MEN'S BASKETBALL: BOWLING GREEN AT KENT STATE
What: Senior Night.
Who: Bowling Green (12-17, 6-8 MAC) vs. Kent State (17-12, 7-7 MAC).
When/Where: Tonight, 7 p.m./M.A.C. Center.
Radio: WHLO 640 AM.
Head Coaches: Louis Orr, Bowling Green (88-99, 6th year at BG; 188-179 overall); Rob Senderoff, Kent State (38-24, 2nd season).
First Matchup: Bowling Green defeated the Flashes 70-55 in Bowling Green on Jan. 23.
Series: Bowling Green leads 82-67.
Kent State Leaders: Senior forward Chris Evans ranks fourth in the MAC in scoring (17.0 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and steals (2.0 spg), and is shooting 50.5 percent from the field. Senior guard Randal Holt is second on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and leads the MAC in 3-pointers made (76) while shooting 38.2 percent from long range. Sophomore guard Kris Brewer is third on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg) and ranks third in the MAC in 3-point field-goal percentage (43.5 percent).
Scouting Bowling Green: The Falcons handed the Flashes their most lopsided MAC loss of the season, a 15-point beat down in BG. Kent State fell behind 35-22 at the half after shooting 28 percent and committing 10 turnovers, and never recovered. … While the Falcons have been tough to beat at home, they’ve struggled immensely on the road. They enter tonight’s contest 1-11 on the road overall and 1-6 in the MAC, the lone win coming at Northern Illinois. … Bowling Green is led by 6-foot-7 senior forward A’uston Calhoun and 5-6 senior guard Jordan Crawford. Calhoun leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg), while Crawford is second in scoring (14.9 ppg) and first in assists (4.2 apg). Richaun Holmes, a 6-8 sophomore forward, ranks third in the conference in blocked shots (2.3 bpg). … Former Kent Roosevelt star Cameron Black is starting at center for the Falcons. The 6-10 junior averages 3.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and nearly a blocked shot in 19 minutes per game.
Flash Facts: During pregame, the Golden Flashes will celebrate the careers of seniors Randal Holt, Chris Evans and Brian Frank, who will all be playing their last regular-season game on the M.A.C. Center’s parquet floor. Holt, Kent State’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals (234), has averaged 20 points per game during the Flashes’ current three-game winning streak. Evans is also the only player in the country with 150 points, 200 rebounds, 100 free throws, 50 assists, 50 steals, 30 3-pointers and 20 blocks. Frank will make his first career start tonight. … With wins tonight against Bowling Green and Friday at Akron, Kent State would clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament. The Flashes are tied with Buffalo and Eastern Michigan with matching 7-7 conference records with two games remaining in the regular season, but they own the tiebreaker with both teams. … The last time Bowling Green swept Kent State was in 1997. … The Flashes have won five of their last six games overall and four straight at home.
Senderoff on Bowling Green: “Our worst loss in league play was at Bowling Green. They really took it to us. They’re similar to us in that they have two seniors who are great scorers who have had great years in Crawford and Calhoun. They’ve got some big guys who rebound and run the floor real well and who are physical, and they have some spot-up shooters. Their style is difficult because they really do a good job of running what they want to run. You’ve gotta be patient and guard for the (entire) shot clock. Your team defense has to be really good to beat Bowling Green, not just your individual defense. That’s a challenge for us. And we’re gonna have to rebound the ball. I know they did a great job on the glass in the first half (of the first meeting this year). They really dominated us five feet and in. We’re gonna have to make sure that our energy level is high. I know we’re gonna want to get a win for our seniors, but it’s gonna have to be a total team effort for us to get the win.”
Next: The Golden Flashes will visit Akron (23-5, 13-1 MAC) in a nationally televised regular-season finale Friday at 7 p.m.
— Allen Moff/R-C
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