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Kent State falls in overtime

3/28/2015

‘These guys had a great season’ – Rob Senderoff

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Kent State's CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament run ended in heartbreak as Quinton Upshur's layup with 14 seconds to play in overtime lifted Northern Arizona to a 74-73 victory in front of 3,653 at the Walkup Skydome.

The Golden Flashes trailed by 10 points late in regulation before battling back to force overtime. They led by five with 40 seconds to play in the extra session only to watch a string of astonishing plays flip the script.

MANLEY LEADS THE WAY

Devareaux Manley scored 25 points to lead the Flashes while hitting 6-of-15 from three-point range. Fellow senior Derek Jackson added 18 points, and Jimmy Hall battled back from an ice-cold shooting start to post a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double.

"These guys fought to the bitter end," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff, whose Flashes finished the 2014-15 season at 23-12. "It didn't go our way, but it wasn't for a lack of effort … We fought all the way back in regulation and this was certainly a game we could have won.

"You have to be proud of these guys. We won a share of the regular-season Mid-American Conference championship when nobody expected it. We won 23 games. We won 10 games on the road. At the end of the day, these guys had a great season. The effort was there. As a coach, you just want your guys to play hard night in and night out. I think we did that for the most part this year. I hope the fans appreciate that and are proud of this team."

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Falcons can’t catch Cansius

3/21/2015

Holmes’ return and double-double not enough

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Falcons fell behind by double digits early in the contest and were unable to overcome the early deficit in an 82-59 home loss to Canisius College on Saturday afternoon in the second round

The loss ends BG’s season at 21-12 overall. Bowling Green’s 21 wins is a nine game improvement on last year's win total of 12 victories and is the first 20-win season for the Falcons since the 2001-02 team totaled 24 victories.

"It's a tough way to end the season. For those that have been to most of the games or have followed us, it certainly was not one of our better efforts. It was borderline uninspiring, at least from where I sat," BG head coach Chris Jans said. "I'm disappointed that the season ended that way. I can't put my finger on it. We've had pretty good practices leading up to this game, good energy. We got Richaun back today, which I thought would give us a boost, but for whatever reason we just couldn't get them going."

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Williams, RedHawks enjoying productive spring

3/21/2015

Rokeem Williams figures as a key player in what should be a talented group of Miami receivers in 2015. He feels the new indoor practice facility is helping the RedHawks enjoy a very productive spring. (Mike Smith photo).

By MIKE SMITH
Ask Miami RedHawks wide receiver Rokeem Williams about the school’s new indoor practice facility and the first thing you will get is a big smile.
He’ll quickly follow that with observations on how/why the facility is such a big hit with coaches and players. For the most part, it can be condensed into two things: comfort and means – as in means to an end.

Williams said it feels like the winters have been worse since his arrival back in 2012. He’s adapted for the most part, but he still isn’t a big fan of the cold. So going through spring workouts this year has been a quantum leap forward in terms of comfort.

Comfort, of course, allows for more focus on the task at hand – getting better, both on an individual level and at a team level. According to Williams, both are proceeding well.

In the past, he pointed out, “if it was too cold to be outside, they either cancelled practice or we would be in the gym. … I hate running in the gym. The gym is bad on your shins and everything.”

Now, “you don’t have to worry about the weather. It’s ‘go’ all the time. … Just from being in here and working out, everybody has gotten so much better already. We can come down here on the weekends (or) any time of the day. The weather is not an issue. … It’s the best thing to happen to Miami for a while, if you ask me."
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Buffalo rally falls short

3/20/2015

Xavier Ford led UB with 16 points and helped the Bulls forge a late tie. (MRO File Photo/MVS

COLUBUS, Ohio -- Xavier Ford scored eight straight Buffalo points to forge a 62-all tie with 2:42 remaining, but the Bulls failed the score the rest of the way and West Virginia pulled out a 68-62 win over UB in NCAA tournament action Friday at Nationwide Arena.

Devin Williams put the Mountaineers back out front with a pair of free throws. After a Justin Moss layup miss at the other end, Gary Brown missed a three attempt for WVU. Williams, however, came up with the wildly contested rebound and West Virginia got a time out.

The shot clock was winding down when Tarik Phillip took a pass from Juwan Staten and nailed a 3-pointer under pressure to give WVU a 67-62 advantage. Gary Brown followed a Buffalo 3-point miss with one of two free throws for the final margin.

No. 12 seed West Virginia (24-9) advances in to play No. 4 seed Maryland, a 65-63 winner over Valparaiso. Buffalo, which had won eight straight, finishes its campaign at 23-10.

"Obviously this a tough pill to swallow as we came into today with every intention of winning a basketball game and tying to advance," Buffalo head coach Bobby Hurley said. "I am proud of my team and the fight and resiliency that they showed all afternoon and it came down to a couple of plays that didn't go our way."

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Eagles fall short despite rally

3/19/2015

MONROE, La. (EMUEagles.com/MRO Edit) – After qualifying for postseason play for the second-straight season, the Eastern Michigan Eagles saw their 2014-15 campaign end Wednesday at the hands of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, 71-67, in the first round of the 2015 College Basketball Invitational.

The Eagles (21-13) trailed by as many as 16 in the second half before roaring back to take the lead with just over eight minutes remaining. Eastern, however, could not hang on and the Warhawks (22-12) used free throws to ice the game.

Raven Lee led the Green and White in scoring with 17 points, on his way to becoming the first EMU player to notch 1,000 points in his career since Brandon Bowdry (2010). Tim Bond put on a show as the "true" freshman went for 13 points, six assists, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the Eagles' season finale. Trent Perry went a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor, including a pair of triples to record a career-high 10 points in the loss. Karrington Ward led the Green and White in rebounding with seven, while the Eagles shot a solid 14-of-15 from the charity stripe.

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Vikings roll past Western Michigan

3/19/2015

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan Broncos ran into a buzz saw in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament as the Broncos fell, 86-57, to the Cleveland State Vikings in University Arena on Wednesday.

With the loss, the Broncos conclude the season with a 20-14 record, marking the third straight 20-win season for WMU dating back to 2012.

Connar Tava and David Brown each tied for the team-high with 10 points on the evening, with Tava going 4-of-8 from the field and Brown contributing a 5-of-6 mark from the free throw line. Tucker Haymond started the game strong, scoring nine points in the first half on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, and Austin Richie notched six points in his final game in a Bronco uniform. AJ Avery came off the bench in the first half to spark the Broncos, providing four points, five rebounds and a blocked shot in 20 minutes of action.

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Hall, Jackson lead Flashes past MTSU

3/19/2015

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A late first-half surge was key as Kent State defeated Middle Tennessee, 68-56, in first round action of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament Wednesday night at the Murphy Center.

The Golden Flashes (22-11) used a 19-5 run over the final 7:03 of the first half to take a 40-29 lead into the locker room and never allowed the Blue Raiders (19-17) to get closer than seven the rest of the way.

"Our kids, we fought really hard tonight," said head coach Rob Senderoff. "I'm really proud of the effort, and glad we were able to get out of here with a win. We have a lot of respect for Middle Tennessee State and the program that they have. They are great at home. So to be able to come in here and get a win here is quite an accomplishment for these guys. It's a postseason win, which is not easy to do. You can't take these things for granted."

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Sneak Peek:Buffalo Bulls vs West Virginia Moutaineers

3/19/2015

NCAA Tournament – Midwest Regional
Round 2, Friday, March 20 2:10 p.m. ET,
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH, TNT
- No. 12 seed Buffalo brings an eight-game winning streak to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. That eight-game streak includes victories over two of three teams that defeated UB in an early February three-game slide. The Bulls were a No. 2 seed in the MAC tournament and defeated Akron before knocking off No. 1 seed Central Michigan (89-84) in the MAC tourney championship.

-- No. 5 seed West Virginia, which is ranked No. 18, lost three of its last four games after a three-game winning streak. All three losses, however were to ranked teams: at No. 19 Baylor (78-66), at No. 9 Kansas (76-69, OT), No. 16 Baylor again in Big 12 quarterfinal action. WVA forced overtime despite playing without leading scorer Juwan Staten and another key contributor in Gary Browne. Both should be available against the Bulls.
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Falcons will host tourney game Saturday

3/18/2015

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State Falcons will host a second round game in the 2015 CollegeInsiders.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) this Saturday at the Stroh Center at 1 p.m. The Falcons will play the winner of the first round contest between Dartmouth and Canisius who plays tonight (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. ET.

The Falcons (21-11) are coming off a first round 67-64 road win at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday night in the first round of the 2015 CIT tournament.

"We are pleased to be hosting a second round CIT game this Saturday afternoon at the Stroh Center. Our current goal to finish the season with positive momentum continues after winning Bowling Green's first postseason game in 40 years on Tuesday," said head coach Chris Jans. "We hope our BGSU fans will come out and support these student-athletes who are striving to win a championship."

Tuesday night's win snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Falcons in national postseason play, but also marked Bowling Green's first-ever win in the CIT (1-1).

Hot-shooting Bulldogs end CMU season

3/18/2015

Fowler, Rayson combine for 41 points in Falcons loss

RUSTON, La. - A resurgent season for the Central Michigan Chippewas came to an end Tuesday as the Chippewas fell, 89-79, to Louisiana Tech in a National Invitational Tournament opener at the Bulldogs' Thomas Assembly Center.

Raheem Appleby scored 22 points as Conference USA regular-season champ Louisiana Tech (26-8) made 11 of its 19 three-point attempts (57.9 percent) and shot 56.9 percent from the floor overall in winning its 30th consecutive home game.

The Bulldogs entered the game averaging 6.7 triples per game and shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc. They out-rebounded the Chippewas, 39-31.

Chris Fowler scored 21 points, Braylon Rayson had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Rayshawn Simmons added 18 points for the Chippewas, who finished 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) from three-point range after entering the game averaging 10.2 triples per game.

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Shorthanded Falcons step up for CIT win

3/18/2015

LORETTO, Pa. – Behind Anthony Henderson's game-high 20 points, the shorthanded Bowling Green Falcons overcame a slow start to defeat Saint Francis University (Pa.) 67-64 in the first round of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) on Tuesday night at DeGol Arena.

The win was the first national postseason tournament victory for the Falcons since defeating Tennessee in the National Commissioner's Invitational (NCI) back in 1975. The win also snapped a 10-game postseason losing streak for the Falcons.

"I'm happy for the program in general. I'm happy for the fans that have been loyal BGSU fans and that have followed the men's basketball team specifically for so many decades," head coach Chris Jans said. "I don't care what postseason it is, it's postseason. I thought it was crucial and important for us to end that drought."

BGSU, who played without both Richaun Holmes and Delvin Dickerson due to injuries, had 10 different players log six minutes or more in the contest. Eight of those 10 Falcons' scored at least three points.

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Tuesday tourney starter: CMU and BG on the road

3/17/2015

Two successful 2014-15 Mid-American Conference programs will be in action Tuesday – each in a different tournament – as postseason competition gets underway. Both MAC schools will face road challenges. MAC runner-up Central Michigan is at Louisiana Tech for a first round National Invitation Tournament contest. Bowling Green heads east to take on St. Francis (PA) University.

Here’s a look at the matchups
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Pinkel, Roethlisberger will join MAC HOF

3/15/2015

CLEVELAND, OH – Former Toledo football coach Gary Pinkel and former Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are among five individuals named as 2015 inductees to the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame.

Pinkel has a long association with the Mid-American Conference from his time as UT head football coach from 1991-2000, as well as his origins as a Kent State football player and graduate in 1975. Pinkel took over head coaching duties at Missouri in 2001 and is still with the Tigers.

Roethlisger was a record-setting quarterback over three seasons at Miami before getting drafted by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. He became the youngest quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl title and later added another Super Bowl title to a lengthy resume of professional success. He is still with the Steelers.

Joining Pinkel and Roethlisberger are Casey Cunningham (Central Michigan, wrestling), Bob Parks (Eastern Michigan, men’s cross country, men’s track and field), and George Dales (Western Michigan, men’s cross country, men’s track and field)..

Buffalo will face Mountaineers in Columbus

3/15/2015

BUFFALO, NY – As Mid-American Conference champions, the Buffalo Bulls will head to Columbus, OH as the #12 seed and will face #5 West Virginia in the NCAA Second Round. The game will take place on Friday, March 20 with a time still to be determined.

The Bulls are making their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, receiving the MAC's automatic bid following an 89-84 win over Central Michigan in the Championship Game. UB is currently 23-9 on the year and is riding an eight-game winning streak.

West Virginia is also 23-9 and received an at-large bid following a loss in the Big 12 Quarterfinals.

UB and West Virginia are 1-1 all-time, but the two teams have not met since the 1991-92 season.

Akron will pass on 2015 postseason play

3/15/2015

Dambrot cites injuries and missed class time
AKRON, Ohio – Akron men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot announced on Saturday that the Zips will not play in the 2015 postseason.

The Zips fell 68-59 to Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Semifinals on Friday and end the season with a 21-14 record.

"After evaluating our current position, I feel it is in the best interest of our players and our program not to play in the postseason this year," Dambrot said. "We have several players nursing injuries and have missed a lot of class time over the past few weeks. We would like to thank the postseason tournament committees for their interest in having us continue our season."

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<<Previous

Kent State falls in overtime

Falcons can’t catch Cansius

Williams, RedHawks enjoying productive spring

Buffalo rally falls short

Eagles fall short despite rally

Vikings roll past Western Michigan

Hall, Jackson lead Flashes past MTSU

Sneak Peek:Buffalo Bulls vs West Virginia Moutaineers

Falcons will host tourney game Saturday

Hot-shooting Bulldogs end CMU season

Shorthanded Falcons step up for CIT win

Tuesday tourney starter: CMU and BG on the road

Pinkel, Roethlisberger will join MAC HOF

Buffalo will face Mountaineers in Columbus

Akron will pass on 2015 postseason play

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