Kent State University
11-10, 3-5MAC
Central Michigan
14-7, 4-4MAC
Men's Basketball Falls in Overtime Against Central Michigan
1/28/2017 4:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State University men's basketball team (11-10, 3-5 MAC) lost an overtime battle against the Central Michigan Chippewas (14-7, 4-4 MAC) Saturday, 105-98.
"Tough loss," said head coach Rob Senderoff. "When it went to overtime, I thought we had the momentum, but it didn't carry over there. Their guys played really well and made some really big plays down the stretch and in overtime, and we couldn't get any stops. You can see by the overtime and second half defensive numbers. We have got to move on and play on the road against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday."
The game featured two MAC Player of the Year candidates in Marcus Keene and Jimmy Hall. Kent State's Hall finished the game with team-highs of 28 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. He shot 12-for-18 from the floor and brought down five offensive rebounds, converting key put-back buckets late. On the other end, Keene finished with 41 points on 50 percent shooting. Deon Edwin and Mitch Peterson each recorded career-highs of 23 and 19 points respectively. Edwin pulled down nine boards, while Peterson brought down a career-high six.
The Chippewas started the game hot and jumped out to a 10-2 lead, making five of their first seven shots of the game. Central Michigan maintained control until the 13:17 mark of the first half, when Kent State burned a timeout down, 19-12. Out of the 30 second pause, the Flashes stepped up on defense and slowed down the Chippewas.
The visiting team would finish the first half shooting 7-for-27, allowing the Flashes to take control of the contest. A series of turnovers led the Flashes to a 10-0 run that gave them the lead for the rest of the half. The lead was built to 41-34 right before the half, but two Marcus Keene free throws cut into the lead before the break.
The Flashes and Chippewas battled tight at the start of the second half, but an 8-0 run gave Central Michigan the lead. With the momentum fully swung towards Central Michigan, Hall battled back with a pair of offensive rebounds and put backs, tying the game at 56 all with 11:46 remaining.
The second half developed into a close game, played within a single possession for nearly 11 minutes. Central Michigan separated from the home team at the 3:31 mark, when a Keene driving layup put his team up, 75-71. After Edwin converted a layup, Central Michigan went up by five with 1:52 left.
Down late, the Flashes turned to their seniors for a quick scoring punch. Kent State earned three points on two of the next three trips down the floor, first on an Edwin trey and again on a Hall layup and free throw. After another Hall basket, the Flashes found themselves with possession, down two, with 11 seconds remaining. Jalen Avery brought the ball up the court and quickly gunned for a layup. His attempt rimmed out, but Hall grabbed the rebound for another put-back bucket with a second to spare. A last-second heave came up short for Central Michigan, sending the game to overtime.
In the overtime period, Central Michigan did not miss a shot, with a majority of their shots coming from outside the arc. The Chippewas built a double-digit lead within two minutes and headed into the last two up, 97-87. The Flashes fought until the final horn, and a pair of Jaylin Walker 3-pointers helped Kent State bring the deficit down to three with 18 seconds left. Central Michigan's Braylon Rayson hit two free throws, and the Flashes could not convert on a needed 3-ball with eight seconds on the clock.
In the end, The Flashes shot 44.7 percent from the floor (34-for-76), while Central Michigan finished at 48.6 percent (34-for-70), with 14 3-pointers. The Flashes won the rebounding battle, 43-36, and had less turnovers, 12-14.
Jaylin Walker returned after a two-game absence and finished with 13 points and three rebounds. Danny Pippen chipped in six points and two rebounds. Avery and Desmond Ridenour each tied Hall for the team lead with four assists.
The Flashes will head out on a two game road trip this week, starting with a game at Eastern Michigan Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
