Kent State University
Central Michigan University
Flashes and Chippewas Set to Tangle in MAC Quarterfinals
3/13/2019 6:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio- The Kent State University men's basketball team returns to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament and will take on #5 Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at Quicken Loans Arena. Kent State is the fourth seed.
THE GAME
Kent State (22-9, 11-7 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (22-10, 10-8 MAC)
Thursday, March 14Â | 2:30 p.m. | Quicken Loans Arena
BROADCAST
TV:ESPN+Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
RADIO: Kent State-IMG Sports Network, Ty Linder (pbp), Tanner Castora (analyst), Jacob Pavilack (sideline) WHLO 640 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio
CENTRAL MICHIGAN HEAD COACH
Keno Davis
Record at CMU: 120-107 (7th season)
KENT STATE HEAD COACH
Record at Kent State: 161-107 (8th Season)
ALL-TIME SERIES
Kent State holds a 48-32 all-time series advantage over Central Michigan.
The two teams met earlier this season as CMU took the lone meeting, 84-74.
Central Michigan last faced Kent State in MAC Tournament play in 2017, when the No. 11-seeded Chippewas met the No. 6-seeded Golden Flashes in the first round and fell, 116-106 in overtime at the M.A.C Center.
Kent State is 2-4 when playing Central Michigan in the MAC Tournament. The Flashes beat the Chippewas in their last meeting in the tournament back in 2017 in a 116-106 win in the first round.
Kent State is 7-4 against the Zips under head coach Rob Senderoff.
FLASH FACTS
- The Flashes finished the regular season 22-9 overall and 11-7 in league play. The 22 wins marks the most wins since the 2009-10 season.Kent State hosted rival Zips in the season finale and came out with a 68-65 victory on senior night. The win secured a first round bye for the Flashes and sent them to Cleveland for the third straight season.
- The Flashes enter the quarterfinals as the fourth seed and have been the fourth seed seven times, four times since 2012.
- The Flashes are first in conference stats in fewest turnovers (351) and rank 71st in the nation and a 16.1 turnover percentage on possessions ranking 28th in the country.
- Jaylin Walker ranks 15th in the country in 3-point FG per game and leads the conference with 3.44. He ranks 19th in the country in points per game (21.9) and is the conference leader, while also ranking second in the conference in 3-point field goals made (86) ranking 41st in the nation.
- Walker moved into the No. 2 spot in all-time points with 1,770 career-points. He needs 51 points to pass the all-time leader, Trevor Huffman (1,820).
- Avery leads the nation with a 5.28 assist/turnover ratio.
- On the season, the Flashes are shooting 43.5 percent (819-1880 from the floor, and 240-708 from long range (34.1 percent). ). The Flashes have four players averaging in double-figure scoring with Walker leading the team averaging 21.9 points per game, Jalen Avery with 11.0, Williams with 11.9, and Philip Whittington with 10.3. Whittington also leads the team averaging 8.0rebounds per game and has 247 total on the season. Defensively, Kent State has held its opponents to 72.3 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from long range.
- The Chippewas opened the tournament at home on Monday with an 82-75 victory over rival Western Michigan. CMU has won six of its last eight games.
- points per game. Shawn Roundtree averages 16.5, David DiLeo 12.1, Kevin McKay 11.3, and Rob Montgomery rounds out the lineup with 10.6. McKay also leads the team on the boards averaging 7.5 rebounds per game and 241 on the season.
- Defensively, the Chippewas have limited their opponents to score 75.8 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 29.5 percent from downtown allowing 6.6 made 3-pt FG per game. CMU has 395 turnovers (12.3 tpg) while collecting 248 steals (7.8 stl/g). On the glass, the Chippewas have out-rebounded their opponents 1222-1211 for a +0.3 margin.
-The Flashes have a 40-30 (57 percent) all-time record in the MAC Tournament.
