Kent State University
Detroit Mercy
Flashes Wrap Up Homestand With Holiday Theme Night Thursday
12/8/2021 12:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's basketball (4-3) hosts Detroit Mercy (2-6) on Thursday night inside the M.A.C. Center for a Holiday Theme Night. Fans are encouraged to wear their ugly holiday sweaters and join in on the holiday spirit. The first 150 students in the game will receive a free holiday t-shirt.Â
"This is a great opportunity to play another quality non-conference opponent at home," said Head Coach Rob Senderoff. "The students and fans give us a great home court advantage and we really need their support on Thursday. This is a great time to get in the holiday spirit and hopefully watch us get a win."Â Â Â
The Golden Flashes lost its first home game of the 2021-22 season at the hands of Towson on Monday night. The Flashes scored just 58 points – all three of their losses have come when the team has scored under 60 points.Â
The Flashes have been incredible from the free throw line this season, leading the country with an 81.9 free throw percentage. Sincere Carry paces the Flashes and the Mid-American Conference from the charity stripe. He is 24-for-26 (.923) on the season.Â
Carry led the Flashes in scoring yet again, but it was Giovanni Santiago who kept the Flashes within striking distance in the first half. He hit three three-pointers on the night and finished with 16 points. Carry finished with a team-high 17 points. Justyn Hamilton has turned it on protecting the rim over the past few games. He posted three blocks against Towson and leads the team on the year with 13 blocks.
Scouting the Titans
Antoine Davis leads Detroit Mercy in points (22.5ppg) and is one of the best scorers Kent State will see all season. Davis also leads the Titans in assists (37) and second on DMU in steals (11). The senior guard takes about 35 percent of the Titans shots and provides over one-third of their scoring production, not including assists.Â
Madut Akec anchors the Titans down low, averaging 15.4 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. He leasd DMU in blocks and shoots north of 50 percent from the field.  He and Davis are the only two players that have started all eight games for the Titans.Â
After starting 0-6, Detroit Mercy has won back-to-back games over IUPUI and UIC. The defense was a big reason why the Titans got in the winning column, holding both opponents to under 60 total points. DMU hadn't held a single opponent under 65 points all season prior to the two consecutive wins.
Follow the Flashes
Next up for the Kent State is a nationally televised matchup against West Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. Coach Senderoff returns to the location of his first win at Kent State as the Flashes and Mountaineers clash on ESPN2.Â
Home tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. For questions regarding ticket information, email athletictickets@kent.edu or call 330-672-4455. The Flashes will host Southern in the M.A.C. Center on Sunday, Dec. 19, and Cleveland State on Tuesday, Dec. 21, as the second game of a double header following the women's basketball team's matchup against Florida State.
For more information on the men's basketball team, follow Kent State Men's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and visit kentstatesports.com for additional updates.
