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Senior forward rallies crowd, sinks free throws late in game for victory
By Stephanie Storm Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Nov 16, 2007
KENT: Kent State coach Jim Christian has made it clear he won't build a team around one player.
Christian doesn't even like to rely on two or three standouts, preferring to take his chances with a different hero every game if that's what it takes to get the Golden Flashes to play as a team.
''We win with numbers here,'' Christian has said. ''It's not about any one individual.''
But one thing Christian doesn't mind is when a leader emerges from the group — a player who's willing to take the blame, jump-start a rally and even, when necessary, change the mood.
That's what Mike Scott has turned into this season. The Flashes' goofy, 6-foot-7, 190-pound jumping jack of a senior forward has a way of making those around him feel as if they couldn't possibly be having any more fun than him on the court.
In the final action-packed minutes of Kent State's 77-71 victory over the Hampton Pirates on Thursday, Scott led as much by his play as he did with his emotions — alleviating the tension of a game that saw the visiting Pirates draw to within six points with 1:50 to go.
After making two clutch free throws with 36.7 seconds left, Scott was fouled on KSU's next possession. Before taking his place at the free-throw line, he sprinted up the court with an infectious grin, thrusting his long, thin arms into the air in an effort to get the 3,455 spectators at the M.A.C. Center whipped into a frenzy.
''Last year, a lot of times in close games late, we'd let them slip away,'' said Scott, who left the game for five minutes in the second half after an elbow to the face required a handful of stitches. ''I just knew it wasn't time for that to happen. So I was trying to keep everybody aggressive and in tune with the game and let them know this was a big game we couldn't let slip away.''
After taking a 30-19 lead at halftime, the Flashes (1-1) went ahead by 16 points with 4:37 to go before that began to happen.
''This was an excellent basketball team we played, as big and athletic as we'll face probably all year and already battle-tested,'' Christian said. ''The whole thing right now is to develop the right mind-set. And tonight we battled and played as hard as we've played since I've been here.''
Junior forward Rashad Woods and sophomore guard Mike McKee each scored a team-high 16 points and combined to make seven 3-pointers. Scott followed with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.
''Mike's one of those guys who gets it,'' Christian said. ''You make points to him on film, and he puts it into play. . . . He's a fun-loving kid who enjoys playing. It's fun being around people like that.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: Kent State coach Jim Christian has made it clear he won't build a team around one player.
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