By EVAN MEYER
KENT, OHIO – In a game that saw 16 lead changes and nine ties, the Kent State Golden Flashes outlasted Bowling Green 64-63 Saturday evening before a crowd of 5,022 at the MAC Center.
Jalen Avery hit a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining to decide the outcome and put Kent State (14-15, 8-8 MAC) back in the win column after Tuesday's loss at Ohio.
It was a big win for us this . . .
KENT, OHIO – In a game that saw 16 lead changes and nine ties, the Kent State Golden Flashes outlasted Bowling Green 64-63 Saturday evening before a crowd of 5,022 at the MAC Center.
Jalen Avery hit a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining to decide the outcome and put Kent State (14-15, 8-8 MAC) back in the win column after Tuesday's loss at Ohio.
It was a big win for us this . . .
. . . late in the season.” KSU head coach Rob Senderoff said. “We have to play defense to win. It was not our best offensive performance but the team picked it up, especially on the defensive end.”
Senior Kevin Zabo led five KSU players in double figures, scoring 15 points off the bench with seven rebounds and a steal before fouling out with 1:56 remaining in regulation. Sophomore Danny Pippen added 11 with eight boards and a career best seven blocked shots.
Fellow soph Adonis De La Rosa had seven rebounds with his ten points before he was disqualified on fouls in the final minute. junior Jaylin Walker had five rebounds, four assists and two steals while Avery chipped in 10 points.
Bowling Green (16-13, 7-9 MAC) was led by redshirt freshman Justin Turner. He topped all scorers in the contest with 17 points and three steals. Junior Demajeo Wiggins and sophomore Dylan Frye each had 14, with Wiggins adding 13 rebounds his 15th double-double of the season.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win the game.” Falcons head man Michael Huger said. “We had 22 offensive rebounds, 17 in the second half and only 18 second chance points. We have to do better at that”
Midway through the second half, Turner scored on a driving layup down the baseline. That moved him past current Falcons assistant coach Anthony Stacey for the most points by a freshman in Falcons history. He cuurently has 460 points with two games remaining.
The game was played in a margin of 13 points (KSU’s largest lead was six and BGSU’s was seven. The Flashes got off to a hot start, taking a 9-2 lead at the 17:02 mark on putback by De La Rosa.
After opening their largest lead of the game (18 at the 12;24 mark) on a layup by de La Rosa, BGSU scored eight straight points to tie the score 15-15 on a layup by Wiggins.
KSU then held the lead until the final three minutes when the Falcons went on a 9-0 run, including a three by Frye with 51.2 secondss remaining to give the Orange and Brown a 35-33 lead at intermission.
It was a carbon copy in the second half, with BGSU getting its largest lead of the contest at 47-41 with 10:50 remaining on a layup by Wiggins.
The game stayed close. With 8.4 seconds remaining, Avery fouled Wiggins and hit a pair of foul shots to make the score 63-62. With no timeouts remaining, Avery took the ball off the inbound and drove to the far basket, drawing a foul as he closed in.
When asked about his final play, Avery said “We work on that play a lot in practice. I had Jaylin Walker in the corner so I had a chance to go to the basket and that is what I did.”
On Avery’s last play, Huger said “We tried to control him and make him shoot a jump shot and he was fouled. Nothing we can do about it.”
He calmly made both free throws to give the Flashes the 64-63 lead. BGSU, also with no timeouts remaining, got the ball across midcourt before Wiggins missed a long three attempt as time expired.
NEXT:
Kent State remains at home to face Miami Tuesday. Bowling Green is at Ohio. Both games tip at 7 p.m. ET
NOTES:
● The Falcons had 22 offensive rebounds in which 17 came in the second half they had 18 second chance points.
● BGSU shot only 8-of-38 from the floor (21.1%) in the second half. They were 4-of-20 from three-point range and finished the game at 33.8% (23-of-68)
● Both teams return to action on Tuesday with KSU hosting Miami in their final home game of the season while BGSU travels to Ohio to battle the Bobcats
Senior Kevin Zabo led five KSU players in double figures, scoring 15 points off the bench with seven rebounds and a steal before fouling out with 1:56 remaining in regulation. Sophomore Danny Pippen added 11 with eight boards and a career best seven blocked shots.
Fellow soph Adonis De La Rosa had seven rebounds with his ten points before he was disqualified on fouls in the final minute. junior Jaylin Walker had five rebounds, four assists and two steals while Avery chipped in 10 points.
Bowling Green (16-13, 7-9 MAC) was led by redshirt freshman Justin Turner. He topped all scorers in the contest with 17 points and three steals. Junior Demajeo Wiggins and sophomore Dylan Frye each had 14, with Wiggins adding 13 rebounds his 15th double-double of the season.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win the game.” Falcons head man Michael Huger said. “We had 22 offensive rebounds, 17 in the second half and only 18 second chance points. We have to do better at that”
Midway through the second half, Turner scored on a driving layup down the baseline. That moved him past current Falcons assistant coach Anthony Stacey for the most points by a freshman in Falcons history. He cuurently has 460 points with two games remaining.
The game was played in a margin of 13 points (KSU’s largest lead was six and BGSU’s was seven. The Flashes got off to a hot start, taking a 9-2 lead at the 17:02 mark on putback by De La Rosa.
After opening their largest lead of the game (18 at the 12;24 mark) on a layup by de La Rosa, BGSU scored eight straight points to tie the score 15-15 on a layup by Wiggins.
KSU then held the lead until the final three minutes when the Falcons went on a 9-0 run, including a three by Frye with 51.2 secondss remaining to give the Orange and Brown a 35-33 lead at intermission.
It was a carbon copy in the second half, with BGSU getting its largest lead of the contest at 47-41 with 10:50 remaining on a layup by Wiggins.
The game stayed close. With 8.4 seconds remaining, Avery fouled Wiggins and hit a pair of foul shots to make the score 63-62. With no timeouts remaining, Avery took the ball off the inbound and drove to the far basket, drawing a foul as he closed in.
When asked about his final play, Avery said “We work on that play a lot in practice. I had Jaylin Walker in the corner so I had a chance to go to the basket and that is what I did.”
On Avery’s last play, Huger said “We tried to control him and make him shoot a jump shot and he was fouled. Nothing we can do about it.”
He calmly made both free throws to give the Flashes the 64-63 lead. BGSU, also with no timeouts remaining, got the ball across midcourt before Wiggins missed a long three attempt as time expired.
NEXT:
Kent State remains at home to face Miami Tuesday. Bowling Green is at Ohio. Both games tip at 7 p.m. ET
NOTES:
● The Falcons had 22 offensive rebounds in which 17 came in the second half they had 18 second chance points.
● BGSU shot only 8-of-38 from the floor (21.1%) in the second half. They were 4-of-20 from three-point range and finished the game at 33.8% (23-of-68)
● Both teams return to action on Tuesday with KSU hosting Miami in their final home game of the season while BGSU travels to Ohio to battle the Bobcats
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