Kent State University
Eastern Kentucky
11/15/2026 10:28:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENT – The Kent State University men's basketball team (1-2) seeks to bounce back following a loss a week ago. The Blue and Gold return home to the M.A.C. Center on Monday, Nov. 16 hosting the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. It will be just the second meeting all-time between the Golden Flashes and EKU. Kent State bested Eastern Kentucky a season ago in their first ever meeting.
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes most recently fell to the University of North Carolina Wilmington this past Wednesday, Nov. 11 by a 91-75 final. Kent State started fast. Willis knocked down a three off a Latif Diouf assist at 18:11, and Jamal Sumlin followed with a three off a Willis steal at 17:34 to make it 6-0. Willis added a jumper at 16:09, and Godslove Nwabude's tip-in dunk at 15:16 gave the Flashes a 10-4 lead, the largest of the night for Kent State. UNCW then took over with a 22-0 run that lasted more than six minutes and made it 26-10 on a Gavin Walsh layup at 8:54. Dhani Miller helped steady the Flashes with a pair of free throws and a driving layup, and Quinn Woidke hit a fast-break three off a Miller assist at 6:40 and added a jumper to make it 31-19. Kent State closed the margin to 49-30 by the half. The Seahawks opened the second half on an 11-2 stretch. The Flashes responded with a 9-0 run, with Willis scoring seven of those points. Cameron Williams added a pair of free throws, to cut it to 60-41 at 15:05. Miller hit a three at 13:07, and Willis hit a fast-break three at 10:28 to make it 71-54. Christian Henry added a second-chance three at 9:05, and Willis connected from deep again at 8:28 to cut the deficit to 76-60. Kent State kept battling down the stretch with a Miller fast-break layup and Willis free throws in the closing minutes. Landon Vanderwarker capped the scoring with a second-chance layup with 25 seconds left.
The Rearview
Willis led the way with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including a trio of triples, and went a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line. He also added four assists, three steals and a block. Miller finished with 13 points off the bench, and Sumlin and Henry each added seven points. Diouf grabbed six boards and dished out two assists. Kent State out rebounded UNCW 17-11 on the offensive glass and won the fast-break battle 14-8 going 6-of-6 on fast-break chances. The Flashes' bench outscored UNCW's 32-31.
The Golden Flashes vs. Eastern Kentucky
Kent State leads the all-time series with Eastern Kentucky 1-0. The two teams met for the first time just a year ago on Nov. 18, 2025, in Kent, Ohio, where the Golden Flashes came away with a 93-78 victory. That 15-point win stands as the only meeting between the programs.
Broadcast Info
Monday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Cameron Manna and Tanner Castora on the broadcast. The radio broadcast can be heard on Fox Sports 1350 with Dane Richardson on the call.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will renew their longtime series against local foe Cleveland State University on Saturday, Nov. 21. Tip-off is schedule for 1:00 p.m. at CSU's Wolstein Center.
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