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Second-half surge is key as KSU hangs on to halt five-game losing streak
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
KENT: Monday night's basketball game at the M.A.C. Center was just what the doctor ordered for Kent State.
The prescription: an 82-74 win over visiting Youngstown State that finally put to rest the Golden Flashes' five-game losing streak.
It wasn't pretty and it took a half for the Flashes to get themselves in sync. And KSU found itself in trouble late in the game after nearly squandering a 21-point lead down the stretch.
But the point is that the Flashes won. And more important, the streak is done.
After a much-needed nine-day respite to work on defense, defense and more defense in practice, KSU (4-5) held on and finished a game with players and coaches smiling for the first time in weeks.
''For the whole week all we did was defense in practice,'' KSU coach Geno Ford said. ''I feared we wouldn't look very good on offense for two reasons. One, anytime you have a long break, you lose your rhythm and timing. Two, we have not shot the ball well.''
The Penguins, who also played for the first time since Dec. 6, fell to 1-7 with the loss, extending their losing streak to five games.
A steal and layup at the first-half buzzer by junior guard Kelvin Bright gave YSU a 31-29 halftime lead.
It was a sluggish first half for the Flashes in which they committed 10 of their 15 turnovers. Half of those early miscues were made by KSU junior guard Chris Singletary,
who had as many turnovers (five) as points in the first half.
''Chris was a little frustrated by some early calls,'' Ford said of Singletary, who finished with 14 points, one of three Flashes scoring in double figures.
Singletary helped the Flashes take control in the second half with a 16-0 run which was part of a 24-2 spurt and included seven consecutive YSU turnovers.
But the Penguins still made it close late in the game thanks to sophomore guard Vance Cooksey, who poured in 12 points in the last 5:26 of the game. Cooksey finished with a game-high 24 points.
''I really felt that after a couple foul shots, after a couple steals, after a couple baskets we were going to get hyped, get above them and get right back into the game,'' Cooksey said.
But Cooksey failed to take advantage of a personal foul and technical foul on KSU's Jordan Mincy with 2:36 to go. He made just one of four free throws to seal YSU's fate.
Senior guard Al Fisher led the Flashes with 20 points and junior forward Anthony Simpson added 11. It wasn't Kent State's greatest offensive showing, but it was an improvement.
''We're going to get everything together soon,'' Simpson said. ''We got places to be and things to do.''
Notebook
Forward Antonio DiMaria has left the team in an effort to transfer to a junior college in Kansas. After redshirting last season, DiMaria, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound freshman from Pittsburgh, still found playing time hard to come by this year with five others competing for time at his position.
• The much-anticipated debut of junior transfer Tyree Evans is expected to come in Kent State's next game Thursday against UNC-Greensboro after grades are posted Wednesday. The much-traveled guard joined the team and began taking classes during the summer, but had to sit out the start of the basketball season in accordance to NCAA transfer rules.
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: Monday night's basketball game at the M.A.C. Center was just what the doctor ordered for Kent State.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:45 AM, 12/16/2008
Thank you for the update on Evans. I have not been able to find that anywhere!
