Kent State University
7-8,2-3MAC
Northern Illinois
4-8,1-1MAC
Golden Flashes Outlasted by Huskies
1/11/2022 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's basketball team (7-8, 2-3 MAC) fell at the hands of Northern Illinois (4-8, 1-1 MAC) on Tuesday night, 65-63, inside the M.A.C. Center.
The Flashes and Huskies played smooth basketball for the first eight minutes before fouls by both sides elongated the opening half and saw 21 combined free throws made. Kent State held a 37-34 lead at the break after an NIU three-pointer cut into the lead just before the half.
The Huskies came out blazing in the second half, using a 6-0 run over the first four minutes to take their first lead since the 16:41 mark of the first half. The Flashes only led twice the rest of the game and trailed by as many as seven but still had a chance to tie or win it in the end.
Down four with 21 seconds to play, Malique Jacobs tipped in a Sincere Carry miss and brought the Huskies' lead down to two. After a pair of NIU free throws, Carry hit a jumper with 1.5 seconds left but the Flashes still trailed by two. A loose ball on the inbound pass almost rolled the Flashes way, but the clock struck zero and the Huskies were victorious.
Carry and Jacobs led the Flashes, each scoring 16 points. Carry's performance marked him down in history as he crossed the 1,000 career points mark midway through the first half. Jacobs recorded his third double-double of the year with a game-high 10 rebounds.
Three Huskies scored in double figures, led by Kaleb Thornton who recorded a career-high 17 points. Trendon Hankerson added 14 points and Chinedu Kingsley Okanu scored 13 for NIU. The Huskies won the battle in the paint, outscoring the Flashes 30-20.
Follow the Flashes
Home tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Fans are required to wear face coverings while inside the M.A.C. Center. For questions regarding ticket information, email athletictickets@kent.edu or call 330-672-4455.
Kent State will host rival Akron on Friday, Jan. 14, in search of a half point in the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge. The Flashes will then hit the road two times next week, first on Tuesday, Jan. 18, against Eastern Michigan and then on Friday, Jan. 21, at Buffalo.
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.
