The UCA men’s basketball team (9-22, 4-14 ASUN) closed out its season with a blunder against Kennesaw State, ending its final game with a score of 72-56.

Standout players from the game, as well as standout players for the season, were senior guard/forward Eddy Kayouloud and sophomore guard Camren Hunter.

Kayouloud said, “Right now I’m just feeling happy, I’m feeling grateful. I got to play one more time with them and I’m going to cherish those memories forever.”

Both players have gone back and forth for the highest points scored in each game, Hunter having recently climbed out of a scoring drought.

Although the Bears didn’t end their season with a win, it did end with a poetic statistic, as both Hunter and Kayouloud scored 20 points each of the 56 points scored in the game. 

Hunter finished the season with a total of 486 points whereas Kayouloud finished with 446 points.

With this having been Kayouloud’s final season with the Bears, it will be interesting to see how the team performs moving forward. 

“Tough times don’t last but tough people do,” coach Brock Widders said. “I know we’ve all heard that a ton and I thought this season was as true as ever. The tough people in our locker room lasted today, they kept fighting and they stayed together. It’s just that adversity in life and that goes well beyond sports.”

Kennesaw State opened the game with a three-pointer from junior guard Chris Youngblood as senior forward Demond Robinson quickly followed up with a lay-up.

After Youngblood scored the Owls two points with a jump shot, the Bears responded with their first three-pointer of the night from Hunter, 7-5.

Although Kennesaw State showcased strong offense, UCA countered with determined defense, keeping a three-point difference for the first 10 minutes of the first half.

“We held them to 40% from the field which was a very good defensive effort, very proud of our guys there. Overall, I’m really just pleased with our ability to stay together,” Widders said.

The Owls took their biggest lead yet with six points after a three-pointer from freshman guard Simeon Cottle.

The Bears continued to struggle to find ground, Kennesaw State pushing forward with a score of 31-21.

Nearly a minute later, the Owls picked up two three-pointers from junior guard Quincy Ademokoya and senior guard Terrell Burden, both less than a minute apart.

The Bears were able to add three points to the scoreboard with a three-pointer from Hunter in the final three seconds of the first half.

Entering the second half with a score of 39-28, UCA looked to continue to catch up to the Owls, Hunter clocking in two points with a jump shot.

Kayouloud shaved down the gap to eight points with a three-pointer nearly four minutes in.

Around two minutes later Kennesaw State took back a large lead after a three-pointer from both Quincy and senior guard Spencer Rodgers.

The Bears were eventually able to bring the score gap back down to eight points after a layup from Kayouloud.

After a layup from freshman guard Carl Daughtery Jr., the Bears began to seal their fate with a score of 58-50, with only six minutes and forty-four seconds remaining.

At a minute and six seconds left in the game, the Owls bagged the final points of the night with a three-pointer from junior guard Kasen Jennings, ending with the biggest lead of the game, 72-56.

Widders said, “It’s been a long season, a lot of ups and downs. We’ve had 10 different starting lineups in conference which has made the season pretty difficult for us. But overall, I’m very happy with today’s efforts.”