BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Kris Brewer scored 21 points and Devareaux Manley put Kent State ahead for good on a three-pointer with 46 seconds to go as the Golden Flashes battled back to beat Bowling Green 81-80 on Tuesday night at the Stroh Center.
"I couldn't be prouder of this team, and in particular our seniors," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. "You win at this time of year with your seniors. Kris Brewer played with a great deal of heart and poise, and he did it coming off of a tough game on Saturday against Buffalo. He hit big shot after big shot. Our guys refused to quit."
Brewer's big night off the bench came on 8-for-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range. Every time Kent State found itself in trouble during a Bowling Green run, Brewer or a teammate came up with a big shot.
Manley finished with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting (5-of-8 from three), Jimmy Hall added 17 points and six rebounds, and Derek Jackson scored 15 while going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. As a team, Kent State shot 54 percent from the field (28-for-52) and a spectacular 62 percent from three (13-for-21).
Manley and Brewer scored 11 and 9, respectively, in the first half as Kent State took a 41-36 lead into the break. Back-to-back threes by Manley and Jackson to open the second half extended the Flashes lead to 11 points. But that quick spurt was followed by a run that had Bowling Green in the lead for most of final 15 minutes.
Richaun Holmes' 29-points, 9-rebound effort on Senior Night was not enough for Bowling Green. Jehvon Clarke added 12 points and gave the Falcons a six-point lead with 3:47 to play.
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"I couldn't be prouder of this team, and in particular our seniors," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. "You win at this time of year with your seniors. Kris Brewer played with a great deal of heart and poise, and he did it coming off of a tough game on Saturday against Buffalo. He hit big shot after big shot. Our guys refused to quit."
Brewer's big night off the bench came on 8-for-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range. Every time Kent State found itself in trouble during a Bowling Green run, Brewer or a teammate came up with a big shot.
Manley finished with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting (5-of-8 from three), Jimmy Hall added 17 points and six rebounds, and Derek Jackson scored 15 while going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. As a team, Kent State shot 54 percent from the field (28-for-52) and a spectacular 62 percent from three (13-for-21).
Manley and Brewer scored 11 and 9, respectively, in the first half as Kent State took a 41-36 lead into the break. Back-to-back threes by Manley and Jackson to open the second half extended the Flashes lead to 11 points. But that quick spurt was followed by a run that had Bowling Green in the lead for most of final 15 minutes.
Richaun Holmes' 29-points, 9-rebound effort on Senior Night was not enough for Bowling Green. Jehvon Clarke added 12 points and gave the Falcons a six-point lead with 3:47 to play.
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Back-to-back threes by Brewer and Jackson at the 3:38 and 3:08 marks of the second half pulled the Flashes to within two, setting the stage for Brewer's three pointer after both teams struggled through two-plus scoreless minutes.
Manley's three with 46 seconds to play came on a broken play out of a timeout, "but Devareaux had the confidence to take and make a tough shot," said Senderoff.
Kent State came up with two more key stops as Hall blocked a layup by Bowling Green's Spencer Parker with 22 seconds left and Clarke missed a running three with five seconds to play.
Two free throws by Hall with three seconds remaining iced the game, giving Kent State an 81-77 lead and turning a buzzer-beating three by Holmes into no consequence.
The win moved the Flashes (20-10, 11-6) into a three-way tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division with Bowling Green and Buffalo. It also put Kent State back into position to earn a bye in next week's MAC Tournament. If the season ended tonight, the Flashes would own the tournament's No. 3 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals. Several scenarios exist that could land Kent State a top-two seed and add another bye to the semis with a home win on Friday over Akron.
(Courtesy of KSU Athletics/MRO Edit)
Manley's three with 46 seconds to play came on a broken play out of a timeout, "but Devareaux had the confidence to take and make a tough shot," said Senderoff.
Kent State came up with two more key stops as Hall blocked a layup by Bowling Green's Spencer Parker with 22 seconds left and Clarke missed a running three with five seconds to play.
Two free throws by Hall with three seconds remaining iced the game, giving Kent State an 81-77 lead and turning a buzzer-beating three by Holmes into no consequence.
The win moved the Flashes (20-10, 11-6) into a three-way tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division with Bowling Green and Buffalo. It also put Kent State back into position to earn a bye in next week's MAC Tournament. If the season ended tonight, the Flashes would own the tournament's No. 3 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals. Several scenarios exist that could land Kent State a top-two seed and add another bye to the semis with a home win on Friday over Akron.
(Courtesy of KSU Athletics/MRO Edit)
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