Kent State University
19-10,9-7MAC
Akron
23-6,15-1MAC
Golden Flashes Fall Short in Rivalry Game
3/1/2025 12:09:00 AM | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio –– The Kent State Golden Flashes battled hard but ultimately came up short in a 77-72 road loss to rival Akron on Friday night at James A. Rhodes Arena. Despite leading for most of the game and taking a 39-32 advantage into halftime, Kent State couldn't withstand Akron's second-half surge in a dramatic finish.
Jalen Sullinger led the Golden Flashes with 19 points, including three 3-pointers, while Marquis Barnett contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Delrecco Gillespie added a solid all-around performance with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Kent State started strong, building a 10-point lead midway through the first half. The Golden Flashes shot an impressive 52.9% from the field in the opening period, including 37.5% from beyond the arc, as they took control of the game early.
The momentum shifted in the second half as Akron slowly chipped away at Kent State's lead. The Zips were paced by Tavari Johnson (16 points) and Nate Johnson (14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists). Akron took their first lead of the second half at 11:49 when James Okonkwo converted a second-chance layup to make it 52-51.
Critical Final Minutes
The game's intensity reached its peak in the final five minutes. With 5:18 remaining, Tavari Johnson's three-pointer for Akron brought the Zips within one at 65-64. Kent State quickly responded when Barnett finished a fast break layup off an assist from Cian Medley to pull ahead 67-64 with 4:48 left.
The momentum shifted dramatically at the 3:42 mark when Cli'Ron Hornbeak blocked Nate Johnson's driving layup, but Johnson collected his rebound and found Tavari Johnson, who converted a crucial layup to give Akron a 68-67 advantage.
Following a media timeout with 3:14 remaining, Cian Medley went to the line but could only convert one of two free throws, tying the game at 68. Akron's Nate Johnson made three consecutive free throws to put the Zips up 71-68 with 2:27 left.
Amani Lyles delivered what proved to be the decisive blow with a dunk at the 1:30 mark, extending Akron's lead to 75-70.
Medley hit a pull-up jumper with 30 seconds left to bring Kent State within three at 75-72, but Shammah Scott's clutch free throw with 23 seconds remaining pushed the lead back to four. Kent State had one final chance, but Sullinger's floating jump shot missed with 15 seconds left. After Barnett's desperate three-point attempt missed with six seconds remaining, Johnson secured the defensive rebound and hit another free throw to seal Akron's 77-72 victory.
The loss drops Kent State to 19-10 overall and 9-7 in conference play, while Akron improves to 23-6 (15-1). Despite controlling the game for over 29 minutes and shooting 46.8%, the Golden Flashes couldn't overcome Akron's 73.7% free throw shooting and 45-point second-half performance.
The Flashes travel to Western Michigan for their next game on Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m.
Follow Kent State Men's Basketball
For more information on Kent State Men's Basketball, fans can follow the team on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Follow Kent State Athletics
For complete coverage of Kent State Athletics, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram , and Facebook for news and updates.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
