Kent State One Game Away From MAC Title After Besting Bowling Green 63-57
3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Box Score (.PDF)
Golden Flashes reach 20 wins for the 12th time in 13 years
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Kent State is one game away from claiming its second straight Mid-American Conference crown after defeating Bowling Green 63-57 on Tuesday night in Anderson Arena. The Golden Flashes (20-10; 11-4) now have a chance to claim their second straight MAC title on Friday night when they host Akron at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2. They currently lead Miami which plays at Buffalo on Wednesday by a half-game.
Kent State, which secured one of the four first round byes in the upcoming MAC Tournament (March 10-12 in Cleveland, Ohio), also joined a selected group of only 10 teams in the country that have won at least 20 games in 12 of the past 13 seasons.
Junior guard Michael Porrini (Massillon, Ohio/Gulf Coast C.C. [Fla.]) once again stepped up in the clutch for the Golden Flashes scoring nine of his 13 points in the second period, including a go-ahead jumper with 2:15 left. Porrini also match his career high by handing out nine assists for the second straight contest to set up three other players in double figures for Kent State which shot 66.7 percent (16-24) in the second half.
Kent State need the offensive boast in the second half after the team made only 29 percent (8-28) in the first half. But despite the misfires, a strong defensive effort that saw the Golden Flashes force 11 turnovers kept them in the game. The Falcons where held to just one field goal over the final eight minutes of the period, as eight straight points to close out the half by Kent State gave them a 23-17 lead.
"We were sluggish on offense like he have been the past few games only tonight we guarded a little and had some great energy on the defensive end," said Head Coach Geno Ford. "Even though we kept missing, we were eventually able to take the lead and gain a little separation because our defense allowed us to get out on the break and score in transition a few times.."
In the first four minutes after the break, back-to-back fast break lay-ups by senior guard Rodriquez Sherman (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) helped push the lead to eight (31-23) before freshmen Eric Gaines (Chicago, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) converted a three-point play at the 13:11 mark to help Kent State secure its largest lead of the game at 10 (42-32).
The lead was still at 10 (49-39) with 9:20 left after Sherman, who matched Porrini with a team-high 13 points, hit the second of his three, three-point field goals. Bowling Green (12-18; 7-8) then started making its run as the Falcons used a 14-4 spurt over the next six-plus minutes to finally pulling even with 2:44 left when Mike Dabney hit the first of two free throws. On the other end Porrini put the Golden Flashes ahead to stay with a jumper and after a Bowling Green turnover he found Sherman open in the corner for a another three with only 1:33 left to go that pushed the lead back to five (58-53). Kent State then sealed the game at the charity stripe making 5-6 down the stretch.
"We tried to get the ball to Mike (Porrini) in the middle of the zone because he is the best on our team at creating offense for himself and others," said Ford. "In the second half he took over and either scored or find an open teammate just about every time he got a touch in the paint. He made some tough shots again tonight including the huge basket with the game tied, but I think the real dagger was when he found Sherman open in the corner for the three.
With 12 points and 14 rebounds, junior forward Justin Greene (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lincoln) record his second straight and 10th double-double of the season. Greene also blocked a career high four shots to bring his season total to 45 which ranks as the fourth most in school history. Sophomore Randal Holt (Cleveland, Ohio/Bedford) added a quiet 11 points while matching his career high with six assists. As a team Kent State assisted on 21 of 24 made field goals.
A'uston Calhoun led Bowling Green with 15 points.
For tickets to the regular season finale on Friday, March 4 against Akron call 330-672-2244.
NOTES:
• The 17-points by Bowling Green were the fewest allowed by Kent State in the first half this season. The Golden Flashes had surrendered over 40 first half points in each of the last four games.
• Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Gonzaga, Florida, Kentucky, Utah State, Texas and Xavier are the only other schools to have at least 12, 20-win seasons in the last 13 years.
• The season sweep of Bowling Green is the first for Kent State since the 2006-07 season
• Justin Greene brought his career total to 996 points, leaving him four shy of 1,000.
• Sherman went over 1,100 points for his career and now has 1,101 raking him 20th all-time at Kent State.
