Four players scored in double figures as . . .
Also boosting the Flashes were Tervell Beck, who scored a career-high 18 points and had five boards, and Michael Nuga. He notched his first double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Malique Jacobs rounded out the double-digit scoring with 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Ben Vander Plas led Ohio with 24 points. Jason Preston registered 23 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Dwight Wilson and Ben Roderick tallied nine apiece.
In the opening half, the Flashes got out to a 10-point lead after a 12-2 run put KSU ahead, 19-9. Ohio then pulled within two with an 8-0 run that made it 19-17 in the Flashes' favor. However, the visitors pulled away as OU went without a field goal for the final five minutes of the half. That left Kent State with a 40-26 lead into the break.
The Flashes dominated the paint in the first half and had 24 of their 40 points coming from under the hoop. Kent State also out-rebounded the Bobcats 26-6 and grabbed 10 offensive boards that allowed 12 second-chance points.
KSU continued to build on its advantage with on an 8-2 run over the first five minutes of action. Back-to-back three-pointers from Nuga and sophomore Giovanni Santiago put the Flashes ahead, 55-38.
While the Bobcats cut KSU's lead in half over the next 10 minutes, Ohio would never get within eight points of the Flashes. KSU responded with the next four points, capped off on a thunderous dunk from Pippen, which extended the Flashes lead back up to 10, 79-69 with 3:22 left and KSU would go on to win by 10.
Kent State ended the game shooting a season-high 57 percent (36-of-61) from the floor and connected on 36 percent from long range (9-of-25). The Flashes dominated the glass with 45 rebounds to the Bobcats' 21, while also outscoring OU in the paint, 50-22.
Ohio connected on 42.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
(Courtesy KSU Athletics/MRO Edit)