Kent State University
7-2
Canisius College
3-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canisius | 36 | 41 | 77 |
| Kent State | 40 | 44 | 84 |
Five Flashes reach double-figures in 84-77 win over Canisius
12/12/2015 9:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – Kellon Thomas scored 17 points and Jimmy Hall added 15 to lead five players Kent State players in double-figures in an 84-77 win over Canisius on Saturday night at the M.A.C. Center in the second game of the 2015 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.
The Golden Flashes' bench made a big impact on the outcome of the game, scoring 41 points while grabbing 30 of the team's 45 rebounds. Chris Ortiz recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, Xavier Pollard stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds and a team-best five assists
Sophomore post Raasean Davis scored a career high 11 points, blocked two shots and grabbed four rebounds in his best 15 minutes in a Kent State uniform. Chris Ortiz added his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes, and sixth man Xavier Pollard stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds and a team-best five assists and Raasean Davis posted career numbers of 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks in just 15 minutes on the court.
"We always say 'Raasean, you have to let that beast out," said KSU assistant coach DeAndre Haynes. "He let the beast out tonight. He put in so much work during the off season, shedding weight and changing his body. We've been seeing this coming for a while now in practice, and our guys were really excited about what Raasean gave us tonight. They were chanting his name in the locker room after the game."
Additionally, Deon Edwin contributed six points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in just 10 minutes of court action and Marvin Jones made both of his shots to finish with four points, four rebounds and one blocked shot.
"I'll often say after games that we had a team win, but that was more the case tonight than ever," said head coach Rob Senderoff, whose Flashes improved to 7-2 before heading into a week off for final exams. "Khaliq was sick tonight and Jimmy had two fouls in the first half, so Raasean and Marvin came through for us tonight. Both guys work so hard in practice, and it was a matter of time before the opportunity presented itself for them to do this in a game. These guys are good, but I can't play everybody every night."
Canisius found some important bench production of its own in the form of Jermaine Crumpton. The 6-foot-6 sophomore led the Golden Griffins with 25 points on 11-for-15 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Crumpton connected on his first three from beyond the arc and eight of his first nine shots from the field, but misfired down the stretch as KSU finally managed to string together some stops on the defensive end.
Thomas led KSU's backcourt in limiting Canisius star Malcolm McMillian 14 points below his scoring average. The point guard scored just six points while going 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-3 on threes in 32 minutes. Kassius Robertson and Phil Valenti added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Canisius.
Kent State led Canisius 40-36 at halftime despite playing the last seven minutes without Hall after he picked up his second offensive foul of the night.
Canisius stayed in the game with three-point shooting, hitting 11-of-29 compared to Kent State's 3-for-14. A three by Jaylin Walker (7 points), however, gave KSU some much needed breathing room at 68-63 inside the five-minute mark.
Kent State won the night's rebounding battle 45-29. It also enjoyed a 48-20 advantage in the paint and a 17-9 edge on fast-break points.
The Flashes are off for finals before heading west to play Southern Methodist University on Dec. 22 in the continuation of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic. The Flashes will face either Colorado or Penn State on Dec. 23.
Kent State postgame notes
• Head coach Rob Senderoff has led Kent State to at least seven wins in its first nine games for the fourth time during his five-year head coaching tenure.
• Kent State had five players score in double-figures for the first time since an 83-75 win over Central Michigan on February 15, 2014.
• Senior Chris Ortiz recorded his third career double-double.
• The Golden Flashes had season-bests 48 points in the paint and 41 bench points.
• Kent State had seven blocked shots to match their season-high.
• All 11 Flashes who saw the floor grabbed a rebound and 10 scored a point.
Post Game Press Conference:
