Kent State University
18-7,9-3MAC
Eastern Michigan
9-16,3-9MAC
Golden Flashes Surge in the Second Half to Secure 95-91 Victory over Eastern Michigan
2/11/2026 11:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT– Kent State Men's Basketball (18-7, 9-3 MAC) utilized a surging second half against Eastern Michigan to secure a 95-91 victory on Wednesday night. Morgan Safford poured in a career-high 23 points while going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line to lead the Golden Flashes past the Eagles. He along with four other Flashes dropped double-digits. The game featured 11 ties and 17 lead changes as both teams traded blows throughout the contest.
Eastern Michigan shot a scorching 64.52% from the field in the first half, with Addison Patterson leading the charge. The Eagles' hot shooting allowed them to build a 47-40 halftime advantage despite Kent State connecting on six of 13 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Kent State came out with renewed energy to start the second half, cutting into the deficit early. The Golden Flashes pulled even at 70-70 on a Cian Medley jumper with 6:55 remaining, capping an impressive comeback. The teams exchanged leads over the next several minutes with neither squad able to pull away. Jahari Williamson gave Kent State a 73-72 lead on a three-point play with 6:04 to go, converting all three free throws. Quinn Woidke provided a crucial three-pointer with 3:51 left to extend the Kent State lead to 80-77. After Eastern Michigan's Mohammad Habhab tied it at 80-80, Woidke converted two free throws to put the Flashes up 82-80 with 2:56 remaining. Safford then gave the Golden Flashes breathing room with a jumper in the paint and a free throw pushing the advantage to 87-83 with 1:36 to play. Kent State made 11 of its final 12 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. Medley added two free throws with 1:15 remaining to extend the lead to 88-83. After Green pulled EMU within three at 88-85, Safford converted four straight free throws over the final 41 seconds to ice the game.
The Box Score Story
Safford led the way with a Kent State career-high 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. Gillespie notched his still nation leading 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds while going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Williamson matched Gillespie's 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, connecting on 3-of-6 from three-point range. Medley added 13 points, five rebounds and a game-high 10 assists for the Flashes. Woidke contributed 13 points off the bench, going 2-of-3 from deep.
Up Next
Kent State is back on the road this weekend at Ball State University. Tip-off is scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:00 p.m. in Muncie, Indiana.
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