Kent State University
6-3
Niagara University
2-7
Men's Basketball Tops Niagara, 100-72
12/7/2016 10:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's basketball team (6-3) reached the century mark for the second time this season and moved its record to 4-0 at home, defeating the Niagara Purple Eagles (2-7) Wednesday, 100-72.
The win marks the first time Kent State has hit 100 points or more twice in a season since the 2003-04 season. The victory was highlighted by a career-night from Adonis De La Rosa, who reached new career benchmarks of 13 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 5-for-9 from the floor and picked up two blocks. Jimmy Hall nearly matched his double-double with a game-high 20 points with nine rebounds in just 19 minutes. Jalen Avery scored nine points and led the team in assists for the second straight game with four.
"Rebounding is important for us, nationally we are one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the country," stated head coach Rob Senderoff. "It is an important part of what we do and how we are successful. I thought we had a good rebounding game, Adonis had a career-high. I though Jimmy was on pace for an all-time game before picking up two fouls on one possession. To score 100 points and for Jimmy to play only 19 minutes is a positive sign."
The Golden Flashes defense created an early lead they would hold for the entire night. Kent State held Niagara to 1-for-13 shooting over the first 10 minutes of the game and went up 20-4 during that span. Hall scored eight points in the first 10 minutes and nearly had a double-double well before halftime.
The Golden Flashes would lead by as much as 17 points in the first half, but Niagara stopped the bleeding and kept pace until halftime. The Purple Eagles shot 8-for-14 down the stretch of the first half, putting the halftime score at 45-30.
Niagara scored the first three points of the second half, but the Flashes grew their lead with a quick 8-0 run within the first two minutes. An Alonzo Walker 3-pointer, his first with Kent State, put the home team up 62-40 with 14:53 left. Niagara put up their best comeback effort from there, scoring the next 10 points. However, Kent State halted their momentum and rebuilt a larger lead.
Over the final 12:29, the Flashes outscored Niagara 38-22, with nine players contributing in the points column. Hall and Kevin Zabo combined for 15 points down the stretch, while the defense held the Eagles to six for their last 16 from the floor. Kent State held its largest lead of the game with 34 seconds left at 100-70 before giving up the final bucket.
In the end, Kent State shot 50 percent (39-for-78) from the floor and 43.3 percent (10-for-23) from 3-point range. Kent State was nearly perfect from the line, going 12-for-13. Niagara was held to 36.1 percent shooting (22-for-61) overall. Kent State won the rebounding battle, 45-38, with 16 offensive boards. The Flashes limited themselves to four turnovers, two in each half. It was the team's lowest turnover mark and the team's third game of single-digit turnovers this year.
In his second straight start, Jaylin Walker scored 17 points. Jerrelle DeBerry scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Alonzo Walker finished with seven points and six rebounds, while Deon Edwin scored nine on 50 percent shooting. Zabo notched seven points and three assists, and Mitch Peterson recorded four rebounds and three points.
Halfway through its four-game homestand, Kent State will next face NJIT Saturday at 7 p.m.
"I think in each of these games, each one becomes harder than the next this month," said Senderoff. "We played well the past two nights, by no stretch does that assure we will play well Saturday."
