Johnson scores 31, Kennesaw State beats Western Kentucky 81-65

By Canadian Press on January 17, 2026.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — RJ Johnson put up 31 points as Kennesaw State beat Western Kentucky 81-65 on Saturday.

Johnson also contributed nine rebounds and five assists for the Owls (12-6, 4-3 Conference USA). Frankquon Sherman scored 12 points while shooting 3 of 5 from the field and 6 of 6 from the line to go with 10 rebounds.

Ryan Myers led the way for the Hilltoppers (11-7, 4-3) with 16 points. LJ Hackman added 13 points and two steals for Western Kentucky. Grant Newell finished with 11 points.

Kennesaw State took a 36-27 lead in the first half with a 10-0 run. Led by 13 first-half points from Johnson, Kennesaw State carried a 43-34 lead into the break. Kennesaw State extended its lead to 71-54 during the second half, fueled by a 10-2 scoring run. Johnson scored a team-high 18 points in the second half to close out the win.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press