SECOND HALF
FIRST HALF
PREGAME
FINAL ... Kent State 75, Miami 63
Brewer finishes with 28 points on 7-for-7 shooting.
Dev Manley added 15 on 5-of-8 from the arc.
KSU was 15-for-26 as a team on threes
3:31 ... Kent State leads 68-52 and trying to protect the lead by running clock and not running much of an offense.
The Flashes are caught in that awkward area of trying to shorten the game while avoiding taking the foot too far off of the gas. The way they've dominated this one, I'd say keep doing the things that they've been doing. Close it out strong.
6:56 ... The Kent State lead is 64-46 with Mark Henniger heading to the foul line trying to convert a retro three that will be the Flashes' first free throw attempt of the night. Miami has attempted 21.
Before that, Brewer drilled yet another three with Miami's Willie Moore draped all over him late in the shot clock.
Brewer is now 7-for-7 from three ... Kent State is 14-for-21 as a team.
Henniger hit the free throw, by the way, to go up 65-46.
11:59 ... Brewer is sizzling... 6-for-6 from three-point range with the last one coming at the shot-clock buzzer. Inbound came with 4 seconds and Brewer coming off a double screen at the top of the circle. He rose with two defenders on him and couldn't have found the rim until he reached the top of his shot. Nothing but net.
It is now 52-34 Kent State.
Flashes are 12-of-20 from three as Manley has added two more threes this half.
Coming out of the timeout, an offensive rebound and putback by Spicer has Kent State up 54-34.
16:58 ... Kris Brewer has stayed hot, rattling home another three from the top on a nice drive and kick by Jackson. Brewer is now 4-for-4.
Brewer finishes with 28 points on 7-for-7 shooting.
Dev Manley added 15 on 5-of-8 from the arc.
KSU was 15-for-26 as a team on threes
3:31 ... Kent State leads 68-52 and trying to protect the lead by running clock and not running much of an offense.
The Flashes are caught in that awkward area of trying to shorten the game while avoiding taking the foot too far off of the gas. The way they've dominated this one, I'd say keep doing the things that they've been doing. Close it out strong.
6:56 ... The Kent State lead is 64-46 with Mark Henniger heading to the foul line trying to convert a retro three that will be the Flashes' first free throw attempt of the night. Miami has attempted 21.
Before that, Brewer drilled yet another three with Miami's Willie Moore draped all over him late in the shot clock.
Brewer is now 7-for-7 from three ... Kent State is 14-for-21 as a team.
Henniger hit the free throw, by the way, to go up 65-46.
11:59 ... Brewer is sizzling... 6-for-6 from three-point range with the last one coming at the shot-clock buzzer. Inbound came with 4 seconds and Brewer coming off a double screen at the top of the circle. He rose with two defenders on him and couldn't have found the rim until he reached the top of his shot. Nothing but net.
It is now 52-34 Kent State.
Flashes are 12-of-20 from three as Manley has added two more threes this half.
Coming out of the timeout, an offensive rebound and putback by Spicer has Kent State up 54-34.
16:58 ... Kris Brewer has stayed hot, rattling home another three from the top on a nice drive and kick by Jackson. Brewer is now 4-for-4.
Add in a Spicer two-handed dunk on a great feed from Ortiz and Miami forced to call timeout. Flashes lead 35-24.
FIRST HALF
HALFTIME: Kent State 28, Miami 22
Kent State has outplayed Miami in just about every phase, but only has a six-point lead. A few too many turnovers are part of the reason. While both have 10 turnovers, Miami has turned those errors into 12 points compared to just five by Kent State.
It has pretty much been the Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson show on offense for the Golden Flashes.
Brewer has 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting including a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-point arc. He has made seven of last eight dating back to Saturday's win over Central Michigan.
Jackson is hot as well. He has 10 points on 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
The rest of the Flashes have combined for just seven points.
Will Sullivan has five points to lead Miami, but he has actually been quiet. Those five points came on just two shots, both in a one quick stretch midway through the first half.
While Brewer and Jackson are scorching the nets, there is still room for both to up their games in the second half. Neither has an assist, but Brewer has three turnovers and Jackson has one.
3:39 ... A blocked shot by Khaliq Spicer leading to an open three by Derek Jackson on the other end has helped the Flashes answer the mini run by Miami.
Kellon Thomas made the extra pass to assist for the second time on a Jackson three. Flashes lead is 24-18.
4:43 ... Rob Senderoff calls timeout as the Flashes have lost a little bit of momentum from missing opportunities on the offensive end and allowing them to turn into easy baskets for Miami on the other end.
Flashes still hold a 21-18 lead.
