Kent State men’s basketball edges Bowling Green, 96-93, as Rob Senderoff gets 300th win

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• Amari Pitts | special to cleveland.com

KENT, Ohio — Kent State men’s hoops defeated Bowling Green, 96-93, successful a Mid-American convention crippled Tuesday nighttime astatine Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

The triumph marked nan 300th profession triumph for Kent State caput coach Rob Senderoff.

The Flashes are now connected a 13-game winning streak against Bowling Green making love backmost to nan 2018-19 season.

The last 10 minutes came down to foul shots. Delrecco Gillespie’s layup positive a free propulsion gave nan Flashes a 90-88 pinch 2:41 remaining. Then BG shooters Troy Glover and Mayor Wal each scored to support things close. Gillespie went to nan free propulsion statement again and made some shots trim Bowling Green’s lead to 93-92.

With 20 seconds to play, Gillespie sewage a rebound past scored a layup giving Kent a 94-93 lead.

Gillespie took his last travel to nan free propulsion statement pinch 4 seconds connected nan clock, and made 2 shots to unafraid nan Flashes’ victory.

“Everyone really competed astatine a precocious level for our team,” said Senderoff. “To beryllium capable to get nan extremity that we needed astatine nan past infinitesimal is immense for this group.

“It’s awesome that I’ve been doing this truthful agelong to triumph truthful galore games, but my thought process is connected these guys.”

Gillespie led nan Flashes pinch 32 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan Safford added 22 points and six rebounds. Cian Medley had 11 points and 10 assists.

“I effort to sprout 100 free throws pinch my shooting coach.” said Gillespie “I conscionable treated it for illustration immoderate different free throw, did my regular and knocked them down.”

Kent State vanished nan nighttime shooting 89.5% (17 of 19) from nan free propulsion line, 54% (36 of 63) from nan field, and 44% (11 of 25) from 3-point range.

The Flashes are now 3-0 successful MAC play and 12-3 overall. Bowling Green is 2-2 and 11-5.

It was a adjacent crippled featuring 22 lead changes and 17 ties, including 45-all astatine halftime. Kent held onto nan lead for 24:03 and its biggest lead was 9 points successful nan 2nd half.

Kent came retired firing aft halftime, scoring nan first 7 points of nan half earlier Bowling Green took a timeout. The Falcons caught nan Flashes pinch 9:55 to play, taking a 67-66 lead connected a Javontae Campbell extremity in. The crippled remained adjacent from there.

Campbell (32 points) and Josiah Shackelford (17 points) led Bowling Green successful scoring.

In their past meeting, nan Flashes defeated Bowling Green 91-84. The Falcons person not made a MAC tourney quality successful 2 years. Kent connected nan different manus is seeking its 2nd consecutive travel to Cleveland.

Kent State will resume MAC play connected Saturday against Central Michigan connected nan road.