Flashes and Zips Battle for First Place Wednesday Night in Akron
1/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio Riding its fourth two-game winning streak of the season, the Kent State University men's basketball team makes the short trek down I-76 into Summitt County to battle the University of Akron Wednesday night (Jan. 17). The two archrivals, currently tied atop the Mid-American Conference East Division standings with Ohio University, will tip-off at 7 p.m. EST at James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500 capacity) in Akron.
• The Golden Flashes (9-7, 2-1 MAC) outlasted Ohio in overtime on Sunday (Jan. 14), coming away with a 67-65 victory on Omni Smith's jumper with just four seconds remaining. Prior to that, KSU snapped a three-game road losing streak with a 13-point victory at the University at Buffalo last Wednesday (Jan. 10).
• The Zips (11-4, 2-1 MAC) also have won two straight since dropping their league opener at Ohio Jan. 7. Akron won at Bowling Green State University, 83-62, Sunday. The MAC preseason favorites, the Zips have won four of their last five games.
• The two teams have been dominant during MAC play the last two-plus seasons. Kent State has won 20 of its last 25 regular-season MAC games while Akron has won 21 of 28.
• Wednesday's game will be the 120th meeting on the hardwood between Kent State and Akron dating all the way back to the 1915-16 season. The Golden Flashes lead the all-times series, 62-57, and have won seven of the last 10 meetings since 2002. Akron won the last time they played, a 75-67 win at home in the 2006 regular season finale Mar. 4. For more information on the Kent State-Akron series, turn to page 3.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Every game of the 2006-07 season can be heard on radio and over the Internet on the Kent State Sports Network with "The Voice of the Flashes" Bill Needle.
Local Radio: WHLO-AM 640 (Kent/Akron; flagship), WHK-AM 1420 (Cleveland), WHKZ-AM 1440 (Youngstown)
Television: Time Warner Cable
Website: K-Zone On-Demand at www.kentstatesports.com
FLASHES LOOK TO EXTEND 20-WIN AND POSTSEASON STREAK TO NINE
• Kent State has posted concurrent streaks of 20-wins or more and postseason appearances for the last eight years.
• The Golden Flashes have appeared in four NCAA Tournaments, including last season, and four NIT's during the current postseason streak.
CHRISTIAN CLOSING IN ON CENTURY MARK
• Kent State head coach Jim Christian enters Wednesday's game just two wins shy of 100 for his career. The fifth-year head man is 98-47 to date.
• Christian can become just the second coach in Kent State history to win 100 games with the Golden Flashes. Jim McDonald (1982-92) is the school's winningest coach with 148 victories.
• The 2006 MAC Coach of the Year, Christian entered the season fourth on the school's career wins list. He is currently third, just two behind Donald Starn.
QUAINTANCE EARNS MAC EAST POTW HONORS
• Junior forward Haminn Quaintance was named the MAC East Player of the Week on Monday (Jan. 15) after posting back-to-back double-doubles in two Kent State victories last week.
• "Q" scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while making four steals to help the Flashes snap a three-game road losing streak Wednesday (Jan. 10) at Buffalo.
• He followed that up with a 13-point, 13-rebound and three-block performance in the overtime victory over Ohio Sunday (Jan. 14).
• In the two games, Quaintance averaged 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.5% from the field.
SMITH'S JUMPER LIFTS FLASHES PAST BOBCATS IN OT
• Senior guard Omni Smith's jumper with four seconds left in overtime gave Kent State a 67-65 victory over Ohio on Sunday (Jan. 14), the Flashes' fourth straight victory over the Bobcats.
• Smith, junior Haminn Quaintance and senior Armon Gates each scored 13 points to lead KSU. Quaintance also grabbed a team season-high 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double.
• Both teams shot over 40% in the first half, with KSU hitting on 48.3% on its way to a 37-35 lead after 20 minutes.
• However, the teams scored just 42 total points in the second half before the Flashes outscored Ohio 10-8 in the extra period. For the game, KSU shot 38.2% (26-of-68) while Ohio was at 39.3% (24-of-61). The Bobcats were 6-of-20 from three-point range, while Kent State was 6-of-20.
• KSU forced 22 turnovers, a season high by the Bobcats, and converted those into 22 points. After committing eight turnovers themselves in the first eight minutes, Kent State gave the ball away just eight more times the rest of the game.
• Jerome Tillman led Ohio with game-highs of 20 points and 17 rebounds. Three other Bobcats reached double figures.
• The win was also Kent State's fifth straight at home against the Bobcats, dating back to 2001.
ALL-TIME AGAINST AKRON
• Among current Golden Flashes, junior Mike Scott has had the most success individually against the Zips. In three career games against Akron, Scott is averaging 6.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Last year, Scott totaled 19 points and 15 rebounds in two games.
• Senior guard Armon Gates is just 1-of-16 from three-point range in his career against Akron (six games).
• Last season, Jordan Mincy recorded four assists without a turnover and Omni Smith scored eight points in two games against the Zips.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
• For the second time this season, the Golden Flashes have posted a double-double in two straight games. However, this time the feat was accomplished by the same player.
• Junior forward Haminn Quaintance has a double-double in each of the last two games, helping the Flashes to victories at Buffalo (15 points, 10 rebounds) and at home against Ohio (13 points, 13 rebounds).
• Earlier this season, Quaintance scored 10 points and handed out a career-high 10 assists at Duke Dec. 19.
• The next game, Dec. 22, junior frontcourt mate Mike Scott recorded his second career double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling in 11 rebounds against Youngstown State.
• Quaintance leads the team with four double-doubles this season and has 23 in his career.
HOME COOKING
• KSU is 5-1 at the M.A.C. Center this season and outscores the opposition by 11.7 pointer per game at home.
• The Flashes allow just 53.8 points per game at home, compared to 72.5 on the road, where they are just 2-6.
• Kent State also forces 19.5 turnovers per game at home and is limited foes to just 39.8% shooting.
BLOCK PARTY
• Senior guard Omni Smith did not block a shot in the first 14 games of the season, but has three blocks in his last two.
• Smith blocked two shots for the first time in his career Jan. 14 against Ohio. His three blocks also matched his season total from a year ago.
• As a team, the Flashes rank fifth in the MAC in blocked shots at 3.12 per game. Last season, they were seventh with 82 (2.4/game).
• Junior Haminn Quaintance leads the team with 20 blocks, just two shy of Jay Youngblood's 2005-06 team-leading total of 22.
TURNOVER TALES
• The Golden Flashes have forced more turnovers then they have committed in each of the last seven games and 12 times this season.
• Kent State leads the MAC in turnover margin, at plus-four/game. The Flashes have also forced a league-high 302 turnovers to date (18.9/game).
• KSU forced a season-high 26 turnovers Jan. 10 at Buffalo and then another 22 Jan. 14 vs. Ohio, the sixth and seventh times this season the Flashes have forced at least 20 turnovers.
• The Flashes average just 14.9 turnovers committed per game, sixth lowest in the league.
• Sophomore point guard Jordan Mincy has recorded 24 assists to just 10 turnovers in the last seven games, including a career-high tying seven assists to only three turnovers at Buffalo. Just once this season, at Duke Nov. 19, has Mincy had more turnovers than assists (2-1).
GRAND THEFT OF THE BASKETBALL
• Kent State also leads the league in steals, averaging 8.75 thefts per game.
• The Flashes have averaged 11 steals per game in the last five contests.
• However, no player averages more than 1.5 steals per game. Seven Flashes have at least 14 picks on the year.
• Additionally, KSU has eight games this season with double-digit steals.
BALANCED ATTACK LEADS TO WINS
• In the Flashes' nine victories this season, four players are averaging double figures while six others average at least five points a game.
• In the seven losses however, only one player, senior guard Omni Smith (18.1 ppg.) is averaging double figures.
