Kent State University
12-11,5-6MAC
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Western Michigan University
8-15,5-6MAC
Flashes Capture Win Inside the M.A.C. Center Against the Broncos
2/6/2024 10:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kent, OH - With a 63-61 victory over Western Michigan Tuesday night, the Kent State men's basketball team (12-11, 5-6 MAC) broke their four-game home losing streak inside the M.A.C. Center.
In a game with 11 lead changes and 12 ties, the Flashes got the stop they needed in the last seconds to seal the victory. Overall, the Flashes shot 37.7 percent from the field, 90 percent from the charity stripe, and 23.8 percent from the three. The Broncos outshot the Flashes going 44 percent from the field and collecting 34 points in the paint.
VonCameron Davis recorded a game-high 19 points in tonight's victory. Davis has recorded double-digits in every MAC contest this season. Chris Payton Jr. followed with 17 points and collected a team-high six rebounds. Payton Jr. brought the energy to the second half with electrifying dunks and 15 points shooting nearly perfectly going 4-of-6 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line. Jalen Sullinger finished the night with 16 points. The Flashes cleaned up the defensive glass and made sure the Broncos did not get second-chance points.
Despite the Broncos opening the contest 4-0, neither team was able to get a grip on the lead. Offense was tough to come by on both sides in the first half. The Broncos put together six consecutive points to grab a 14-9 edge at the 9:21 mark. The Flashes answered with eight of the next 10 to move back in front, 17-16. There were four lead changes in the final six-plus minutes of the opening period. The teams traded buckets but with turnover on the Broncos and a last-second shot from Payton Jr., the Flashes went into the second half with a two-point lead.
The Broncos came out recording two offensive rebounds back-to-back to take a quick lead but Giovanni Santiago responded by hitting a three. The Flashes created a 61-55 lead with only 1:52 left in regulation time, but the Broncos crept back up hitting a three with 34 seconds on the clock. Both teams recorded an even number of 36 points each in the last 20 minutes and it would come down to the very last possession of the game. Sullinger tried to waste time and drove the ball in for a layup and missed. The Broncos took possession with a defensive rebound by Javone Brown and Head Coach Dwayne Stephens called a 30-second timeout. With seconds left the Flashes called a timeout and came back in leaving the Broncos scoreless in their last possession of the night.
Head Coach Rob Senderoff was pleased with the Flashes' performance "It was great to get a win with huge plays down the stretch and to make key plays defensively, especially in the last seconds of the game."
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Follow the Flashes
The Flashes will be back on the road to face Troy University on Saturday, Feb. 10 for their final game of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The MAC-SBC Challenge is a scheduling alliance in men's and women's basketball sports with 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) men's basketball programs hosting 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) teams. The game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Single-game tickets for the MAC 2023-24 season are on sale now. For any questions regarding ticket information, email athletictickets@kent.edu or call 330-672-4455.
