Kent State University
23-10,16-4MAC
Akron
24-9,14-6MAC
Kent State Falls in MAC Men’s Basketball Title Game
3/12/2022 10:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND — Kent State's 14-game win streak ended with a 75-55 setback to Akron in the 2022 Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament championship game Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Golden Flashes (23-10) jumped out to an 11-3 lead just over four minutes into the contest, but turnovers on seven of the ensuing 11 possessions aided the Zips in going ahead 14-13 with 9:19 remaining in the half. Giovanni Santiago provided an answer for Kent State with a three-pointer on the next trip down the court. A 14-5 run over the final 6:16 of the halftime sent the Flashes into the locker room with a 34-25 deficit.
VonCameron Davis opened the second half with a three-pointer. Justyn Hamilton followed with a score in the paint, and Sincere Carry added a triple to get within 34-33 with 17:34 to play. Following a timeout, Akron buried a pair of three-pointers to help stretch its lead back to 10 before back-to-back baskets by Hamilton got the Flashes back within 45-39. A 15-3 Zips run ensued, and Kent State ran out of time to mount a final comeback effort.
Hamilton shot 8-of-10 for 19 points to lead the Flashes and also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Carry was named to the all-MAC Tournament team.
Follow the Flashes
The Flashes' incredible season filled with the longest winning streak since 2001-02 and many other milestones comes to an end in heartbreaking fashion, but stay tuned for any postseason updates surrounding the team. For all 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.
