 TEXAS-ARLINGTON 74, KENT STATE 73 HOLT DROPS IN 20
Junior guard Randal Holt led Kent State with 20 points, including a key three-pointer with 1:40 remaining that broke a 69-69 tie.
The Mavericks quickly answered back with a lay-up from Jordan Reves and forced KSU into a long three-point attempt by senior guard Carlton Guyton. UT-Arlington grabbed the rebound, giving the Mavericks a chance to take their first lead since the early stages of the second half.
PORRINI – CAREER BEST IN REBOUNDS
Kent State stood its ground, however, as a jumper in the lane from Reed was off the mark and rebounded by senior guard Michael Porrini, who registered a career-best 11 rebounds and nine assists.
After grabbing the rebound, Porrini started falling out of bounds underneath the basket before passing off to Holt who was fouled with 13.1 seconds left. Holt, who was 4-5 at the foul line for the game, hit the second of two free throws, setting up the final possession.
Reed eventually hit the game winner from the left wing on a step back three-pointer after taking a dribble handoff to complete his game high 22 point night in which he connected on 4-6 from three.
‘WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A TOUGH GAME’
“At the end of the day, they made shots when they needed to and some toughness plays when they needed them,” said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. “They deserved to win. They are a good team and played really hard. We knew it was going to be a tough game coming in and at the end they made one more basket than we did.”
Senior forward Justin Greene notched a second straight double-double with a season best 17 points and 10 rebounds while Guyton added 18 points.
FLASHES HOT TO START SECOND HALF
Down 34-28 in the opening seconds of the second half, Kent State later used an 11-0 run to take a 41-36 lead at the 15:11 mark. Shooting 52 percent in the second half, the Golden Flashes grew their advantage to as many as nine points (53-44) after a Porrini three with 11:12 to play. The lead was still at six, 68-62, following a pair of Holt free throws with 4:14 left before a 12-5 burst by the Mavericks closed out the game.
“Tomorrow night is going to be tough for us, but we’ll get a chance to see how resilient our group is,” said Senderoff. “They (Utah State) are a well-coached team and it will be a tough environment to play in, so I hope our guys are able to get some rest and come ready to play.”
The Golden Flashes finish their stay in Utah facing host Utah State on Thursday at 8:05 pm (Mountain Time).
Courtesy of Kent State Athletics |
