Here's what Kent State men's basketball coach Rob Senderoff noticed after watching the tape of Tuesday's 69-61 victory over Bowling Green on Senior Night at the M.A.C. Center, the Golden Flashes' fourth straight victory overall and fifth consecutive triumph at home:
WHAT STOOD OUT
"Outside of about a three-minute stretch at the end of the first half, we played really well. In those last three minutes we really got sloppy, and I have to take responsibility for that. I got a technical, which I shouldn't have. In the second half when we gave up the lead, (senior guard Randal Holt) really went strong to the rim and drew a foul. Then he made both free throws, which you would expect a senior to make. (Freshman guard Kellon Thomas) came in and made a big play on the defensive end, a steal on a rotation, which would have given up a layup. Our ball movement was good again, which is evident by the assist numbers (17 assists on 24 baskets). We continue to shoot the ball well from the 3 (9-of-20), and have a number of guys making them. We played very unselfishly; (senior forward) Chris Evans had a career-high seven assists. It certainly wasn't our best game of the year, but it was one of those performances where in January I don't think we would have shown the resolve to win the game, especially haven given up the lead. I thought it was good for our team to find a way to get the win."
MAC TOURNAMENT UPDATE
Kent State's win on Tuesday, combined with losses by Buffalo and Eastern Michigan, gave the Flashes the fourth seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament. They receive a bye into the third round, and will play at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Akron won the regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed, followed by Ohio (22-8, 13-2 MAC) and West Division champion Western Michigan (18-11, 9-6). Toledo (14-11, 9-6) is actually tied for third in the overall standings, but is ineligible for postseason play this season because of its inability to reach the NCAA-mandated scores for academic performance.
NEXT GAME
The Flashes (18-12, 8-7) will close the regular season by visiting rival Akron (24-5, 14-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
-- Allen Moff
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