Flashes Travel to Miami Wednesday, Aim for Third Straight Victory

Wednesday, February 19

Oxford, Ohio

7:00 p.m.

Kent State University

Miami University (OH)

Photo by: David Dermer

Flashes Travel to Miami Wednesday, Aim for Third Straight Victory

2/18/2014 4:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (.pdf)

Kent State (14-11, 5-7) travels to Miami for a Mid-American Conference East Division matchup Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Golden Flashes will look to carry over momentum from a 2-0 week at the M.A.C. in which they earned wins over Bowling Green and Central Michigan.

Junior guard Derek Jackson scored a career-high 25 points against the Falcons, but Devareaux Manley was the hero as his corner three-pointer with 0.9 to play gave the Flashes a 62-61 victory.

Sophomores Chris Ortiz and Kellon Thomas both totaled a career-high 17 points to lead five Flashes in double-figures to lead the Flashes over Central Michigan, 83-75.

Jackson leads the Flashes at 11.4 points per game and 2.0 steals per game. Junior guard Kris Brewer also averages 11.4 points per game and is second in the MAC with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Senior forward Darren Goodson contributes in a variety of ways. Goodson averages 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Senior Mark Henniger averages a team-best 5.2 rebounds per game and has come off the bench the past seven games.

Miami (9-14, 5-7) drop its fourth consecutive game Saturday at Western Michigan, 68-57. The RedHawks are led by forward Will Felder, who is among the top 10 in the MAC in both scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg). No other player on the roster is scoring in double-figures on the season, as guard Geovonie McKnight is the team's second-leading scorer at 9.9 points per game. In conference play, eight different RedHawks are averaging more than six points per game.

The RedHawks ranks 11th in the nation with 8.6 steals per game. Guard Quentin Rollins leads the way with a MAC-best 2.4 steals per game. Guard Will Sullivan averages 8.8 points per game and shoots 45.2-percent from the three-point arc to lead the conference.

Quick Flashes
• Kent State improved to 3-0 when five players score in double-figures with Saturday's 83-75 victory over Central Michigan.
• Sophomores Chris Ortiz and Kellon Thomas led the Flashes with 17 points, career-highs for both, against CMU. It marked the first time this season the Flashes were led in scoring by somebody outside of the starting lineup used in the first 10 games of the season.
• The Flashes are getting huge bench contributions this season and are outscoring opposing benches, 24.1-16.2. Last Wednesday, Kent State was +43 in bench scoring (45-2).
• At least 10 players have scored for KSU in nine games this season. The Flashes have received 20 or more bench points in 19 games.
• Five of the last seven games have come down to the final possession of regulation. The Flashes are 2-3 in those games with wins against Akron and Bowling Green.

Series History
• Miami leads the all-time series 86-46.
• Kent State has won 19 of the last 29 matchups since 2000.
• Miami has defended its homecourt well in the series and holds a 49-14 advantage all-time in games played in Oxford. The Flashes snapped a four-game losing streak in Oxford last season.
• The Flashes and RedHawks have played an extra session on six occasions with the Flashes winning just two of those overtime periods.
• Kent State swept Miami a season ago for the first time since 2008.

TV / Radio
Ty Linder (play-by-play) and Dave Carducci (color) will bring you the action on 640 AM WHLO and the the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel.

Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes will host Buffalo in a 12 p.m. contest on Saturday (Feb. 22).