Live Blog: Men's Basketball at Buffalo

SECOND HALF

FINAL ... Buffalo 80, Kent State 55

An ugly loss. Buffalo fed off of a great crowd.

Kent State fans need to return the favor when Buffalo comes to the M.A.C. Center and give the Flashes the same advantage.

The great news with that is Kent State's students have been fantastic so far this season. I'm sure they'll show up strong on Feb. 28.

Xavier Ford was fantastic for the Bulls with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Jimmy Hall led the Flashes with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting.


3:53 ... Some numbers, and none of them are good:

Kent State is shooting 35 percent from the field (15-of-43), 26 percent from three (5-of-19) an dust 54 percent from the foul line (12-for-22).

The defense that has been so good for Kent State all season long has allowed Buffalo to hit 8-of-21 from three ... more attempts allowed than the norm along with more makes. Buffalo is also shooting 48 percent from the field (29-for-60).

KSU is losing 24-15 on second chance points, 34-18 in the paint and 8-3 on fast break points.

7:44 ... The lead has swelled to 67-37.

Unfortunately, Kent State continues to lose track of Xavier Ford. He just had another tip-in that was just shy of a tip dunk as he was above the rim.

Ford now has 25 points, nine rebounds, four of those rebounds are on the offensive end.

Jimmy Hall is still the lone bright spot with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He also has five rebounds in 28 minutes.

10:37 ... A Khaliq Spicer gave the Flashes a nice little highlight. A pretty fake to the corner and then baseline drive led to the two-handed slam.

That highlight hasn't been enough, though.

The Flashes are down 65-34.

Bobby Hurley still wants some whistles, though. He has been all over the officials even with a 30-opint lead.

15:19 ... The Buffalo lead has swelled to 58-30.

Kent State's coaches tried to manufacture some energy by going to full-court pressure and then switching to a 2-3 zone in the half court.

17:56 ... Any hope of a comeback has already been made more difficult as Ford has drilled two more threes. KSU is down 51-25.

Ford was just 3-of-9 from three-point range all season long. Tonight he is 3-for-5.

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME: Kent State trails Buffalo, 45-25

This was as bad a 20 minutes of basketball as we've seen in a very long time for Kent State Men's Basketball.

The only bright spot for the Flashes has been Jimmy Hall, who has 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 1-of-1 from three-point range. He also has a team-high three rebounds.

Buffalo is leading Kent State in every phase: 20-14 in the paint, 13-2 off turnovers, 13-5 on second-chance, 8-0 on fast break.

Xavier Ford has been a load, scoring 17 points for the Bulls on 6-of-9 shooting. He also has 3 assists and 3 steals.

Even if this takes a miracle to win, the Flashes need to pull it together at the very least and find a way to cut the lead a bit, win the second half, and go to Western Michigan on Wednesday feeling a little bit better about themselves.

3:36 ... This game is getting out of hand early. Down 37-20 and playing as sloppy on both ends as we've seen this year.

Kent State has made 7 turnovers leading to an 11-2 scoring advantage for the Bulls.

Buffalo is also outscoring Kent State 11-3 in second-chance points and 6-0 on fast break.

The string of turnovers over the last few minutes are hard to believe.

Jimmy Hall on the bench at the moment. He has been the only thing the Flashes have going for them at 4-for-5 from the field and a team-high 3 rebounds.

Buffalo's Xavier Ford has 15 points to lead everyone.

7:46 ... Kent State had pulled to with four points and were handling the Buffalo run.

That was until about the 8:30 mark when a string of Flashes turnovers led to easy baskets on the other end by the Bulls.

The Flashes trail 25-15 but will try to cut into the lead with Khaliq Spicer heading to the foul line.

Xavier Ford has been the difference so far with 11 points and 4 coming on tip-dunks.

KSU has to do a better job keeping Buffalo off the offensive glass. Nine second-chance points on 6 offensive rebounds.

11:05 ... A three by Kris Brewer with just inside 12 minutes to play has helped Kent State whether the storm of a 17-2 Buffalo run.

Jimmy Hall was on the bench for much of that spurt, but he is back in now. It was Hall who recognized the double team and made an easy pass out to Brewer for the open three.

There are shots available with good ball rotation as open shooters are standing alone on the weak side of the floor.

Some good news: It took almost eight minutes for Justin Moss to get his first points for Buffalo. Some bad news, though: It put Buffalo ahead 17-8.

The Bulls, who are not a good three-point shooting team, have made 3-of-7 from three while KSU is 1-for-5.

14:24 ... Bobby Hurley for Buffalo and Rob Senderoff for Kent State are both on the officials early.

And the officials are on the players early. Frank Spencer to Buffalo's Raheem Johnson and Kent State's Jimmy Hall: "You two cut it out"

Lots of pushing early. And knocking Hall to the ground a few times already, which is part of the reason the Flashes are upset.

Spencer has also sent Hurley a message that he isn't going to take a great deal of barking.

Flashes jumped to a 6-0 start. It's now a 10-8 Buffalo lead.

PREGAME

10:02 p.m. ... The game before ours on ESPNU has run a bit long, which will push us to about a 10:07 start time.

This is as good an atmosphere as we've seen in the Mid-American Conference in a long time. The student section is packed for the "Black Out", and the rest of the arena is starting to fill up.

Frank Spencer, Dan Dorian and Kevin O'Connell are the officials.

9 p.m. ... The toughest stretch of Kent State's season begins tonight at Buffalo. Alumni Arena has traditionally been a difficult sites for the Golden Flashes. Their lone loss during the 2001-02 Mid-American Conference season came in this building.

Including tonight, the Flashes play four of the next five games on the road with the other trips to similarly tough venues at Western Michigan, Toledo and Akron.

The Flashes are on the floor now, and they are wearing their gold uniforms. We don't usually see those on the road, but KSU has anointed them the current "lucky" unis, wearing them in all of the home games during the current six-game winning streak.

Buffalo is wearing black as tonight's game will be a "Black Out" for national television. I talked with some Buffalo officials earlier today, and they aren't quite sure what kind of crowd to expect with the odd start time for ESPNU.

While this late start isn't great for the student athletes, Rob Senderoff likes 10 pm tonight from the standpoint that it's the only college game on the air. If you are in any sports bar tonight, coast-to-coast, you'll probably find this one on at least one television. It's us and the NBA. That's the choice. Although, I guess the Super Bowl pre game show may be on already.

The matchup is difficult tonight. If you hoped to catch a break this year against Buffalo with Javon McCrea finally graduated, guess again. He was little-used last year, but 6-foot-7 junior Justin Moss is playing as well as McCrea, if not better. He comes into this game averaging a MAC-best 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Like McCrea, Moss is a load at 240 pounds. He is big, physical, strong in the post, and when he isn't scoring inside in the half court, he likes to run the floor and hit the odd 15-footer.

Moss and Jimmy Hall should both be MAC Player of the Year candidates by season's end. But Hall, who is also 6-foot-7, will not draw the assignment against Moss. According to Senderoff, Hall will go against 6-8 Will Regan while 6-9 Khaliq Spicer will be matched up against Moss. KSU hopes Spicer's length will make have an impact against Moss. Spicer's defense has been better and better as the year has gone on.

Regan comes in averaging 6.3 points per game for the Bulls, but he was a load against Kent State last season, going for 25 points and 10 rebounds in Buffalo' win here, then adding another 15 points in Kent.