Brewer has stayed hot. He is now 4-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from three-point range.
6:49 ... The Flashes have stayed hot from three since the opening four minutes. Add a Jackson three from the left corner on a perfect setup by Kellon Thomas, drawing the defender with penetration, and a wide-open layup from Mark Henniger, who slipped a screen, and Kent State's lead is 18-11.
It was 18-9 before a layup by Will Felder put the RedHawks' most dangerous player in the scorebook for the first time. It took him 13 minutes to get his first points. Will Sullivan, the RedHawks only real three-point threat, has yet to attempt a shot.
11:27 ... Two threes by Kris Brewer and one by Dev Manley have Kent State ahead 11-6 at this timeout.
Going back to Saturday's win over the Chippewas, Kris Brewer has hit six of his last seven threes. The junior is starting to heat up when the Flashes need a late-season run.
15:52 ... It took Miami almost four minutes to get its first points of they game on a transition bucket by Geovonie McKnight.
Kent State has outplayed Miami in just about every phase, but only has a six-point lead. A few too many turnovers are part of the reason. While both have 10 turnovers, Miami has turned those errors into 12 points compared to just five by Kent State.
It has pretty much been the Kris Brewer and Derek Jackson show on offense for the Golden Flashes.
Brewer has 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting including a perfect 3-for-3 from the three-point arc. He has made seven of last eight dating back to Saturday's win over Central Michigan.
Jackson is hot as well. He has 10 points on 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
The rest of the Flashes have combined for just seven points.
Will Sullivan has five points to lead Miami, but he has actually been quiet. Those five points came on just two shots, both in a one quick stretch midway through the first half.
While Brewer and Jackson are scorching the nets, there is still room for both to up their games in the second half. Neither has an assist, but Brewer has three turnovers and Jackson has one.
3:39 ... A blocked shot by Khaliq Spicer leading to an open three by Derek Jackson on the other end has helped the Flashes answer the mini run by Miami.
Kellon Thomas made the extra pass to assist for the second time on a Jackson three. Flashes lead is 24-18.
4:43 ... Rob Senderoff calls timeout as the Flashes have lost a little bit of momentum from missing opportunities on the offensive end and allowing them to turn into easy baskets for Miami on the other end.
Flashes still hold a 21-18 lead.
Brewer has stayed hot. He is now 4-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from three-point range.
6:49 ... The Flashes have stayed hot from three since the opening four minutes. Add a Jackson three from the left corner on a perfect setup by Kellon Thomas, drawing the defender with penetration, and a wide-open layup from Mark Henniger, who slipped a screen, and Kent State's lead is 18-11.
It was 18-9 before a layup by Will Felder put the RedHawks' most dangerous player in the scorebook for the first time. It took him 13 minutes to get his first points. Will Sullivan, the RedHawks only real three-point threat, has yet to attempt a shot.
11:27 ... Two threes by Kris Brewer and one by Dev Manley have Kent State ahead 11-6 at this timeout.
Going back to Saturday's win over the Chippewas, Kris Brewer has hit six of his last seven threes. The junior is starting to heat up when the Flashes need a late-season run.
15:52 ... It took Miami almost four minutes to get its first points of they game on a transition bucket by Geovonie McKnight.
Thanks to a 1-for-8 start by Kent State, the game is still just tied at 2-2.
KSU getting better looks than Miami, though. RedHawks offense is stagnant.
PREGAME
6:20 p.m. ... Tonight's officials are Bo Boroski, Todd Von Sossan and Dan Nowakowski.
This will be the first time we've seen Boroski this season. After spending many years as a fixture in the Mid-American Conference, his schedule is now mostly Big Ten games. He is still works some MAC games, however, along with some Missouri Valley and Horizon League.
6:05 p.m. ... As always tonight's game will be broadcast on WHLO 640 AM. The internet simulcast will be on the station's iHeartRadio channel.
Kent State's women's basketball game vs. Buffalo at the M.A.C. Center will be on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio network.
Ty Linder and I will be calling the action here at Miami University. I've been enjoying doing the color commentary for the last two seasons of Kent State men's basketball. This is something I always wanted to do when I was growing up. My first love was always writing, however, so that's the career I pursued, spending the first 20-plus years of my professional career as a sportswriter at the Record-Courier.
Since coming to work at Kent State as director of new media, I've had a chance to do more and more radio. It's a skill I'm hoping to improve. I'm not close to retirement age yet, but I've already started thinking about the possibility of staying active even after I stop working full-time. I can't think of anything more fun than staying on as a color commentator after I retire. I keep thinking of my mom who probably works more now than she did before she retired from her career because she is working as an artist. Watching her is a reminder that staying active with the things you love can keep you young.
