Kent State University
24-10,14-4MAC
Illinois State
21-12,12-8MVC
Kent State Falls to Illinois State in NIT First Round
3/18/2026 11:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NORMAL, Ill. - Kent State Men's Basketball's (24-10) season came to an end on Wednesday night dropping their National Invitation Tournament opening round game at Illinois State University by a final score of 79-58. A trio of Golden Flashes scored double-digits despite the hosting Redbirds holding control for most of the contest.
Illinois State came out of the gates hot making eight first half threes. The Golden Flashes were kept at arm's length every time they threatened to close the gap. Kent State's second half told a more encouraging story. The Golden Flashes regrouped at the break eventually trimming the deficit to 14 points on multiple occasions behind improved shooting and sharper ball movement. Cian Medley's three-pointer at 14:48 cut it to 36-50, and the Flashes continued to compete scoring 33 in the final 20 minutes. Morgan Safford caught fire down the stretch while Jahari Williamson provided a jolt of energy with back-to-back buckets late. Ultimately, a combination of early-game shooting woes and Illinois State's ability to make the most of late possession made the gap too large to close.
The Box Score Story
Safford led all Kent State scorers with 19 points. Rob Whaley Jr. finished with 13 points. Williamson added 11 points including a trio of three-pointers. Medley was the engine of the offense once again recording seven assists. He concludes the season with 212 assists on the season ultimately pushing the single-season assists record in the process. Delrecco Gillespie was a warrior on the glass yet again for KSU, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds.
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