Buffalo is another transition team. Kent State will try to get back in transition as it did against Central Michigan and force Buffalo to play a half-court game. The Bulls are a top-60 team nationally in converting in transition.

This should not be like Tuesday night in terms of defending the three. The Bulls are just 244th in the country at 32-percent from three-point range.

Getting physical in the post with Moss is another obvious key. Defending without fouling is also important as Buffalo is 53rd in the country at 73 percent from the foul line. A whopping 25 percent of their points come from the line, which ranks 29th in the country. And Bobby Hurley tends to get a good whistle.

Play well again defensively and Kent State should be able to get out and run. Buffalo's biggest weaknesses show up on the defensive end of the floor. If KSU can score in transition, great. But if not, playing smart and move the ball will still make life difficult for the Bulls.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Central Michigan

SECOND HALF

1:44 ... Kent State clinging to a 55-49 lead.

Flashes struggling from the line at 60 percent on the night 15-for-25, but with several misses in last few minutes with a chance to ice the game.

Central will have the ball out of this timeout thanks to a diving play for a loose ball rebound by Fowler.

3:53 ... Kent State has weathered the storm a bit, kicking the lead back out to 8 points at 53-45 thanks in large part to more defense and Kris Brewer attacking the rim.

Brewer's drive and dish to Akbar for a layup followed by two free throws have given the Flashes this lead.

Hall has a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Fowler the only thing CMU has going on offense with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

Simons finally hit a three after an 0-for-5 start, but then missed again and is 1-for-7 on a very tough night on both ends. He has four fouls.

7:41 ... Central Michigan cut the lead all the way to three points before a three-pointer by Kris Brewer on the right wing stopped the bleeding.

Manley set up the three with a nice drive and kick.

Jimmy Hall will be at the foul line after the time out after a silly foul by DaRohn Scott on a Hall defensive rebound. Impulsive play, slapping down at the basketball will cost the Chippewas.

8:33 ... Central Michigan is using defense, and specifically full-court pressure, to jump start its offense.

The Chippewas have forced four turnovers in last two minutes to spark a run that has closed the Kent State lead to 43-39.

The Flashes have been extremely careless and CMU is starting to build confidence. Two turnovers have led to three-point plays on layups.

Senderoff to bench: "It went from 15-to-4 in what, 2 minutes?"

10:51 ... Kent State defense is dominating the Central Michigan offense.

After a 1-for-11 start to the half, Central finally ended a nearly eight-minute scoring drought.

KSU enjoyed its biggest lead at 16 points (41-25) after a pair of free throws by Hall at the 13:35 mark of the half.

Manley has 13 to lead all scorers. Fowler has 11 for CMU.

Central is 1-for-5 from the arc.

But if the Chippewas get hot, this lead is anything but secure.

15:59 ... Jimmy Hall will head to the line trying to build on a 31-26 Kent State lead.

Defense continues to be excellent as Central Michigan is off to a 1-of-5 start from the field in the 2nd half. Simons has missed two threes on under-control close outs and contests by Kent State bigs Jimmy Hall and Khaliq Spicer.

The fouls are also starting to pile up for Central. Already five whistles against the Chippewas.

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME ... Kent State leads 24-23

The Golden Flashes have held the top scoring offense in the MAC to just 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting.

The nation's leader in threes per game (11.3) is just 2-for-6 from beyond the arc.

But Central's defense has matched Kent State's, forcing eight turnovers and holding Kent State to 8-of-19 from the field.

The difference has been the three ball by KSU. The Flashes are 4-of-9, including the back-to-backs by Manley (a 4-point play) and Brewer at the 4:09 and 3:35 marks of the first half.

KSU has not done a good job of getting the ball to Jimmy Hall in the post. He is just 1-for-2 with both shots coming in the opening minute.


0:54.7 ... The defensive battle continues. Kent State trails 23-22 and just called timeout to set up a play after getting another stop.

Too many Kent State turnovers on entry passes. Too many missed free throws (2-for-7), but Flashes in it thanks to defense.

3:17 ... Kent State is up 22-21. A left wing three by Kris Brewer put the Flashes up with 3:35 on the clock. Devareaux Manley drilled a three from that same spot and took a hit for a four-point play at the 4:09 mark.

The Flashes are finally starting to heat up from three where they are 4-for-8. KSU is 8-for-18 overall from the field.

KSU has also turned the ball over six times, but CMU has turned those into just three points.

Fowler has 7 points to lead CMU.

Central averages a nation-best 11 threes per game. So far, the Chippewas are just 2-for-4.

7:30 ... Central scoreless now for 7:15.

The Flashes took the lead at 12-10 on a blocked shot by Spicer leading to a flying alley-oop dunk for Chris Ortiz.

11:19 ... The defense showed up for Kent State, holding Central Michigan scoreless between the media timeout.

Only points since that 14:27 break are a Kris Brewer three from the left corner.

The Flashes just need some more offensive efficiency. They are 3-for-10 from the field and four turnovers.

Gary Akbar will have a chance to deadlock the game from the foul line after the break.

14:27 ... After a slow start, Central Michigan's offense is starting to click thanks to two quick threes by Josh Kozinski off of the Chippewas bench.

The Central lead is 10-5 at the first media timeout.

So far Kent State's guards have been able to get to the rim as expected. Dev Manley has a driving layup as the Flashes backcourt is not settling for the three. Only attempt from the arc is a miss by forward Chris Ortiz.

Jimmy Hall is also getting deep touches when the Flashes are patient enough to look inside. He has a layup on a three-point play.

Central is having some success, though, by extending its defense, forcing three turnovers already. 

PREGAME

13:21 p.m. ... Officials are on the floor. They are one-time Final Four official Mike Sanzere along with Donnie Eppley and Paul Szelc.

Here's the bad news, Central Michigan averages 125 points per game in contests officiated by Szelc this year. He only worked one ... a 125-80 win over Central Penn.

Sanzere is a familiar face to the M.A.C. Center. What you may not know is he worked the NCAA Championship in 1998 after doing Final Four games in 1994 and 1996. Kentucky beat Utah in San Antonio in that 1998 national championship.

5:10 p.m. ... We are inside two hours to tip-off, and there's a bit of a buzz here at the M.A.C. Center. We haven't seen that here in a long time for a Central Michigan game. There hasn't been a whole lot of reason to get excited about this matchup since 2003 when CMU's Chris Kaman was building his NBA resume and going against future NFL star Antonio Gates.

Kaman still never won in this building. The last Central Michigan win at the M.A.C. Center was all the way back in 1997. In the 22 meetings in any venue since that 1997 game, the Chippewas have only beaten Kent State twice –  in Cleveland in the 2003 in the M.A.C. Championship game and last year in Mount Pleasant.

Former Providence and Drake head coach Keno Davis has done more than just breathe some new life into the Central Michigan program during his third season. He has turned the Chippewas into one of the most potent offenses in the nation – 15th in the country in offensive efficiency, 1st in the MAC and 4th in the nation in offensive effective field goal percentage (58 percent), 1st in the MAC and 2nd in the country in three-point percentage (43 percent), top 50 in the country in foul shooting (73 percent)

That's what makes this game so interesting. With Kent State among the MAC's top defenses and in the top 10 in the nation in defending threes, this game should be a classic offense vs. defense matchup.

Central Michigan is easily the best transition team the Flashes have faced this season. The Chippewas will look to push on makes and misses behind 6-foot-1 junior Chris Fowler, who is the team's top scorer at 14.2 ppg and the league leader in assists at 6.3 per game, and quick, 5-foot-9 sophomore Braylon Rayson, who is averaging 10.8 per game.

