bates answered with a driving layup to cut the deficit to one, but Kennesaw State’s Braedan Lue responded with a floating jumper in the lane, assisted by Rickard, to push the lead back to 58-55 with 1:23 left. That basket proved to be the final points of the game.

The Bulldogs had multiple opportunities to tie in the closing seconds. After a timeout with 1:17 left, they generated three looks from beyond the arc in their final possession. DJ Dudley missed a three, AJ Bates missed another, and after an offensive rebound, Bates’ step-back three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, sealing the victory for the home team.

The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 23, an 82-76 Louisiana Tech win that featured far more scoring. This rematch was a battle of attrition. Louisiana Tech finished 18 of 57 from the field, a frigid 31.6%, and just 4 of 20 from three-point range. Kennesaw State was scarcely better, shooting 20 of 57 overall and 7 of 30 from deep.

Both teams posted nearly identical offensive ratings in a slow-paced game, with Louisiana Tech at 78.5 and Kennesaw State at 78.9. The Bulldogs won the turnover battle, forcing 13 while committing 17, and dominated the offensive glass 13-5, leading to 13 second-chance points. However, they could not overcome their own shooting woes or Kennesaw State’s late-game execution.

Kennesaw State guard RJ Johnson led all scorers with 15 points, adding five assists. His backcourt mate, Frankquon Sherman of Lincolnton, Georgia, contributed 10 points and three assists. The Owls’ interior defense was anchored by Braedan Lue of Douglasville, Georgia, who scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked five shots.

For Louisiana Tech, Kaden Cooper of Ada, Oklahoma, shouldered the offensive load with a team-high 18 points. Guard AJ Bates from Houston played all 40 minutes, scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists. The Bulldogs’ rim protection was formidable, led by 7-foot center Melian Martinez of the Dominican Republic, who blocked five shots in just 21 minutes, and Lue’s counterpart, Will Allen of New Orleans, who blocked three.

The first half was a low-scoring affair, with Louisiana Tech taking a 25-23 lead into the break. The Bulldogs maintained a slim margin for much of the second half before the Owls mounted their decisive late run.

Kennesaw State, which was a 7-point pregame favorite, narrowly covered the spread in a game that finished far under the total of 147.5. The win gave the Owls a measure of revenge for their loss in Ruston last month and provided a crucial conference victory as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Louisiana Tech will look to rebound when it hosts Missouri State on Thursday. Kennesaw State returns to action the same night, hosting Liberty.