5:35 p.m. … Players are on the floor at Millett Hall here at Miami University.
This will be the first time we've seen Boroski this season. After spending many years as a fixture in the Mid-American Conference, his schedule is now mostly Big Ten games. He is still works some MAC games, however, along with some Missouri Valley and Horizon League.
6:05 p.m. ... As always tonight's game will be broadcast on WHLO 640 AM. The internet simulcast will be on the station's iHeartRadio channel.
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| Head coach Rob Senderoff and play-by-play voice Ty Linder record tonight's pre-game interview |
Ty Linder and I will be calling the action here at Miami University. I've been enjoying doing the color commentary for the last two seasons of Kent State men's basketball. This is something I always wanted to do when I was growing up. My first love was always writing, however, so that's the career I pursued, spending the first 20-plus years of my professional career as a sportswriter at the Record-Courier.
Since coming to work at Kent State as director of new media, I've had a chance to do more and more radio. It's a skill I'm hoping to improve. I'm not close to retirement age yet, but I've already started thinking about the possibility of staying active even after I stop working full-time. I can't think of anything more fun than staying on as a color commentator after I retire. I keep thinking of my mom who probably works more now than she did before she retired from her career because she is working as an artist. Watching her is a reminder that staying active with the things you love can keep you young.
5:35 p.m. … Players are on the floor at Millett Hall here at Miami University.
Gold uniforms tonight for the first time in a while for those who like to keep track.
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| Darren Goodson works with assistant coach Eric Haut prior to tonight's game at Millett Hall in Oxofrd |
Kent State hopes to win three straight for the first time since its six-game winning streak stretched from mid-November to the first day of December.
Miami, meanwhile, is on a four-game losing streak after winning four-of-five in MAC play from mid-January to early February.
Millett Hall shouldn’t provide much of a significant home-court advantage considering the RedHawks have not drawn more than 1,448 for a MAC home game this season. Their largest crowd this season was the opener against Wilmington when they announced a crowd of 1,932.
The biggest concern tonight has to be 6-foot-7 senior Will Felder at the five spot. Kent State hopes the combination of Khaliq Spicer’s length and Mark Henniger’s craftiness can make it difficult for Felder to match the 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game he is averaging.
Felder is a big body down low who works hard and finds ways to get to the foul line, where he is 75-for-92 (82-percent this season). The Golden Flashes bigs will need to match the effort of Felder, who runs the floor hard in transition for easy baskets. He is also a good shooter to around 17 feet.
There are only two true three-point threats on this Miami team in Will Sullivan, an energetic 6-foot-3 junior who is shooting the three at a 45-percent clip. The length of Chris Ortiz starting at the three could make it harder for him to spot up for easy looks from the arc. Backup Jaryd Eustace, a 6-foot-7 native of Australia, will play everything from the one to the five coming off the bench. He shoots the three at 35 percent. Everyone else is under 30 percent.
Miami has some athletes, though. While point guard Quenten Rollins has yet to make a three this season (0-for-3), he is quick and active, and along with backcourt mate Geovonie McKnight, he is a terrific defender. Miami is a threat in large part because Rollins, McKnight and Sullivan love to gamble and create turnovers. The RedHawks play a scrappy man-to-man that is No. 15 in the country and No. 1 in the MAC in creating steals. Those lead to transition baskets as Rollins and McKnight both look to push the ball coast-to-coast for layups.
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| Kent State's team during film study today at 2:45 p.m. in the team hotel in Oxford |
The Flashes need to protect the basketball. When the RedHawks don’t create turnovers, they give up buckets. Their defensive three-point and two-point percentages are among the worst in the country. Driving and kicking and feeding the post against Miami’s small front court will be big keys for Kent State.
This is a big one. Both teams 5-7 in MAC play, and neither wants to go on the road for a first-round game in the MAC Tournament.
This is a big one. Both teams 5-7 in MAC play, and neither wants to go on the road for a first-round game in the MAC Tournament.
5:05 p.m. … This visit to Oxford seems like more of a business trip than previous road trips this season. There is a little less levity on the bus. There is nowhere near as much background chatter as players are quiet and focused, reading scouting reports during meals or while sitting around the team hotel.
I don’t want to predict how that will translate to the play on the court tonight, but I have enjoyed the shift in atmosphere. I don’t think it is due as much to players feeling a sense of urgency late in the year as finally understanding what the coaching staff has tried to impress on them since day one … that there is a businesslike approach to winning basketball games at the Division I level.
Some growing up needed to take place, and I think that is starting to happen with several key players. We are even seeing some change in leadership roles as younger players are taking over more and more minutes.
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