CLEVELAND — Here are updates from Saturday’s Mid-American Conference men’s basketball championship game between Toledo and Kent State.
FINAL
Kent State’s lights-out shooting, especially in the second half, eliminated Toledo’s hopes of a MAC tournament title.
The Golden Flashes shot 71.4 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes to knock off the Rockets 93-78.
Kent State (28-6) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Toledo (27-7) had its 17-game winning streak snapped.
Kent State had an answer for nearly every Toledo basket. The Rockets trailed 71-67 with just over five minutes left after RayJ Dennis made back-to-back buckets, but the Golden Flashes responded with 7-0 run over the next minute to extend their lead to 11.
Dennis, the MAC player of the year, scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half. Setric Millner Jr. also finished with 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Sincere Carry’s 26 points led Kent State. The Golden Flashes made 20 of 28 shots from the floor and 12 of 16 from the free-throw line in the second half.
MID-SECOND HALF
Toledo’s RayJ Dennis heated up by scoring 11 points in the opening part of the second half, but Kent State continued to respond with big shots in taking a narrow 60-59 lead with just under 10 minutes left.
14:45 2H | @rayjdennis10 hits a three to make it a 1-point game!
— Toledo Men's Basketball (@Toledo_MBB) March 12, 2023
KSU 48
TOLEDO 47
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A Ra’Heim Moss layup, Dennis layup, and J.T. Shumate score in a 6-0 Toledo run pulled the Rockets within one.
Setric Millner Jr. and Dennis have combined for 35 of the Rockets’ points. Malique Jacobs and Sincere Carry had 14 apiece for Kent State.
FIRST HALF
Kent State’s Malique Jacobs scored on a putback at the buzzer to give the Golden Flashes a 35-34 halftime lead.
Toledo’s response from a big Kent State run, though, got the Rockets back in it. After the Golden Flashes used a 14-0 run to take a 27-16 lead, the Rockets took a 34-33 lead with 32 seconds left after RayJ Dennis sank two free throws.
Setric Millner Jr. scored 15 points with five rebounds to front Toledo, which shot 39.3 percent (11 of 28) from the floor and 88.9 percent (8 of 9) from the free-throw line. Ra’Heim Moss had eight points and Dennis six.
3:51 1H | @SethMillner_ has scored 12 straight points are Rockets are back within 4!
— Toledo Men's Basketball (@Toledo_MBB) March 12, 2023
KSU 31
TOLEDO 27
Seth with game-high 15 including this three!
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Sincere Carry led seven Kent State scorers with nine points. The Golden Flashes shot 42.4 percent (14 of 33) from the floor and had a 20-10 advantage in points in the paint.
MID-FIRST HALF
Toledo jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and led for a majority of the opening 10 minutes, but Kent State found its rhythm offensively to take a 21-16 lead.
Kent State briefly led 13-12 after Cli’Ron Hornbeak scored, but E.J. Farmer came back on the next possession with a basket to put the Rockets back in front.
The Golden Flashes built its largest lead of the game with their five-point advantage.
MAC player of the year RayJ Dennis had just two points on 1 of 6 shooting in the early going.
First Published March 12, 2023, 1:17 a.m.
