Kent State men’s basketball | Flashes look to rediscover identity after upset MAC loss

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KENT — The last thing the Kent State men’s basketball team needed was a loss. Especially one at home against a Mid-American conference opponent.

Early in the season, KSU was 7-2 and had the conference’s best record by three wins. The Golden Flashes had gone 4-2 — with one loss each in and out of the conference — since that start heading into a game Tuesday against Western Michigan at the M.A.C Center.

KSU then lost 94-83 on its home court to the 3-12 Broncos — the most points the team has allowed this season. The team did not even allow that many points to No. 1 Auburn and No. 4 Alabama earlier in the season.

The Flashes (11-5, 2-2) fell to fifth in the MAC, with both of its two MAC losses coming at home, heading into their game Saturday — also at home — against Miami.

Kent State coach Rob Senderoff encourages his team against Auburn on Nov. 13, 2024, in Auburn, Alabama.

“I am obviously disappointed in how we played tonight,” Flashes coach Rob Senderoff said. “I have to give Western Michigan a lot of credit. They competed at a high level, and we just, for whatever reason, did not guard the way we wanted to. Quite honestly, we did not compete at the level we needed to.”

What have the Flashes been doing wrong in some of these MAC games?

Looking at recent games, Kent State has not played to the identity it had established earlier in the season.

What is the Kent State men’s basketball team’s identity?

Kent State is priding itself on two things: owning the paint on both sides of the floor and rebounding physically.

Over the last five games, the Flashes were able to play to their strengths in the three wins but not in the two losses.

In the team’s first MAC loss of the season, a 75-67 defeat to Ball State, KSU did not defend at a high rate. Ball State shot over 50% on the road and scored 28 points in the paint.

Kent State had only 22 points but shot remarkably worse (35.8%) throughout the game. BSU also outrebounded Kent State by a large margin (39-26).

Simply…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kent-state-mens-basketball-flashes-110354144.html

Author : Akron Beacon Journal

Publish date : 2025-01-19 11:03:00

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