In transition and in the half court, the Chippewas will hunt threes. At 11 per game, nobody in the nation makes more. They rank No. 2 in the nation in threes as a percentage of their offense at 42.2 percent, and they can shoot the three one-to-five. Central's bigs run to the arc most of the time, so every KSU player needs to close out strong from start to finish.

Individually, this is another great matchup for Kent State defensive ace Derek Jackson, who will be on Fowler for pretty much all of the 30-to-35 minutes he is on the floor.

The good news for the Flashes is that Central Michigan has been just average at best on the defensive end of the floor. The Chippewas will give up dribble penetration. They also don't turn over their opponents. Central is going to want to run. I'm not sure if we'll see the Flashes try to match that and allow this one to turn into a track meet. They might as Central can give up points in transition just as easily as it gets them. But can the Flashes stop the Chippewas enough to jump start their own fast break?

Central isn't particularly physical inside and lacks a rim protector. With that in mind, look for Kent State to try to build on Jimmy Hall's 14-for-17, 32-point performance against Ball State on Saturday by feeding the sophomore in the post.

Overall, I think I like this matchup for Kent State ... but not too much.

These are scary games. Any time you take on a team that can really shoot it, there's a certain scare factor. Yes, Kent State defends the three well. That didn't keep some BGSU bigs who were shooting under 25 percent behind the arc from getting free in the second half and sticking some big threes in a win here on Jan. 7. Central shoots it better from the three at every position.

This one should be fun. Hopefully you can make it out to the M.A.C. Center tonight.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball at Ball State

SECOND HALF

We apologize for all of the internet issues that interfered with the blog and with WHLO 640 AM and iHeartRadio broadcast

1:05 ... A difficult contested 3 by Sellers with Jackson in his face has cut the KSU lead to 59-50.

The Cardinals have called a quick timeout.

A Kris Brewer missed free throw on the front end of a a 1-and-1 set the stage for the Sellers three.


3:38 ... A 5-0 run has the Flashes up by their biggest margin at 55-43, and KSU has the ball after a miss coming out of the timeout.

4:29 ... We've had some internet issues for most of the day, but back up and running now.

The Flashes lead 53-43 thanks to a Jackson steal leading to a Dev Manley three from the right corner.

Another steal by Jimmy Hall has given the Flashes the basketball again trying to add to this 53-43 lead.

11:39 ... Derek Jackson just made another hustle play, stopping a fast break by racing back to eliminate the passing lane for Zavier Turner. When Ball State missed a contested layup, Jackson batted the ball free and outraced Franko House to the corner for the loose ball, drawing a foul along the way.

That play will have Kent State back in possession of the basketball trying to add to largest lead at 41-31.

14:36 ... Jimmy Hall will head to the line out of this timeout hoping to add to his 20-point night.

A nice up-and-under move by Hall drew a foul by Franko House, who along with Bo Calhoun, has been keeping the Cardinals in it. House and Calhoun both have matching 10-point, 4-rebound nights.

Ball State has found little from the perimeter, shooting 3-for-11 from three. Ball State's top scorer, Zavier Turner has been a non-factor, going scoreless off the bench.

16:48 ... The Flashes are still up nine at 34-25 as the Cardinals have grabbed a timeout. 

Jimmy Hall is shockingly 0-for-1 in the first three minutes here. It's a shock any time he misses today. 

Khaliq Spicer put the Flashes on the board early in the second half with an offensive rebound and put back of a miss by Manley. The Flashes have forced a few turnovers already in this half as defense continues to rule the day.

FIRST HALF

Jimmy Hall's 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting have Kent State in the lead at the break.

3:32 ... Jimmy Hall continues to control the action, and not just with his scoring.

The sophomore forward now has 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He also has four rebounds, and he just dished out his second assist on a great post-to-post feed to Khaliq Spicer under the basket.

Devareaux Manley hit a three at around the five-minute mark that hopefully will get him going a bit after misses on his first two from the arc.

Bo Calhoun has been the best player on the floor for the Cardinals. He has 8 points and 4 rebounds.

7:01 ... The Flashes lead 17-16 and Jimmy Hall has 13 of those 17 points.

Hall is playing extremely well on both ends. Unfortunately, when he has been out (and he was on the bench for a fairly long stretch), there hasn't been anyone to pick up the offensive slack.

Hall's layup at the 9-minute mark ended a 7-minute stretch between field goals for the Flashes.

Who would believe this? Kent State involved in another defensive battle.

The Flashes are holding Ball State to 40 percent shooting at 6-of-15.


11:52 ... The last Kent State basket came at 15:59 when Jimmy Hall hit a three. The 4:07 drought has allowed Ball State to jump into a 10-9.

Bo Calhoun's driving layup at the 12:56 mark put the Cardinals ahead. He drew a foul, but should have been whistled for a travel.

KSU going small out of this timeout with Derek Jackson, Kris Brewer, Dev Manley, Gary Akbar and Chris Ortiz.

Ortiz started at the three. Now he is playing the five.

14:14 ... Kent State's length advantage is noticeable already as the Golden Flashes have grabbed an early 9-5 lead behind 7 quick points from Jimmy Hall ... including a three pointer from the left wing.

Chris Ortiz has made two big plays on defensive rotations, one to block a shot and another to force a travel by Ball State's Bo Calhoun.

PREGAME

1:52 p.m. ... Starting lineups are in.

For Ball State, Francis Kiapaway and Jeremiah Davis are the guards while Bo Calhoun, Franko House and Sean Sellers are listed as forwards.

A familiar lineup for Kent State over the last few weeks with Derek Jackson and Devareaux Manley at the guards, Chris Ortiz and Jimmy Hall at the forwards and Khaliq Spicer at center.

1:46 p.m. ... Kellon Thomas continues to be day-to-day for the Golden Flashes, but the junior point guard is in street clothes today in Muncie. That's a disappointment for him and for a large group of friends and family who made the trip from his home in nearby Indianapolis to support Kellon and the Flashes.

Khaliq Spicer will play and start despite an ankle injury suffered late in Wednesday's win over Toledo.


1:14 p.m. ... Looks like it is official that Turner will play. Kamieniecki will not, however. The senior post tweaked his back in the Cardinals' last game. he is here in street clothes.

I'm sure some of you recognize the name, though. His dad is Scott Kamieniecki, the former Major League pitcher who played for the Yankees, Orioles, Indians and Braves from 1991-to-2000.

Meanwhile, point guard Zavier Turner is expected to play today after missing Wednesday's loss to Ohio for disciplinary reasons, he will not be in the starting lineup.


12:41 p.m. ... After a long 4 1/2 hour drive, Ty Linder and I have arrived at Worthern Arena and are courtside watching Kent State and Ball State get up a few pre-game shots.

Zavier Turner is in the arena after what was apparently a mysterious DNP-CD against Ohio this week. Rob Senderoff and his staff had been wondering for a few days if Turner would be back for today's game. His return would make life more than a little more difficult for the Golden Flashes as Senderoff believes he may be the fastest point guard Kent State has faced so far this season. The Cardinals want to get out and run, and he is a big key to their success in transition.

Kent State has done a very good job defending the three so far this season, allowing just 78 so far (13th in the nation). Limiting Ball State's ability to find open looks from the arc will be a key today as the Cardinals can be very good and dependent on the three ball. They have five guys who have made 18 or more threes this season. They also shoot the three at 36 percent as a team, which ranks in the top 100 in the nation.

