SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Kendrick Ray scored 23 points, Yonel Brown added 13 more and Kennesaw State snapped a four-game losing string by holding off South Carolina-Upstate, 78-75 in an Atlantic Sun Conference battle Wednesday night.

The Owls (6-16, 2-4 A-Sun) built a nine-point lead by halftime and led 60-47 with 6:19 left after Ray converted a pair of free throws.

But the Spartans (7-16, 1-5) battled back. Mike Cunningham cut the lead to seven on a 3-pointer with 2:02 left to make it 70-63. A minute later he got to the basket for a layup to make it 73-69. Ran answered with a pair of free throws, Brown added another and Bernard Morena hit two before Deion Holmes and Cunningham each knocked down 3-pointers in the final 29 seconds to cut the final margin to three, but Holmes missed a 3-point attempt with a second left.

Buchanan led SC-Upstate with 19 points.