A stunned home crowd at John F. Savage Arena fell silent as graduate guard Morgan Safford converted a clutch-and-one circus shot while falling to the ground for the Kent State men’s basketball team as they completed a come-from-behind 75-72 victory against the Toledo Rockets.
With nine minutes remaining in Tuesday’s contest, the Flashes trailed by 17 points, which looked to be another disappointing loss following KSU’s blowout defeat against Akron on Friday. However, a 29-9 run flipped the script.
“Great comeback win for our guys,” coach Rob Senderoff said. “Showed a lot of resilience and competitive spirit.”
Following the nerve-racking win, KSU improves to 17-6 (8-3) and has now swept the season series against the Rockets.
In most basketball games, if a team leads for over 90% of game time, they are expected to win. That was not the case for the Rockets, whose offense went cold at the wrong time.
Throughout the first half, KSU was continually a step behind as the Rockets shot well from the field at a 48.4% clip.
Despite a hot start from Delrecco Gillespie, the Flashes found themselves trailing. Gillespie started the night scoring eight of KSU’s first 10 points on just four shots.
Lack of scoring has been an issue that has plagued the Flashes over the previous few games and was the main reason for their loss against Akron. KSU shot just 1-for-23 from beyond the 3-point line in that meeting.
Tuesday’s contest seemed doomed to be more of the same, as the Flashes missed their first four 3-pointers and shot a less-than-ideal 2-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Redshirt sophomore guard Rayvon Griffith hit one of the Flashes’ threes in the first, finishing the night with a solid 11 points and eight rebounds. Gillespie and Griffith were the only KSU players to score more than two points in the first half, combining for 21 of their team’s 29 first-half points.
Scoring woes from the rest of the Flashes roster kept them behind for most of the first half, playing from behind for over 11 minutes and heading into the locker room trailing 29-36
Over 10 minutes into the second half, another underwhelming performance seemed inevitable as freshman guard Leroy Blyden Jr. made a pair of free throws to extend the Rockets’ lead to 63-46, their largest of the night.
Still, KSU continued to fight, and slowly the momentum on the court shifted. The comeback was not fueled by a quick flurry of points but physical defensive stands and timely scoring.
“We made a couple shots, and we guarded at a really high level,” Senderoff said. “We just stuck together.”
Four minutes elapsed during the 13-2 Flashes run that brought the score to 59-65, and it was capped by an incredible spin move by Gillespie that led to a thunderous dunk. As the senior flexed, the air seemed to be sucked out of the stadium, and a Flashes win felt possible for the first time all night.
Following Safford’s heroic and-one to tie the matchup, Cian Medley confidently stepped into a deep 3-pointer to give KSU its first lead since early in the first half at 72-69.
The Rockets did have opportunities in the final moments to retake control of the lead, including a missed layup with 22 seconds remaining down by one, but could not convert.
“Plays happen all the time that can make or break a game,” Senderoff said. “We sprinted back and made a hustle play on the ball.”
Key Stats
After missing the previous two matchups with an injury, Rob Whaley Jr. returned to action against the Rockets. Whaley Jr. did not have a night to remember, finishing with just two points on 1-for-8 shooting. However, his return means more than just one off-night.
“We need everybody to contribute,” Senderoff said. “Getting Rob back will certainly help.”
Safford’s clutch moments were not limited to his and-one, as he stepped up with a big 3-pointer and a pair of clutch free throws late in the night.
The guard finished with 13 points in the win and has become a leader for the Flashes this season.
“Morgan was sick and hadn’t practiced the last couple of days,” Senderoff said. “Proud of him to be able to make some big plays in critical moments.”
What’s Next
For the first time in over a month, the Flashes will face a non-conference opponent as they head to Hattiesburg, Miss. to take on the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 12-12 (6-6) on Saturday.
While the Golden Eagles’ record is currently .500 overall, they are an impressive 7-2 at home this season. Meanwhile, KSU has had its share of road struggles this season, amassing four of its six losses away from home.
The Eagles dominance at home mixed with the Flashes’ road woes could make for an interesting combination in a matchup in which KSU will be favored to win.
Josh Szeremet is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