If Kent State can bring the defense of the last two weeks back on the road today, it should be able to speed up Ball State and force turnovers. At 270th in the country in turnover percentage, the Cardinals are capable of getting rattled by pressure defense.

Another question mark for the Cardinals is the five position, where 6-foot-8 Scott Kamieniecki was dinged up earlier this week. If he plays, he'll give the Cardinals another capable scorer around the rim. If Kamieniecki is out, Ball State's tallest player in the rotation would be 6-foot-7 sophomore Rocco Belcaster, who averages 4.4 points per game off the bench. Whether Kamieniecki plays or not, though, look for the Flashes to attack inside first with Jimmy Hall. Yes, Hall's numbers have fallen off  a bit of late, but don't be fooled. The concern he forces in opposing defenses and his ability to pass out of double teams creates opportunities for teammates.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Toledo

SECOND HALF

The Flashes finish off a 67-60 win.

Here's a link to the final game story on www.kentstatesports.com.

1:31 ... Kent State had its biggest lead at 6 points after another Manley three. But Toledo has the ball now trailing 61-57.

3:23 ... A Dev Manley 3 with just over four minutes to play matched Kent State's biggest lead of the night at 56-51. But Toledo has answered with a Weatherspoon layup, and now the Rockets will go back to the foul line as Garber was fouled by Spicer going over the back trying to keep an offensive rebound alive.

Spicer has been very good with 8 points and 7 rebounds to go with 2 blocked shots and a steal.

Manley has 18 to lead the Flashes. Brewer has 16.

For Toledo, Williams has 12 while Weatherspoon and Boothe both have 10. Boothe has been very good in the post for Toledo, finding teammates out of double teams.


7:44 ... Kent State continues to battle. The Flashes have battled back from a five-point deficit that seemed like so much more.

Gary Akbar with great defense on a switch to a difficult assignment on Brown, forced the long miss, then found Spicer for a fast-break dunk that has deadlocked the game at 47-47 at this timeout.

The Flashes have gone cold from the foul line. After five straight misses, Brewer finally ended the drought from the stripe by splitting a pair just before the Akbar-to-Spicer dunk.

11:58 ... Kris Brewer hangs in the air, draws the foul and flips in the layup with an aggressive take. He will go to the foul line trying to tie this one up coming out of this timeout. Kent State trails 41-40 at the moment, but is overcoming a tough deal with Hall playing through three fouls.

The Flashes decided they couldn't keep Hall on the bench, checking him back into the game at about the 14 minute mark.

Manley has finally drilled his first three, ending an 0-for-6 start from the arc. He has 11 points, though, after trying to get things going by going to the basket.

Juice Brown has 7 points in the second half after going scoreless before halftime. Derek Jackson had locked him down for the better part of 23 minutes, but now Brown is starting to attack the paint with more regularity.

15:54 ... Difficult problem to deal with here for Kent State as Jimmy Hall picked up his 3rd foul on a questionable call just 1:30 into the second half.

The Flashes have struggled to find their offense without Hall in the game. Even with his 1-for-6 in the first half, Hall had an impact, drawing double teams and finding open teammates.

Spicer has tried to keep the Flashes going, powering in a layup and then blocking a shot at the other end, but he is out now as well as the Flashes go small against a big Toledo lineup.

FIRST HALF

Khaliq Spicer has been extremely active on both ends of the floor. His back-tip of a Manley missed three with five seconds left in the half landed right back into the hands of a streaking Manley for an uncontested layup.

Effort plays have given Kent State just enough of an advantage so far. Manley is 0-for-4 from three, but has still been a factor attacking the rim.

Jimmy Hall has struggled to a 1-for-6 start. The last time that happened, he was a big factor in the second half against Eastern Michigan. 

Kris Brewer has 9 points to lead the Flashes so far. 

KSU is shooting just 41 percent from the field. Toledo is at just 40 percent.

3:50 ... Kent State and Toledo tied 21-21 in a very entertaining game.

Khaliq Sipcer with a layup tied the game with just over four minutes to go before the break, and then an alert steal on the other end has the Flashes with the ball going into this media timeout. KSU has 11 seconds on the shot clock.

Spicer has played well again. He has a big two-handed dunk. On the last layup, he alertly waited for J.D. Weatherspoon to soar bye on an attempted block before flipping in the layup. 

7:15 ... The Flashes have lost some of that offensive momentum.

The Flashes have been stuck on 13 for the better part of seven minutes and are now down 14-13. It has been a four-minute drought for the Flashes so far.

A defensive game should favor the Flashes. 

13:10 ... KSU is on an 11-2 run since the last media timeout, shooting 5-for-7 from the field since that 1-for-7 start.

The defense has been excellent thanks to a lift by Marquiez Lawrence off the bench. He came in after the 15:16 timeout and had a soaring blocked shot to ignite this spurt.

Kris Brewer has been in attack mode and has 5 points. Dev Manley has a great diving steal. And Hall is starting to get things going in the post.

Love the officiating so far... Just three combined fouls

15:16 ... Rob Senderoff was forced to call a quick timeout after just three minutes with his team down 6-0 and struggling a bit on both ends. At the media timeout, the Golden Flashes find themselves down 8-2. They are just 1-for-7 from the field.

Jimmy Hall is getting deep touches on the offensive end, but hasn't been able to finish in the early going. Devareaux Manley is off to a tough start at 0-for-3 from three-point range.

The Flashes have to make sure they account for J.D. Weatherspoon on the boards. Weatherspoon with a tip-dunk put the Rockets up 8-2.

PREGAME

6:45 p.m. ... We have a veteran officiating crew tonight with D.J. Carstensen, Chris Beaver and Kevin Ferguson.

This is the first game at the M.A.C. Center for Carstensen, who at one point last season should have applied for residency here after working a string of Kent State home games.

Starting lineups for Toledo: Julius Brownand Jonathan Williams at the guards, Justin Drummond and J.D. Weatherspoon at the forwards and Nathan Boothe at center.

Kent State will start with Derek Jackson and Devareaux Manley at the guards, Chris Ortiz and Jimmy Hall at the forwards and Khaliq Spicer at the five.


6 p.m. ... Tonight offers Kent State a great opportunity to get a gauge where they are in their season. Toledo hasn't been playing its best basketball of late, but the Rockets are still considered a favorite to challenge for a Mid-American Conference championship. This a talented, well-coached club led by some veterans who understand what it takes to win at this level. 

Juice Brown is as dangerous an offensive weapon as there is in this league. The shifty 5-foot-10 senior comes in averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting it at 47 percent from both the field and from three. His matchup with Kent State's Derek Jackson is as good as you will see on any night in the MAC. Jackson is arguably the conference's best on-the-ball defender, and he'll try to pick up Brown early at half court, keeping him from getting out in transition and from dribble penetration. 

The matchup of Toledo's J.D. Weatherspoon vs. Jimmy Hall should be just as fun to watch. Weatherspoon is the athlete in that battle while Hall is skilled and maybe a little more crafty in the post compared with Weatherspoon's power. Kent State will hope Hall's length and a slight size advantage will help defend Weatherspoon without fouling. Weatherspoon is bouncy, so the Flashes are going to have to find a way to keep the 6-foot-6 senior lefty from giving the Rockets an an advantage on the offensive glass.

