Kent State University
Ball State University
Men's Basketball Hosts Ball State Wednesday Night
2/17/2015 4:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes Video Live Stats Audio
KENT, Ohio – Kent State looks to build on the momentum from Friday night's thrilling overtime victory on the road in front of a national audience on ESPNU as it hosts Ball State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (17-8, 8-4) are just one game out of first place in the conference standings have won five straight games at the M.A.C. Center. The Flashes defeated the Cardinals (7-16, 2-8) during the first matchup between the schools, 63-52, on Jan. 24 in Muncie.
Stingy defense has been responsible for the Flashes surpassing their overall and conference win totals from a year ago with a month remaining in the season. Kent State is allowing just 61.4 points per game, which ranks 61st in the country and holding opponents to 40.9 percent shooting overall. Only nine teams have managed to score more than 61 points and the Flashes are undefeated when holding opponents under 66 points.
Seniors Devareaux Manley, Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson provide the Flashes with one of the most experienced and talented backcourts in the MAC and combined for 58 points in the Flashes' win over Toledo on Friday. Manley (13.0 ppg) is an elite shooter who is 15th in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.12) and 43rd in 3-point percentage (.396). Brewer (10.9 ppg), has accepted his sixth man role, scored a season-high 21 points on Friday and also made the game-winning free throw with 2.1 in overtime. Jackson (10.2 ppg) has moved into the starting point guard role and ranks 36th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.53) and is second in the MAC in steals per game (1.8). The trio has made 132 three-point field goals.
Juniors Chris Ortiz (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Khaliq Spicer (5.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) have solidified spots in the starting lineup. Ortiz is averaging 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in conference play and scored the game-winner in the final minute of the last home game vs. Miami. Spicer has emerged as a rim protector and is averaging 2.2 blocks per game in league play.
Scouting Ball State
Ball State has lost 10 straight games after starting 2-0 in conference play. The Cardinals are just 1-10 on the road this season, with an overtime effort at Eastern Michigan being the lone win. Ball State then lost a pair of games against MAC East foes Bowling Green (58046) and Ohio (82-73).
The Cardinals average 66.9 points per game while allowing 68.7 points per game. The three-point shot has been a big of the team's offense and accounts for 36.5 percent of its scoring. They make 8.1 three-pointers per game which ranks 34th in the country, and shoot 36.3 percent from beyond the arc. Ball State averages 14.5 turnovers per game, which is the most in the conference.
Forward Sean Sellers leads all MAC freshmen in scoring (12.0 ppg), three-point shooting (44.8 percent) and free throw shooting (82.3 percent) while ranking second in three-pointers per game (2.0). Guard Zavier Turner (10.6 ppg) and forward Frank House (10.2 ppg) also score in double-figures for the Cardinals. Turner is a big-time scorer who was averaging 13.1 points prior to the first matchup with Kent State but has been less involved in the offense over the past seven games. House is Ball State's top scorer in league play at 12.6 points per game.
Forward/center Matt Kamieniecki (8.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) is the lone rotation player taller than 6'7". Kamieniecki is fifth in the MAC in rebounding but has been sidelined three straight games and played just twice since January 21. Forward Bo Calhoun has stepped up over the past month and is averaging 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds over the last seven games.
Quick Flashes
• Senior Kris Brewer surpassed the 1,000-point milestone February 4 vs. Western Michigan. Brewer is currently 26th on Kent State's scoring list with 1,027 points.
• Kent State made a season-high 13 three-point field goals last Wednesday vs. Western Michigan. Senior Devareaux Manley shot 6-for-10 while redshirt senior Derek Jackson shot 5-for-10 from the three-point line.
• Kent State has allowed the 8th-fewest three-point field goals in the nation (112) this season.
• The Flashes are 10-0 when holding opponents to less than 25 percent shooting from the three-point line.
• Head coach Rob Senderoff moved into sole possession of fifth on Kent State's all-time wins list (75) with Friday's 76-75 win over Toledo.
• Kent State has held opponents to 65 points or fewer in all 16 games it has won this season.
• Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has scored in double-figures in 18 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.
Series History
• Kent State owns a 40-38 record all-time vs. Ball State owns a 11-game winning streak in the series.
• The Golden Flashes own a 13.2-point average margin of victory over the last 11 meetings.
• During the current winning streak, the Flashes recorded the largest victory in series history with a 76-42 win on Feb, 10, 2010.
• The last time Ball State defeated the Flashes was Jan. 2, 2005 at Worthen Arena.
• Kent State is 27-9 at home in the series. Ball State has not won at the M.A.C. Center since Jan. 23, 1999 and has won just twice in the last 20 years.
TV / Radio
Ty Linder and Dave Carducci will bring you the action on 640 AM WHLO and the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes will head to Athens to play a televised game on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel Saturday at 2 p.m.
