Flashes Survive Frantic Final Minute for Ninth Straight Home Win
2/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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KENT, Ohio A breakaway dunk by junior forward Haminn Quaintance with three seconds left capped a frantic final minute and gave the Kent State University men's basketball team a 68-64 Mid-American Conference victory over the University at Buffalo tonight (Feb. 21) at the M.A.C. Center.
Kent State (18-9, 10-3 MAC) shot 56 percent from the field in the second half to win its third in a row, but almost let a six-point lead slip away in the final 1:17.
The Bulls (11-16, 3-10 MAC) got within two points on a three-pointer by Erie Moore with 36 seconds left and then after a turnover, had a chance to tie and then go ahead but Darwin Young missed an open lay-up and Moore's three pointer from the far left wing missed and senior guard Omni Smith pulled down the defensive rebound.
After a timeout, the Golden Flashes broke Buffalo's full-court pressure and Smith hit Quaitance for the exclamation point on the team's ninth straight home win.
"We're in February, today is the 21st, and you have to find a way to win," said Kent State head coach Jim Christian. "When the game is in the balance, and teams are making a run, guys need to step up and show leadership."
Quaintance finished with 11 points, a team-high eight rebounds and three blocked shots and share team scoring honors with Smith. Junior guard Jordan Mincy recorded a career-high 10 assists and did not commit a turnover.
"I was very proud of Mincy," Christian added. "Things were crazy at the end and never got riled."
Kent State led by just a point, 32-31, after a back-and-forth first half that featured five lead changes and four ties. The Flashes took an early seven-point lead at 16-9 midway through the period, only to see Buffalo battle back to eventually take a 27-25 lead.
The Flashes started to take control early in the second half and extended the lead to as many as nine points at 46-37 on a Smith lay-up. The Bulls again came back behind Moore and freshman walk-on Byron Mulkey, getting to within 54-52 with 7:25 to go after an 8-3 run by the backcourt duo. A lay-up by sophomore Julian Sullinger, who had his first career three-pointer as the shot clock expired just a minute before, and a three from freshman Chris Singletary pushed the lead back to seven with 6:29 left.
Sullinger finished with nine points while Singletary chipped in with eight. Four other Flashes scored six points, including freshman Rodriguez Sherman, who also matched his career-high with seven rebounds.
Mulkey hit four-of-eight three-pointers on his way to a career and game-high 21 points for Buffalo, which has never won in Kent (0-10). Yassin Idbihi, the league's leading rebounder, posted his seventh double-double of the year with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Moore scored 12 points on four-of-10 from three-point range.
"It was a hard fought game; very high intensity level from both teams," said Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "There is no margin for error here. Kent State played very hard and very well and hit shots."
The loss was the ninth in the last 11 games for the Bulls.
"We have a lot of areas to get better at," Withspoon noted.
GAME NOTES: Kent State improved to 10-1 at home this season... the Flashes have won five straight against Buffalo and lead the all-time series 19-3... Quaintance's three blocks give him 42 on the season, moving him into second place on the school's all-time single season list... senior guard Armon Gates hit two three-pointers, giving him 63 on the season (tie-seventh most at KSU) and 191 for his career (third)... Jim Christian improved to 9-2 all-time against Buffalo.