Toledo is a great offensive rebounding team from the three, four and five spot, so second-chance points could be a key in this game.

Chris Ortiz has made some significant strides on the offensive end for Kent State since moving to the three a few weeks back. And while Ortiz has worked hard on the defensive end, guarding the three isn't a natural fit for him. He'll be challenged tonight against 6-4 Toledo senior Justin Drummond, who is aggressive in the way he attacks the basket. Ortiz is bigger, but he'll have to contain Drummond off the dribble and force him to take contested twos instead of open threes, where he shoots it at 35.6 percent.

Toledo is very good from three-point range as a team, leading the MAC in percentage in conference games at 46.7 percent and averaging three makes per game. Brown, Weatherspoon, Drummond, Jonathan Williams, Nathan Boothe and Jordan Lauf – the team's top three scorers – have all attempted between 93 (Brown) and 19 (Weatherspoon) threes this season, and all are shooting between 47.3 percent (Brown) and 35.6 percent (Drummond).

While the Rockets are one of the MAC's best offensive teams (2nd), they can struggle defensively, and especially in transition. Kent State needs to get stops and try to get out and run in search of easy baskets. In the half court, the Flashes should be able to attack inside, where the Rockets defense has shown some weakness of late.

Toledo is coached by Tod Kowalczyk, who is not well liked by the Golden Flashes fan base based on a, well, let's call it a disrespectful post-game celebration at the M.A.C. Center in 2009 when he was head coach at Wisconsin Green-Bay. 

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Ohio University

SECOND HALF

0:58 ... Ohio has trimmed some off the lead, which is 67-53... But Blake Vedder and Jon Flemming are in.

Flashes will improve to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in Mid-American Conference play.

3:57 ... A three by power forward Antonio Campbell has kept some slim hope alive for Ohio, down 61-45 now after falling behind by as 21 at the 5-minute mark.

Derek Jackson drilled three straight FT's after getting whacked on a three from the left wing with the shot clock running down. He leads the Flashes with 16 points, building on a very good 14-point game against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night when he hit 4-of-5 from three-point range.

Ohio is under 30-pct again for the night at 29.5 percent ... 13-for-44.

6:35 ... A 6-0 run since that timeout by Senderoff has helped Kent State to a 20-point lead at 58-38.

First Jackson hit a three, getting slapped on the backside by Senderoff as he raced by the KSU bench following the shot.

A stop at the other end led to a left-wing three by Kris Brewer. Four players now in double figures as Brewer now has 12.

7:48 ... Kent State takes a time out to set up a play. The Flashes want to delver the knockout blow soon as they haven't quite been able to shake the Bobcats.

The Flashes have led by 16 twice as Ortiz has hit a pair of threes in the last few minutes. Right now it is a 14-point advantage at 52-38.

Hall, Jackson and Ortiz all have 10 points. Ndour has 13 points to lead the Bobcats in what is his best game against Kent State in the last two years.

11:42 ... Spicer and Marquiez Lawrence have really been the story of this half for Kent State.

Both long and athletic bigs have been extremely active, getting their hands on just about every loose ball. Lawrence had a steal just before this timeout to set up this possession, and Spicer fighting for an offensive rebound and getting fouled by Antonio Campbell kept the possession alive.

And coming out of the timeout, Manley gets fouled in the corner from just in front of the Flashes bench. Manley will have three shots, trying to build on a 39-29 Kent State lead.

Flashes haven't been able to shake Bobcats despite 30-pct shooting. And Ohio has had to get hot to reach 30.

15:06 ... Kent State lead is 34-24 with Ohio shooting just 2-for-7 (28.6 percent) so far in the second half and actually trimming a point off of the Flashes halftime lead.

Ohio is now 9-for-34 on the evening.

Khaliq Spicer has given the Flashes a lift in this half, opening the action with a jump hook over his left shoulder on the first possession and then seconds later drawing a charge. He leads the Flashes with six rebounds.

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME

Kent State 30, Ohio 19

The story of the day so far is defense. The Flashes have held Ohio to 7-for-27 shooting from the field while forcing 11 turnovers. KSU has a 10-2 scoring advantage off of those Ohio miscues.

The Flashes have not shot the ball well, 11-for-29, missing too many shots in the paint, including a few dunks. Jimmy Hall has 9 points to lead the Flashes on 4-for-9 shooting.

Maurice Ndour leads Ohio with 7 points on 3-of-8 from the field. He also has a game-high 7 rebounds.

Ohio is winning the rebounding advantage 23-16.

3:37 ... Kent State will try to add to a 23-15 lead coming out of the break as Khaliq Spicer will head to the line after getting whacked trying to throw down a dunk while flying through the lane late in the shot clock.

Ohio is now 5-for-20 from the field with 10 turnovers. Kent State defense has been very good, but Ohio has also been extremely sloppy.

Jimmy Hall leads everyone with 8 points.

7:30 ... The defense continues to be excellent for the Flashes, who are up 19-13 at this media timeout.

Heading into this break, Derek Jackson, Dev Manley, Chris Ortiz, Marquiez Lawrence and Gary Akbar did a great job of forcing the Bobcats into a 35 second violation without coming even close to getting a shot off.

Ohio is 4-for-14 from the filed with 7 turnovers.

Threes by Kris Brewer, who has 5 points and is in attack mode tonight, and Derek Jackson helped the Flashes eclipse Ohio's brief lead.

11:50 ... Ohio University has dodged a bullet. The Bobcats trail by just a point at 9-8 despite an awful 0-for-6, 4-turnover start.

Kent State is getting great looks inside and just can't convert, shooting 4-for-13 so far.

Chris Ortiz has missed a dunk. Khaliq Spicer had a pretty jump hook rattle in and out. Jimmy Hall's two misses have been on top of the rim.

15:29 ... Good start for the Golden Flashes, who have a 7-0 lead at the first media timeout.

Jimmy Hall has 4 points and is getting good position inside on both Ndour and Campbell in the early going. If he keeps getting deep touches like this, he's going to have a big game.

Devareaux Manley has added a three from the right wing on his only attempt so far. That's a good sign for one of the nation's top three-point shooters, who is coming off of a rare off night on Wednesday vs. Eastern Michigan.

Ohio is 0-for-5 and has 3 turnovers.

PREGAME

Ohio University is still trying to catch its stride under first-year head coach Saul Phillips. But even after three winless games in Mid-American Conference play, the Bobcats are still not an appetizing foe for the Golden Flashes. According to Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff, this team has plenty of talent, and once the Bobcats get their act together, their going to be a team nobody wants to face as we roll into March.

Maurice Ndour comes in averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in his senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward has struggled with Kent State, however, scoring nine points on 4-of-10 shooting in his visit to the M.A.C. Center last season, then going just 1-for-7 from the field in an 8-point outing when the Bobcats lost at home to the Flashes in early March. He averaged 5.5 rebounds per game in those two contests.

Jimmy Hall will get the assignment of guarding Ndour. The 35 pounds Hall has on the 200-pound Ndour could be valuable. Ndour is extremely skilled and capable of hitting mid-range jumpers on pick-and-pops and pick-and-rolls. He is a very good offensive rebounder at 2.4 per game, so getting a body on him will be important.

Three other players average double figures for the Bobcats with 5-foot-11 senior transfer Javarez Willis at 15.1 per game, 6-5 freshman two Ryan Taylor at 10.3 per game and 6-8 sophomore forward Antonio Campbell.