• In addition, the Flashes average 16.6 assists per game in victory and only 13.3 in defeat.
THE BIG "O" STARTS, SCORES
• Since returning to the starting lineup at Duke Dec. 19, senior guard Omni Smith is averaging 17.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game in eight contests.
• Included in that stretch are a pair of 30-point games and a 20-point, eight-rebound night at Buffalo (Jan. 10).
• Additionally, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Kent State Classic, averaging 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
• In the loss at Corpus Christi Jan. 2, Smith recorded his second career 30-point game- with both coming in a span of just five games.
• It was also just the seventh time since the start of the 1996-97 season a KSU player scored at least 30 points.
• His 30-point game in Texas came just three weeks after his spectacular performance at Duke when he went for a career-high 33 points on 14-of-20 shooting in the Flashes' near upset of the sixth-ranked Blue Devils on ESPN.
• His 33 points were the most by a Kent State player in a decade. Nate Reinking scored 38 points in a 91-73 win over Eastern Michigan Feb. 24, 1996.
• Smith is the first KSU player since Antonio Gates in 2002-03 to have two 30-point scoring games.
DOUBLE FIGURE SCORERS
• Senior guard Omni Smith has at least ten points in four straight games, eight of the last nine and nine of the last 11 dating back to Nov. 25. Included in that stretch are two 30-point performances and another 20-point game.
•Smith and junior Mike Scott share the team lead with 10 double-digit scoring efforts this season.
• Haminn Quaintance reached double figures for the second time in as many games Sunday, running his season total to eight.
• When at least three players score in double figures, Kent State is 9-4 this season, including a 3-1 mark when four or more hit four double digits.
KSU GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SOME OF NATION'S BEST
• Kent State's non-conference schedule has featured three teams currently ranked among the nation's top 20 teams, including a pair in the top 10.
• And each time KSU has faced a nationally-ranked foe, it has put forth a strong effort.
• Most notably, the Flashes made their season debut on national television a memorable one, nearly upsetting No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium Dec. 19 before falling 79-72, on ESPN.
• Kent State also nearly knocked off No. 13 Butler, dropping a heartbreaking 83-80 double overtime thriller in Indianapolis Nov. 25.
• Back on Nov. 12, playing their third game in the season's first three nights, the Flashes were tied at 33-33 with No. 6 Ohio State early in the second half before the Buckeyes pulled away with about 10 minutes left in the game.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
• In addition to the Kent State-Miami game last Sunday carried live by ONN, the Golden Flashes are slated to make several more regional television appearances in 2007
• At least three Kent State games have been announced as part of the MAC TV Game of the Week package on Fox Sports Net Ohio, Comcast Local, CSN Chicago and Time Warner New York which launches Feb. 3. The Flashes will be featured Feb. 11 at Western Michigan, Mar. 4 vs. Akron and Mar. 8 at the MAC Tournament.
• Additionally, six home games will air locally on Time Warner Cable, starting Jan. 20 against Bowling Green.
INSIDE KENT STATE SPORTS RADIO SHOW
• Inside Kent State Sports, a live weekly one-hour sports talk show hosted by Bill Needle, takes a look inside the Kent State Athletics program every Thursday night during the season. Features include live interviews with coaches, student-athletes, alumni and fans. In house giveaways include Kent State athletics tickets, t-shirts and more.
• The show takes place at different locations every week where fans can meet the Needle and co-host Tom Linder as well as current Golden Flashes and other guests of the show. Inside Kent State Sports airs weekly throughout Northeastern and Central Ohio on 640-AM WHLO (live, 6 p.m.) and 850-AM WKNR (tape delay, 8 p.m.) Fans can also listen live on the Internet on the K-Zone, Kent State's premium on-demand service.
UP NEXT
• Kent State returns home to host MAC East foe Bowling Green on Saturday night (Jan. 20) at 7 p.m.
• The game, which is part of a men's and women's doubleheader, will be carried live locally on Time Warner Cable.
| Complete Game Notes in PDF |
