Golden Flashes Drop Heartbreaker to Princeton, 73-68

Tuesday, December 31

Princeton, N.J.

12:00 p.m.

Kent State University

9-4

Princeton University

10-2

Kent State

Princeton

Devareaux Manley

Photo by: David Dermer

Golden Flashes Drop Heartbreaker to Princeton, 73-68

12/31/2013 5:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Final Stats (.pdf)

PRINCETON, N.J.—Kent State overcame another tough first half shooting the ball to take a one-point lead with less than a minute to play, but missed four of its final seven free throws to fall on the road to Princeton, 73-68. With the loss, the Golden Flashes finish their non-conference slate at 9-4.

"We competed very hard and had our chances, but didn't make enough plays down the stretch," head coach Rob Senderoff said. "We have good free throw shooters. We just didn't make them tonight for some reason."

Devareaux Manley scored 14 of his game-high 17 points in the second half to lead the comeback for the Golden Flashes.

"Dev responded well to how he played against Cleveland State," Senderoff said of his junior guard, who came off the bench for just the second time this season. "We need him to play like that moving forward if we are going to reach the goals we've set for our team."

Trailing 57-54 with fewer than six minutes remaining, Manley scored 11 consecutive points for the Flashes. The last of those points, a pair of free throws, put Kent State ahead 65-64 with 3:34 left in the game, capping a 23-13 run.

"Our guys competed and stuck with it. We guarded well and were able to make some plays to get back in the lead."

Princeton's Will Barrett tied the game by splitting a pair of free throws a few possessions later. Derek Jackson and Kris Brewer both missed open three-point attempts on the next Kent State possession, but Mark Henniger came up with a rebound and was sent to the charity stripe for the bonus with 53.0 to play. Henniger, who entered as the nation fifth-best free throw shooting at 94-percent, connected on his first shot but was unable to get the second to fall.

T.J. Bray was able to give Princeton the lead with a pair of free throws and then split another pair after a Kent State turnover. Brewer missed the front end of the 1-and-1, but Princeton kept the Flashes in it by splitting another pair and inexplicably fouling Jackson as he went up to grab the missed attempt. Trailing by three with 15.4 left, Jackson split the pair and the Flashes were unable to make it a one-possession game the rest of the way.

Brewer and Jackson carried the Flashes' offense for the first 30 minutes of the game. Brewer finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while Jackson added 12 points and five rebounds. Henniger grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, but Kent State lost the battle on the glass 39-37.

The Flashes received a boost from its bench, outscoring the Tigers 29-15. Khaliq Spicer and Darren Goodson contributed six points each. Spicer also had five rebounds, a block and a steal in 17 minutes of action.

Four Princeton players scored in double-figures with Barrett's game-high 19 points leading the way. Hans Brase finished just short of a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.

"Princeton is a very good team and I'm proud of the effort. It was a heck of a game. Unfortunately they made a couple of more plays than we did."

Kent State will have a week off before opening Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday, January 8 against Ohio at the M.A.C. Center.