Kent State University
University at Buffalo
Men’s Basketball Returns to M.A.C. Center Saturday for Key MAC East Battle with Buffalo
2/27/2015 10:33:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes Video Live Stats Golden Flashes Radio
KENT, Ohio – Kent State continues its quest for a Mid-American Conference title when it hosts Buffalo at the M.A.C. Center Saturday night at 7 p.m. in a matchup that will be televised on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
The Golden Flashes (19-9, 10-5) have won six straight games at home and will try to join just eight other Division I programs in the country to win at least 20 games in 15 of the past 17 seasons. A win will also keep the Flashes in contention for the No. 1 overall seed at the upcoming MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Kent State tied for first place in the MAC East and just one game out of first in the overall conference standings after a heartbreaking 86-81 loss at Miami on Tuesday. Buffalo (18-9, 9-6) is just one game behind the Flashes in the standings.
In the first meeting of the season between the teams, Kent State had its six-game winning streak snapped in an 80-55 loss at Buffalo. The Flashes jumped out to a 6-0 lead but the Bulls responded with a 17-2 run and never looked back. The Alumni Arena crowd of 5,797 was the largest attendance for a UB game since the Bulls hosted No. 16 BYU on December 30, 2010.
Stingy defense has been responsible for the Flashes being in position for another regular season championship with three games remaining in the season. Kent State is allowing just 61.6 points per game, which ranks 61st in the country and holding opponents to 40.6 percent shooting overall. Only 10 teams have managed to score more than 61 points and the Flashes are 18-1 when holding opponents under 66 points. An increased emphasis on defending the three-point line has resulted in opponents making just 126 three-pointers and shooting 30.4 percent from beyond the arc, which rank 11th and 30th in the country respectively.
Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall returned to his all-conference form Tuesday night against Miami, scoring 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in just his second game back in the lineup after missing the previous five games due to illness. Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has provided a boost on the interior and leads the Flashes with 15.2 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Preseason MAC Newcomer of the Year is shooting 53.0 percent from the field and is third in the MAC in offensive rebounding (2.7 per game).
Seniors Devareaux Manley, Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson provide the Flashes with one of the most experienced and talented backcourts in the MAC. Manley (13.4 ppg) is an elite shooter who is 6th in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.29) and 37th in 3-point percentage (.409). He has been the Flashes' most consistent offensive player in February and is averaging 17.7 points per game during the month. Brewer (10.8 ppg) has accepted his sixth man role and has made the game-winning free throw in final 15.1 seconds on three occasions. Jackson (9.5 ppg) has moved into the starting point guard role and ranks 36th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.47) and is second in the MAC in steals per game (1.8). The trio has made 175 three-point field goals.
Juniors Chris Ortiz (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Khaliq Spicer (5.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) have solidified spots in the starting lineup. Ortiz is averaging 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds over the past six games and notched his first career double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) Tuesday night at Miami. Spicer is averaging 6.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.56 blocks over the last five games and recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds last Wednesday vs. Ball State.
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo enters with the highest RPI (No. 44) in the MAC and has won three straight contests. The Bulls are just 9-7 on the road this season.
The Bulls have the nation's 35th-highest scoring offense at 74.1 points per game. The free throw line has been a major part of Buffalo's success, as 24.7 percent of its points have come from the charity stripe. Buffalo ranks fourth in the country in free throws made (494), 25 in free throws attempts (673) and 35 in free throw percentage (.734).
Forward Justin Moss has enjoyed a breakout season and leads the MAC in scoring (18.7 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg), free throws made (148) and double-doubles (13). Frontcourt mate Xavier Ford chips in 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Ford scored a career-high 25 points against Kent State earlier this season.
Guard Shannon Evans averages 15.1 points per game, teaming with Moss to give the Bulls the MAC's top scoring tandem. Evans also averages 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Jarryn Skeete (9.7 ppg) is one of the MAC's top shooters and Lamonte Bearden (7.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) is among the top freshmen in the conference.
Quick Flashes
• Senior Devareaux Manley broke Kent State's single-season three-point field goals record, which was set by Randal Holt during the 2012-13 season, Tuesday night at Miami. Manley now has 92 three-pointers on the season.
• Manley passed Trevor Huffman (1998-2002) for second on Kent State's all-time list last Saturday at Ohio. He now has 215 three-pointers for his career and is 32 behind all-time leader Randal Holt.
• Senior Kris Brewer surpassed the 1,000-point milestone February 4 vs. Western Michigan. Brewer is currently 25th on Kent State's scoring list with 1,058 points. He needs 14 points to pass Ed Norvell for 24th.
• Kent State has allowed the 11th-fewest three-point field goals in the nation (126) this season.
• The Flashes are 11-0 when holding opponents to less than 25 percent shooting from the three-point line.
• Head coach Rob Senderoff is fifth on Kent State's all-time wins list (77).
• Kent State has held opponents to 65 points or fewer in 18 of the 19 games it has won this season.
• Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Hall, a transfer from Hofstra, has scored in double-figures in 19 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 29-11 record all-time vs. Buffalo.
• 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.
• Buffalo swept the season series last year to snap the Golden Flashes' four-game winning streak.
• Kent State is 16-1 all-time when hosting Buffalo at the M.A.C. Center.
• On four occasions, the schools have needed an overtime period to decide a winner with Kent State coming away victorious each time.
TV / Radio
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 travel to Bowling Green on Tuesday, March 3 in a game that will be aired on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