Kent State will need to stop Ohio in transition. The Bobcats are at their best when they are able to get out and run. Willis is extremely quick, and he'll look for his own pull-up on the break as well as find Taylor spotting up and Ndour running the floor for easy baskets.

In the half court, expect Ohio to try to attack inside with Ndour and Campbell, who is a wide-bodied post player. This is a rare Bobcats team that is not very good from three-point range, hitting only 31 percent, which ranks 265th in the nation.

It's a different look for Kent State tonight after facing Eastern Michigan's 2-3 zone for 40 minutes on Wednesday night. Ohio will play man-to-man most of the night. The Bobcats have struggled defensively this year and rank near the bottom of the nation in forcing turnovers (316th). Derek Jackson, who has been great at avoiding turnovers this season, and Kris Brewer should be able to get the Flashes into their offense without much trouble if they are patient.

Devareaux Manley comes into the game ranked 14th in the nation with 52 three-pointers made so far this season. Jimmy Hall (14.8 ppg and 7.6 rpg) vs. Ndour should be the matchup to watch at the four.

It should be a fun night and we are hoping for a big crowd with Neon Night and the first 500 students receiving Neon Kent State T-Shirts.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Eastern Michigan

SECOND HALF

FINAL: A big 65-59 win behind a great second-half effort.

Read more about it by clicking here.

0:15 ... Kent State watched Eastern pull to within a point, but a big three by Derek Jackson with the shot clock running down may have sealed the win for Kent State.

The Flashes are up 61-56.

Kent Staet has the basketball, inbounding under the Eastern basket after this timeout.

Jackson has 14 points and is 4-for-5 from three-point range. Three of those have beaten the shot clock.

3:36 ... Just two minutes ago, Eastern was reeling and shooting just 3-for-19 from the field in the second half.

But after a turnover leading to a breakaway layup by Talley and a blocked Manley 3-pointer leading to a fast break layup by Bond, the Eagles are down only 55-52 now with a chance to cut further into the lead. Bond was fouled on the layup and will go to the line after this timeout.

He hits coming out of the timeout. Just 2 points – 55-53.

6:45 ... The Kent State offense has gone just a bit cold and Eastern has started to right the ship, although the Eagles are settling for some ill-advised shots and starting to freelance a little bit too much on offense.

Karrington has been stuck on 12 for a very long time for Eastern Michigan.

Eastern is just 3-for-17 from the field in the second half. KSU has come all the way back despite shooting just 9-of-20. Remember, they were 6 for their first 7.


9:43 ... A Jimmy Hall layup has forced Eastern Michigan to call timeout as the Kent State lead has swelled to 51-42.

The Flashes have dominated play on both ends since the break. During this timeout, EMU head coach Rob Murphy chewed out official Kyle Ingram, and he had a case as officials missed a clear foul on the Eastern possession that led to the Hall layup.

It is now a 24-5 start to this half for Kent State.

11:47 ... Chris Ortiz has 15 points, two shy of a career high. He is a big reason the Flashes have fought back from 16 down to now 5 points up at 47-42.

The Flashes are 7-for-13 from the field in the half while Eastern is 2-for-9 with 3 key turnovers early in the half.

The first play of the second half was a steal and breakaway layup by Jackson. That was the momentum starter.

15:57 ... A great start to the second half and the Flashes are back in this one, down 40-38.

Whatever Rob Senderoff said in the locker room took hold. And the student section is creating some atmosphere in the M.A.C. Center.

The Flashes are 4-for-5 from the field in the second half, including a corner three by Devareaux Manley on the last possession. KSU will have it coming out of this time out after Talley kicked the ball out of bounds on a drive for EMU.

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME ... Kent State trails 37-27 at halftime and is actually pretty fortunate to be this close. Eastern has dominated the play with the exception of the brief 8-0 Kent State run.

Chris Ortiz has played well, scoring 9 points, but he missed a chance at a momentum builder with a missed dunk in the final minute. The Flashes missed too many shots right around the rim on their way  to a 9-for-25 first half.

Two threes by Derek Jackson are the only production from the guard spots as Manley and Brewer are both a combined 0-for-3.

Jimmy Hall had a frustrating first half, going 1-for-6 and getting hit for a technical foul.

Ward scored 12 to lead Eastern. The Eagles shot 52 percent from the field compared to Kent State's 36 percent.



3:32 ... The run reached 8-0 after an old-fashioned three-point play by Akbar. Good to see him convert from the foul line after he had struggled for much of the non-conference season.

Akbar is earning his way back into the rotation with his play on both ends tonight.

The Flashes cut the lead to 8 before a pretty 15-foot jumper by Eastern's Jodan Price. Eagles have the ball again after a miss on the drive by Jackson.

Kent State guards Jackson, Brewer and Manley are a combined 1-for-6 so far.

5:16 ... It's been a tough half for Kent State.

At one point, the Flashes were down 31-20. But an Akbar layup and a Jackson three have the Flashes on a 5-0 run, trimming the score to 31-20.

They'll have a chance to continue the run after a traveling call against Eastern's Anali Okaloji just prior to this timeout.

Gary Akbar has played well, as has Chris Ortiz, who has 8 of KSU's 20.

Karrington Ward has been very good for the Eagles, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from the arc.

Manley, who is 13th in the nation in 3-point shooting, has attempted only one shot against the EMU zone – a 25-foot 3-pointer that missed.


11:58 ... The Eastern Michigan lead is 17-11 with Kent State getting the ball out of this timeout after an illegal screen set by Eagles center Mike Samuels – the second foul against the 6-foot-11 senior.

A two-hand dunk by Khaliq Spicer was encouraging as Kent State was patient working against the zone and found Spicer all alone in the left block.

KSU needs to get Jimmy Hall more involved in the offense. He is 0-for-3 and scoreless.

We've been told that Kyle Ingram's technical foul call on Hall earlier was for baiting and taunting. It was a quick call.

13:38 ... Two quick baskets for the Eagles out of the media timeout and the Flashes need to take a quick timeout, down 15-7 and getting beaten in every aspect of the game so far.

Gary Akbar has checked in for the Flashes. He is back in the rotation in large part because he typically makes good decisions and is aggressive against the zone.

No Kellon Thomas tonight, by the way, as he suffered from a dizzy spell earlier.

15:12 ... Kent State is getting a tough whistle in the early going. Some missed calls going Eastern Michigan's way, and some head scratchers going against the Flashes, including a technical foul on Jimmy Hall that saw the KSU sophomore bat the ball off the foot of an Eastern Michigan player and out of bounds.

Frank Spencer, Kevin O'Connell and Kyle Ingram also gave Eastern Michigan a three that clearly was a two ... Fortunately that they could review. They couldn't review the out-of-bounds earlier.

Kent State has to find a way to battle through this stretch, down 13-7 early.

PREGAME

Kent State will face Eastern Michigan's take on the Syracuse 2-3 zone once again tonight. The zone has been a staple of Eagles head coach Rob Murphy, who was an assistant at Syracuse after leaving Kent State, where he had been an assistant on Jim Christian's first staff in 2002-03.

You can hear Golden Flashes head coach Rob Senderoff discuss the Eastern zone (among other things) in his video blog from today:


The Eagles will play 2-3 for 40 minutes, and in this version the guards are set up high, trying to cut off passes to the corner and hunting out steals. They'll even trap the first pass from time to time.

