Kent State University
Northern Illinois
Flashes Conclude Road Schedule Against NIU
2/28/2022 7:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's basketball team (19-9, 14-4 MAC) wrap up their regular season road schedule against Northern Illinois (8-20, 5-13 MAC) on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center.Â
One week after making their debut in collegeinsider.com's Mid-Major Poll at No. 15, the Flashes have extended their winning streak to 10 games which is fifth-longest in the country. A historic night at the MAC Center featuring a 42-point game from Sincere Carry and the first triple-double in program history by Malique Jacobs started the week for the Flashes.
Carry, Jacobs and the Golden Flashes then traveled to Central Michigan to take on the Chippewas in a revenge game. Carry led the Flashes down the stretch, scoring 13 second-half points and nailing the and-one layup with 25 seconds left to give the Flashes a 73-71 win. Andrew Garcia led the team with his first double-double as a Golden Flash with a season-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Golden Flashes are on a run that Kent State hasn't seen in nearly 20 years. The team has won 10 straight Mid-American Conference games for the first time since 2001-02 and will be looking for their 11th win in a row for the first time since that same historic 2001-02 Elite Eight season.
While the Flashes' defense has been the story of the winning streak, the offense has picked it up as well especially over the last two games thanks in large part to Carry. Carry is averaging 23.2 points per game over the past five games en route to back-to-back MAC Player of the Week honors and Lou Henson National Player of the Week recognition. His defense has propelled the Flashes as well as he has recorded three steals in each of the last two games and defended the Chippewas' game-tying shot attempt at the buzzer to seal the win for Kent State.Â
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies are on a four-game losing streak but star guard Keshawn Williams is playing at a high level. He's averaging 17.0 points per game during the losing streak and ranks seventh in the MAC on the season with 17.9 points per game during MAC play.
Despite the drought in the win column, the Huskies are right in contention for a spot in Cleveland next week. They currently sit in ninth place with two games remaining, just one win behind Central Michigan and Miami for the final spots.Â
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.
The Flashes travel to Northern Illinois on Tuesday, March 1, to take on the Huskies. Following the two-game road trip, the Flashes return home for Senior Night on Friday, March 4, at 6 p.m., in the MAC Center as the team will honor Justyn Hamilton, Andrew Garcia and Tervell Beck. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.Â
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.
