Kent State University
Saint Francis University
Men’s Basketball Welcomes Saint Francis (Pa.) for Tuesday Doubleheader
11/23/2015 3:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kent State (2-1) will play its final home game during the month of November on Tuesday when Saint Francis (Pa.) visits the M.A.C. Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and the game is the second part of a doubleheader. Kent State's women's basketball team hosts Minnesota at 6:30 p.m.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a 79-72 win over Marist on Saturday night. Redshirt junior Jimmy Hall turned in a dominant performance with a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds to go with two blocked shots to lead the way for the Flashes. Redshirt junior Kellon Thomas continued his hot start to the season with 16 points, while senior Khaliq Spicer nearly notched a double-double with 9 points and 11 rebounds. After struggling at the charity stripe in Wednesday's loss at Southern Illinois, Kent State made 23 of 29 attempts on the night (79.3%).
Thomas has been the Flashes' leading scorer so far this season and is averaging 17.0 points per game. The starting frontcourt of Jimmy Hall (16.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Khaliq Spicer (9.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Chris Ortiz (8.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg) have helped Kent State post a +13.7 rebounding margin over the first three games. The trio has helped the Flashes outrebound opponents 50-15 on the offensive end and own a 42-15 advantage in second chance scoring.
Graduate student Galal Cancer has provided a good all-around floor game with 5.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in addition to defending the opponent's top perimeter scorer. Redshirt senior Xavier Pollard (8.7 ppg) and redshirt junior Deon Edwin (4.7 ppg) have provided scoring options off the bench.
Quick Flashes
• Kent State won its seventh consecutive season-opener by defeating Youngstown State, 79-70, on Saturday.
• Senior Chris Ortiz was named MAC East Player of the Week on Monday after scoring 12 points and pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds.
• The Golden Flashes outrebounded YSU, 53-34, on Saturday. The 53 rebounds are the most by a KSU team since Dec. 20, 2003 at Boston College.
• Redshirt senior Xavier Pollard had 15 points in Saturday's win vs. YSU extend KSU's streak to four consecutive years with a transfer scoring in double-figures in the season-opener.
• Graduate student Galal Cancer had six assists, which is the most by a transfer in his KSU debut since Carlton Guyton in 2010.
Scouting Saint Francis
Saint Francis (2-1) is coming off back-to-back 20-point wins for the first time since the first two games of the 2006-07 season. The Red Flash opened the season with an 87-56 loss at No. 18 Notre Dame before taking down Westminster (103-72) and American (68-48). The Red Flash has been stellar on defense and lead the Northeast Conference in defensive field goal percentage (.382), points allowed (69.0) and defensive three-point percentage (.281).
Senior guard Ben Millaud-Meunier is the team's top scorer at 18.7 points per game. Millaud-Meunier scored a career-high 32 points in the Red Flash's triumph over Westminster, which included a 6-for-10 performance from beyond the three-point stripe. Sophomore forward Basil Thompson averaged 12.0 points over Saint Francis' first two games but did not play against American. Senior guard Greg Brown (11.0 ppg) and freshman guard Isaiah Blackmon (10.5 ppg) have both only played in two games as well.
Series History
• Kent State is 5-4 all-time series vs. Saint Francis, including a 4-0 record in Kent.
• The Flashes defeated the Red Flash, 77-48, at the M.A.C. Center in the most recent meeting on December 20, 2012.
• Kent State has won three straight in the series with Saint Francis' last win coming on Dec. 29, 1978 in Youngstown, Ohio.
• In the first ever meeting between the schools on the hardwood, the Golden Flashes dropped a 106-72 contest in Trenton, N.J. on Dec. 28, 1963)
Radio
Ty Linder and David Carducci will bring you the action on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes travels to Pittsburgh for a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday.