Expect the Flashes to try to get out and run in search of easy baskets while keeping the Eagles from setting up their zone. But if this turns into a half court game, the Flashes need to find ways to get into the middle of the defense with inside-out play. I talked with Senderoff today, and he said Ball State shot it at better than a 50-percent clip on plays that saw the Cardinals get a touch in the middle of the zone in their win over Eastern.

Kent State has the potential to be a very good team against the zone. Devareaux Manley has jumped from 20th to 13th in the nation from three-point range. Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson are also obviously capable of getting hot. The key to their success tonight could be Jimmy Hall, who is has a knack for getting the ball in the post and spotting open shooters on the perimeter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gary Akbar find his way back into the rotation tonight. Akbar can be successful against the zone, as he showed when he got the ball around the elbow in games early in the non-conference season.

Eastern Michigan has some guards who can really attack on offense in Raven Lee, who is a 6-foot-3 sophomore and the team's top scorer at 14.8 per game, and Mike Talley, a 6-foot sophomore who averages 9.8 per game coming off the bench. Kent State found hem were difficult to handle in transition last season. The Flashes will need to guard them without fouling as both Lee and Talley are very good at getting into the lane and then getting to the foul line.

This is another very good offensive rebounding team with seven players averaging at least one per game. Kent State has to do a better job of limiting second-chance points than it did on Saturday at Northern Illinois.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Bowling Green

SECOND HALF

FINAL ... A disappointing finish. Here's the wrap-up: GAME STORY

0:45.9 ... Parker drills a there from the top, extending Falcons lead to 64-60 ... and Flashes use last timeout.

1:08 ... BGSU lead is 61-60 with Jans icing Jimmy Hall on the second free throw calling this time out.

Hall just his first of this 1-and-1 to cut the BGSU lead to 1, extending a career-high 25 points.

Hall has just missed the second, however. Flashes need a stop as clock ticks inside one minute.




2:54 ... Parker with a layup has extended the BGSU lead to 61-58, but Jimmy Hall is heading to the foul line to shoot 1-and-1 after this timeout.

The Flashes are shooting just 40 percent this half (8-of-20) while BGSU is at 51.9 percent (14-for-27), including 5-of-7 from three-point range after they were 2-of-7 from beyond the arc before the break.

4:05 ... A Parker three-pointer has given Bowling Green a 59-58 lead over Kent State. A 9-0 run for the Falcons.

Hall has 23 points on 10-of-13 from the field.

7:30 ... The Hall vs. Holmes battle is heating up.

Hall now has a career high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

Holmes has 17 on 7-of-14.

The KSU lead is 54-46.

10:39 ... Kent State leads 45-44 and had briefly given up the lead.

The Flashes are answering this run now by Bowling Green with some energy on both ends from Khaliq Spicer. The 6-foot-9 center just had a great blocked shot and save, flipping the ball over his head as he fell out of bounds under the basket to Chris Ortiz. With the possession he gained, Jimmy Hall was able to draw a foul as Spicer tipped an offensive rebound to him.

It's Hall vs. Holmes right now. Hall with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Holmes with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

The Flashes have turned the ball over 13 times, with six of those coming in this half.

13:24 ... Cold weather impacting the internet here at the M.A.C. Center. We may be slow to update.

The Flashes are struggling to hold on to the basketball. Already 5 turnovers this half as the Falcons have trimmed the KSU lead all the way down to a single point at 40-39.


15:59 ... The Kent State lead is 40-33 with the Flashes controlling the ball out of this timeout. 

Jimmy Hall has another bucket and now 15 points. Flashes are 1-of-3 from the field with two turnovers to start the second half. That's 9 turnovers overall, which is too many according to Senderoff, who just looked at the bench and said "boy, we just can't keep control of the basketball."

FIRST HALF

HALFTIME ... Kent State 35, Bowling Green 26

A rocky last minute allowed the Falcons to cut into what had been a 15-point lead at 35-20.

The first-half run had reached 16-0 before Bowling Green finally pulled it back together by taking advantage of some KSU turnovers.

BGSU shot just 34 percent from the field in the first half (9-for-26) while Kent State got hot in the final eight minutes of the half and ended at 46.7 percent (14-for-30).

Hall has been impressive, scoring 13 points (5-of-7) to go with 5 rebounds. He has scored in the post and also demonstrated that he can hit from 14-to-17 feet. Hall is also 3-for-3 from the foul line. Chris Ortiz has also been outstanding with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

3:58 ... A spectacular 12-0 run  has vaulted Kent State into a 28-18 lead.

Defense is setting the table for this stretch, and that's without Jackson, who is the team's best defender.

Craig Brown hit a three, then Kris Brewer with a steal led to a Kellon Thomas fast break layup.

And now out of this timeout, Hall hits a 15-footer for a 30-18 lead. Hall now has 13 point.

7:57 ... Another timeout has Bowling Green up 16-14 after threes by Dickerson and Holmes.

The Flashes are doing a great job on the offensive boards, grabbing seven through the first 12 minutes, but those have led to only 1 second-chance point. Hall has three offensive boards alone so far.

Holmes leads all scorers with 9 points. He is 3-for-4 from the field. The rest of the Falcons are 2-for-12.

9:55 ... Chris Ortiz and Jimmy Hall have been extremely active on both ends for Kent State, combining for 7 points and 6 rebounds from the forward spots.

Hall is working especially hard on the defensive end, calling out screens, and getting physical with Richaun Holmes.

The Kent State leads is 12-10.

Both teams are a combined 7-for-26 from the field.

14:56 ... Kent State trails 6-4 in what is shaping up to be a defensive battle at the first media timeout.

Kellon Thomas checked in early wearing a clear, fitted mask. In two possessions, he has attacked the rim twice. First shot rolled around the rim and out. The ball was ripped from him on the second possession, leading to Kent State inbounding from underneath coming out of this timeout.

Holmes has shown his versatility early for BGSU, scoring on a jump hook on the Falcons' first possession and then on an 18 footer on the next.

LINKS YOU'LL NEED

• PREVIEW on KentStateSports.com
• LIVE AUDIO on WHLO 640 iHeartRadio Network
• LIVE VIDEO on KentStateSports.com
• LIVE STATS on KentStateSports.com

PREGAME

The Golden Flashes (9-4) are in for a difficult task tonight hosting Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference opener (8-3).  The Falcons feature 6-foot-8 forward Richaun Holmes (14.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg), who is an athletic five and one of the leagues best scorers around the rim. Head coach Rob Senderoff thinks Holmes should be an NBA prospect with the way he scores around the rim and running to the rim in transition. Holmes can also shoot the three if left open, hitting 37.5 percent on the season so far. Defensively, he is also a shot blocker, and that could see him guard Kent State's Jimmy Hall (14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg).

Khaliq Spicer will draw the assignment on Holmes to start. Spicer is on a stretch of games that is arguably his best in a Kent State uniform. The 6-foot-9 senior has been physical but also smart in the post and avoiding foul trouble.

This game features two of the best defensive teams in the MAC. Bowling Green opponents are shooting just 43 prescient from the field (30th in the nation) and 28 percent from three-point range (25th in the nation). The Flashes can't just settle. They'll also have to take care of the ball. The Falcons are turning the ball over at a rate of 21 percent, and that ranks 88th in the nation.

This is a team that converts from the arc, where the Falcons get 30.2 percent of their point distribution. That is in the top third of the country. The Falcons love to get drive-and-kick three-point opportunities for guards Jovan Austin (41.7 pct) and Anthony Henderson (39.4 percent), three-man Zack Denny (26.7 percent) and reserves Jehvon Clarke (42.1 percent) and David Joseph (50 percent).

