Kent State University
Ohio University
Kent State Hosts Ohio for Autism Awareness Game
2/14/2020 12:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio-Â The Kent State men's basketball team is back in action after its bye week and hosts Ohio on Saturday afternoon at the M.A.C. Center. Saturday's game will serve as the Autism Awareness game. Tip time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Kent State will debut its Autism Awareness uniforms against Ohio. The Bobcats' staff will join the Golden Flashes in the awareness effort by wearing the autism "puzzle" ribbon, and players on both teams will be wearing light blue shoelaces – a designated color for autism awareness. The Flashes Players will be wearing student-designed uniforms with the space on the back that's usually designated for their names instead displaying the phrase "1 in 59" to promote autism awareness and education.
THE GAME
Kent State (16-8, 6-5 MAC) vs. Ohio (12-12, 4-7 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 15 | M.A.C. Center  | Kent, Ohio  | 1:00 PM
BROADCAST
TV: ESPN3
Radio: Dan Griffin (pbp), WHLO 640 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio
OHIO HEAD COACH
Jeff Boals
Record at Ohio: 12-12 (1st season)
KENT STATE HEAD COACH
Record at Kent State: 177-117 (9th season)
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio leads the all-time series with a 94-54 record.
Kent State is 35-36 when playing in Ohio at home.
Kent State is 10-7 against the Bobcats under head coach Rob Senderoff.
Kent State looks for its sixth straight win over Ohio at Memorial A & C Center. The last victory for the Bobcats at Kent State was a 59-53 win on Jan. 8, 2014.
LAST TIME OUT
The Kent State men's basketball team dropped to 16-8 overall and 6-5 in conference play after a 57-54 loss to Northern Illinois on the road. In a game that saw 14 lead changes and 11 ties, Kent State tried to rally down the stretch when junior Danny Pippen knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers that tied the game at 50 with 3:52 remaining. The Huskies took a 54-50 lead and held KSU scoreless for 2:33 before Pippen hit a pair of free throws that cut the deficit to two. A layup from sophomore Anthony Roberts tied the game at 54 and he was sent to the line for a chance to give the Flashes the lead but missed the free throw. Pippen led the Flashes with 16 points and eight rebounds while Roberts rounded out the double-figure scoring with 13 points. The Flashes were off on Tuesday as they had a bye week.
On the season, the Flashes are shooting 45.0 percent (660-) from the floor and 206-594 (34.7 percent) from long range. Pippen leads the team averaging (14.1 ppg) as well in rebounds averaging 7.3 boards a game.
FLASH FACTS
- The Flashes have four players averaging in double-figure scoring with Troy Simons (12.8 ppg), Anthony Roberts (12.1 ppg), Antonio Williams (13.5 ppg), and Danny Pippen (14.1 ppg).
- Kent State ranks 66th in the country and third in the conference in scoring offense (77.8 ppg).
- As a team, Kent State ranks 46th in the country and leads the conference with 4.6 blocked shots per game.
- Danny Pippen leads the team with 42 total blocks, five of which he had against Towson. Kent State ranks 53rd in the nation in total blocked shots (107) and lead the conference. Pippen also ranks 46th in the nation and is second in conference stats averaging 1.75 blocked shots per game.
- Troy Simons ranks 24th in the nation in 3-point FG per game (3.00) and leads conference stats.
-Kent State ranks 57th in 3-point FG per game (8.6) and ranks 3rd in conference stats.
- In conference stats, KSU is first in FG percentage (45.6) and ranks 78th in the country. Â
-Flashes rank 61st in the country and lead the conference with a +7.8 scoring margin. Kent State ended the non-conference schedule with the highest scoring margin during the non-conference schedule in 20 seasons. (+12.5).
- Defensively, the Flashes have held its opponents to 68.1 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
- Kent State has forced 344 turnovers (14.3 tpg) while collecting 174 steals (7.3 stl/g). On the glass, the Flashes have out re-bounded their opponents 881-864Â for a +0.7 margin.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats, stand 12-12 overall and 4-7 in MAC play under first-year head coach Jeff Boals. Ohio is on a two-game win streak and most recently coming off a 73-61 win over WMU. Sophomore guard Jason Preston recorded his sixth double-double of the season (21 pts, 11 rebs). Ohio's Jason Preston, Jordan Dartis and Sylvester Ogbonda have collectively scored 49 percent of the team's points this season and have accounted for 47 percent of all Bobcats scoring over the last five games. The Bobcats have three players averaging in double figures with Preston (16.0), Vander Plas (15.6, and Dartis (13.0). Vander Plas also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 7.0 rpg.
Defensively, Ohio has held its opponents to score 68.0 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 33.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bobcats have 312 turnovers (13.0 tpg) while collecting 150 steals (6.3 stl/g) On the glass, Ohio has out-rebounded their opponents 856-814 for a +1.8 margin. The Bobcats lead the conference in rebounding defense (33.9 rpg).
FOLLOW ALONG
Flash fans unable to attend the game can watch the game on ESPN3 listen through iHeart Radio and Tune-In and follow along with live stats via sidearm. All the links are located below.
Watch: http://www.espn.com/watch?id=0eb97721-8595-47ca-973f-130d09080d0a
Listen: https://www.iheart.com/live/640-whlo-3520/
Live Stats: https://kentstatesports.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
