Kent State University
University at Buffalo
First Place Golden Flashes Take National Stage Friday at Buffalo
1/29/2015 5:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes Video Live Stats Golden Flashes Radio
Kent State will look for its seventh straight win in front of a national TV audience Friday night when it travels to Buffalo. The Mid-American Conference game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 10 p.m.
Improvements on the defensive end have been the key to Kent State's success during the early part of the season. The Flashes are allowing just 59.7 ppg, which ranks 35th in the country and holding opponents to 40.0 percent shooting. Only six teams have managed to score more than 61 points and seven have shot better than 40 percent from the field against the Flashes this season.
Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall continues to improve and has averaged 23.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg on 18-of-23 shooting over the past two games. Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has provided a boost on the interior and leads the Flashes with 15.1 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game. The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason MAC Newcomer of the Year has scored in double-figures in 17 games this season and is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor.
Senior guards Devareaux Manley (12.2 ppg), Kris Brewer (11.2 ppg) and Derek Jackson (9.7 ppg) lead a talented group of perimeter players. Manley ranks in the top 30 in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.05) and 3-point percentage (.427). Jackson ranks fifth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.68) and is second in the MAC in steals per game (1.9).
Buffalo enters with the highest RPI (No. 47) in the MAC and is a perfect 7-0 at Alumni Arena. The Bulls average 73.3 ppg while allowing opponents to score 67.4 ppg.
Forward Justin Moss (18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) has enjoyed a breakout season and leads the MAC in both scoring and rebounding. Guard Shannon Evans (15.1 ppg, 4.7 apg) is a dynamic scorer. Jarryn Skeete (9.7 ppg) is one of the MAC's top shooters and Lamonte Bearden (8.2 ppg, 4.4 apg) is among the top freshmen in the MAC.
Quick Flashes
• Head coach Rob Senderoff needs one win to move into a tie for fifth on Kent State's all-time wins list (74).
• Kent State ranks 45th the nation in 3-point shooting vs. Division I opponents (.378).
• The Golden Flashes are outscoring opponents by an average score of 33.8-28.5 in the second half.
• Kent State is getting 20.5 points per game from its bench compared to just 13.8 points per game for its opponents' bench.
• The Flashes are looking for their first seven-game MAC winning streak since putting together seven straight conference wins during the 2011-12 season.
• Kent State has held all of its opponents to 60 points or fewer during its current six-game winning streak.
• Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has scored in double-figures in 17 games this season. Hall became the first player to score in double-figures in his first eight games in a Kent State uniform since Jay Peters, who scored in double-figures in the first 12 games of the 1986-87 season.
• Hall a transfer from Hofstra, was named Preseason MAC Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
• Senior guard Kris Brewer was selected by a MAC Media Panel to the five-player Preseason All-MAC East Team. Brewer was an All-MAC honorable mention selection last season.
• Hall a transfer from Hofstra, was named Preseason MAC Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
Series History
• Kent State owns a 29-10 record all-time vs. Buffalo.
• Buffalo swept the season series last year to snap the Golden Flashes' four-game winning streak.
• This is only the second time the Bulls have won back-to-back games in the series.
• Kent State is 10-8 all-time at Alumni Arena.
• On four occasions, the schools have needed an overtime period to decide a winner with Kent State coming away victorious each time.
• Kent State won the first nine matchups between the schools, which is the longest winning steak in the series. Buffalo's first victory over the Flashes came on January 9, 2002 in Buffalo.
TV / Radio
Jim Barbar and Steve Donahue will be on the call on ESPNU, as the game will be featured as the MAC's game of the week. The game will also be streamed on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app on mobile devices.
As usual, Ty Linder and David Carducci will bring you the action on 640 AM WHLO and the Golden Flashes Radio iHeartRadio channel.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes will play back-to-back conference road games for the first time this season as they head to Western Michigan on Wednesday, February 4.