Only 19.2 percent come from the foul line, which ranks in the bottom third of the country. The Flashes may play more zone than usual today due to a possible shortage at the guard position.  Derek Jackson is suspended for tonight's game due to a violation of team rules. Kellon Thomas was just warming up, however. We don't know if he will be able to play, however.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Texas-Pan American

SECOND HALF

FINAL ... Kent State 74, Texas-Pan American 54


Despite an ugly finish that saw Kent State go without a single field goal for the final 4:22, the Flashes managed to finish with a 20-point win.

Jimmy Hall and Devareaux Manley both scored 19 points to lead the way. Hall finished with a double-double in 25 minutes, adding 10 rebounds. Derek Jackson had 10 points and three assists off the bench.

Khaliq Spicer also had a nice game with seven points and nine rebounds as well as two steals and a blocked shot.

Texas Pan-American mall forward Janari Joesaar had a 27-point, 9-rebound night, but he also turned the ball over five times in 37 minutes and pretty much disappeared after the 16:44 media timeout, taking just one shot the rests of the way and scoring three points.

The rest of the Broncs were just 9-for-38 from the field.

3:55 ... The Flashes are clearing the bench a bit with a lead that had swelled to 27 points and is now 24 at 74-50.

Good to see Raasean Davis come in and play well for the second time late, staying with it and tipping in his own missed shot on a strong drive into the lane.

Gary Akbar has just checked in for the first time. Jon Flemming is set to enter the game as well.

7:16 ... A Derek Jackson three has extended Kent State's lead to 69-45. He now has nine points as the Flashes have found contributions from just about everyone who has played tonight.

This has been one of the shorter benches this season as Senderoff has used only eight players. This is the first time we haven't seen Akbar by this stage of the game.

7:59 ... The Kent State lead is 64-45. The biggest lead to this point was 22 at the 8:44 mark after a Dev Manley elbow jumper that saw him hold the pose ala Michael Jordan in that famous flu game.

Manley has a team-high 19 points to go with 17 from Hall.

Spicer just drilled two free throws to put Kent State at 11-of-13 from the line tonight.

The Flashes have extended this lead as Joesaar has disappeared over the last eight minutes.

The Broncs forward was 9-of-13 from the field with 24 points at the 16:44 timeout. He is still 9-of-13 with 24 points.

11:53 ... Jimmy Hall has 15 points after an old-fashioned three-point play. Adding the free throw made him 5-of-5 from the line tonight.

Kent State is a refreshing 9-of-10 on free throws.

The Flashes lead is 55-38.

Khaliq Spicer is having arguably his best game of the season with five points, seven rebounds a blocked shot and two steals so far in 23 minutes.

15:15 ... Devareaux Manley has picked right up where he left off, adding another three pointer soon after checking in off the bench.  

Manley's 17 lead the Flashes. 

Joesaar has stayed read hot for the Broncs. He now has 24 points on 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 from three. 

Kent State lead is 50-33.

FIRST HALF

Dev Manley finished with a team-high 14-point first half in a Jordanesque effort with the flu. He hit 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.

Jimmy Hall added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Janari Joesaar has been a one-man show for Texas-Pan American, scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 form the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range.

The rest of the team was just 3-for-15 from the field.

3:44 ... Janari Joesaar is almost single handedly keeping the Broncs in the game, going 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from three while scoring 16 points. He also has a team-high 4 rebounds.

The rest of the team is just 2-for-12 from the field. Joesaar has attempted all of the Broncs' threes.

7:39 ... The Kent State lead is 25-18 at this media timeout ... and this may be the latest in any game we've seen the Golden Flashes sitting at a perfect 100 percent from the foul line.

Jimmy Hall just hit a pair to put KSU at 2-for-2 on the night. Hall is off to a good start with six points and four rebounds.

9:02 ... This may be the best officiated game in the history of the M.A.C. Center.

Officials Bill Ek, Donnie Eppley and Greg Webb have combined to blow their whistle just two times in the game's first 10:58.

Keep it up.

Manley has checked out after a little more than five minutes of work that saw him hit two threes, including one from beyond NBA range. He was breathing heavy and ready to come out prior to this timeout.

Flashes lead is 23-15.

Threes are keeping the Broncs in this one. They are 3-for-5 from three-point range, and all of them by Janari Joesaar, the 6-foot-6 sophomore small forward from Tartu, Estonia.

14:28 ... The Flashes hold an early 13-7 lead. The quick start in large part due to defense, which has forced three turnovers and is limiting the Broncs – a good offensive rebounding team – to one shot and out.

Jimmy Hall has four early points to go with 2 rebounds. Derek Jackson also has an early three. Devareaux Manley (flu symptoms) will check in for the first time after this timeout.

I talked to Rob Senderoff seconds before the start of the game and he said he didn't know how much he'd have Manley tonight until he got a look at Manley the first time he enters the game.

PREGAME

6:56 p.m. ... Manley will start the game on the bench. Hopefully he will play. Kris Brewer starts in his place.

6:40 p.m. ... Devareaux Manley is in uniform, but how much he plays this evening is still unknown. Manley has been suffering from flu symptoms, and as of about an hour ago his availability was very much in doubt. It's good to see him on the floor during pre game, though, considering the Flashes are already extremely short in the backcourt due to the injury to Kellon Thomas.

If Manley can't play or is limited tonight, the Flashes will have to rely on Derek Jackson and Kris Brewer as the only healthy guards on scholarship. Rob Senderoff may try to spell Jackson and Brewer with walk-on sophomore Jon Flemming. Gary Akbar, a small forward who is more comfortable playing power forward, could also be pressed into some time as an off guard, otherwise Jackson and Brewer could be pressed into close to 40 minutes tonight.

6 p.m. ... Defense has been the strength of the Golden Flashes so far this season, although there have been some missteps in back-to-back losses at UTEP and Kansas. Rob Senderoff will try to get back to some of the staples of what had the Flashes playing well defensively during their 8-2 start. 

Transition defense was an issue against UTEP and Kansas, which makes sense. Both can score points in bunches on the fast break. Both also have some good spot-up shooters in transition. The Flashes, who had been so good at taking away the three-point shot in the first 10 games, have given up most of their threes in transition of late.

Tonight, 5-foot-11 point guard Shaquille Boga (12.0 ppg, 35.1 pct 3's) and three man Janari Joesaar (19.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg) are both very good at hunting threes in transition. The Flashes will need to get back and find shooters.

Texas-Pan American's strengths include offensive rebounding and getting to the foul line, where the Broncs rank 72nd in the nation in terms of how many of their points arrive via free throws (better than 23 percent).

Guarding Joesaar will be a key. The 6-foot-6 transfer from Ole Miss is a crafty sophomore who is a catch-and-shoot player hitting at 40-percent from three-point range this season. The Flashes will want to pressure Joesaar, Boga and anyone else who touches the basketball to make passes difficult in the Broncs motion offense.

Chris Ortiz is expected to get the start for Kent State and draw the assignment against Joesaar. Derek Jackson will guard Boga. The matchup at the four between Jimmy Hall for Kent State and 6-foot-7 Shaquille Hines (that's right, the Broncs have two Shaquille's on their roster) will also be a good one. Hines is a bit slight at 195 pounds, but the junior four man is averaging 14.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.