Update: Golden Flashes struggle to score, fall to host Buffalo
Host Buffalo pulled away from a stubborn Kent State men’s basketball team down the stretch to earn a 64-51 victory Friday night at Alumni Arena.
The Golden Flashes (9-9, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) trimmed a 15-point second-half deficit to five with 3:59 remaining but managed just one free throw from that point on, missing their last six shots from the field.
"We didn’t play well enough against a good team," said KSU head coach Rob Senderoff. "To come into Alumni Arena and get a win we would have all had to play very well. We didn't do that tonight. No issue with team effort, but we didn't play well."
Defense kept the Flashes within striking distance, but they couldn’t muster enough offense to knock off preseason conference favorite Buffalo (10-6, 4-2). Kent State produced its lowest point total against a MAC foe this year, shooting 33% from the field (19-of-57) and hitting just 4-of-21 3-point tries (19%). The Flashes are now averaging under 64 points per game against MAC opponents in 2021-22, and have reached 70 points just once in eight league contests.
Senior forward Tervell Beck led Kent State with 11 points, but shot just 1-of-6 from 3-point range. Beck also tied his season high by grabbing seven rebounds. Freshman guard Jalen Sullinger scored 10 points off the bench for the Flashes, hitting 4-of-6 shots from the floor, and added three steals.
Kent State junior guard Sincere Carry failed to reach double figures for the first time this season in conference play and only the second time overall. Carry finished with nine points and five assists, but shot 4-of-15 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
Junior guard Malique Jacobs scored eight points and grabbed six boards before fouling out with 1:37 remaining. Senior forward Justyn Hamilton scored six points, all in the second half, and led KSU with nine rebounds.
Kent State was missing two starters, grad transfer guard Andrew Garcia and sophomore guard Giovanni Santiago, who both missed the game due to injuries.
Senior forward Jeenathan Williams scored a game-high 25 points for Buffalo while tacking on 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Senior guard Renaldo Segu added 15 points and five assists.
Kent State held the Bulls to their lowest point total of the season, but still trailed the entire way. Buffalo led by 14 in the first half, and headed into the intermission up 34-24. The Bulls took control with an 8-0 run over a 1:08 span early in the second half that featured a behind-the-back pass from Williams to sophomore center David Skogman for a 3-pointer that made it 44-29.
The Flashes would not go away. The deficit hovered around 10 points until Hamilton hit a pair of buckets during a 6-1 spurt that cut Buffalo’s lead to 55-50 with just under four minutes remaining. Williams hit a layup with 3:45 to play, then neither team scored until Williams drained a 3 with just under a minute left that effectively put the game away.
"We battled back. Give our guys credit for that," said Senderoff. "We battled back and were down five with four minutes to go, and give up a backdoor layup. That’s a play you can't give up when you’re trying to come back.
Kent State will host Western Michigan (4-13, 0-6) on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State lost to host Buffalo 64-51 Friday night
