Kent State University
16-14, 7-10MAC
Miami University (OH)
12-16, 8-9MAC
Second-half rally falls short in loss to Miami on senior night
3/4/2014 9:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Final Stats (.pdf)
KENT, Ohio – Kent State's second-half rally ran out of gas as the Golden Flashes suffered a 73-61 loss to Miami University on Tuesday's Senior Night at the M.A.C. Center.
After falling behind 45-25 at halftime, and trailing by as many as 24 points after the break, the Flashes used an 18-3 run to pull within eight points at 59-51 with 7:58 to play. But that was as close as Kent State could get.
"By no stretch of the imagination did we play great, but at least we competed in the second half," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. "We didn't match the intensity. That's why we lost … Since the start of the Mid-American Conference season, this is how we've been. One day up. One day down. It's inexplicable."
The Flashes (16-14, 7-10) fell too deep into a hole early as Miami built its big halftime lead behind 7-for-7 shooting from three-point range. The RedHawks (12-16, 8-9) entered the game ranked 11th in the 12-team Mid-American Conference in three-point shooting at just 29.3 percent.
"We've been battling this all year," said Senderoff, whose Flashes fell to 16-14 overall and 7-10 in conference play. "And Miami played very well. Will Felder was great for them."
Felder finished with 26 points and nine rebounds, making 10-of-18 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in 38 minutes.
Willie Moore added 14 points and Will Sullivan scored 13. Those starting guards combined to go 5-for-7 from three-point range. Even missing all four of their threes in the second half, the RedHawks shot a sizzling 63.6 percent from the arc (7-for-11).
Devareaux Manley led Kent State with 12 points off the bench. K.K. Simmons also provided a spark off the bench in the second half with two layups, a three-pointer, an assist, two steals and a drawn charge during the Flashes' 18-3 run. Simmons chipped in 11 points, his most in conference play, and three steals.
After committing 12 first-half turnovers, the Flashes turned the ball over just three times in the final 20 minutes.
Playing in what could be his final game at the M.A.C. Center, senior Mark Henniger finished with 11 points and matched his career-high of four blocked shots. The senior was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line, and he fittingly flipped in the layup that pulled Kent State to within eight late in the second half. Fellow senior Darren Goodson finished with seven points and six rebounds.
Kent State closes the regular season on Friday night when it plays at the University of Akron at 7 p.m. in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2.
