Justin Greene

scores 22 in

win over CMU

In its win over Central Michigan

on Saturday, the Kent State

men’s basketball team proved

it was able to remain calm and

tough in the 68-63 victory.

Kent State coach Geno Ford

said the toughness comes

from one player: senior guard

Chris Singletary, who averages

11.3 points and a team

high 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals

per game.

“We’re a tough team because

(Singletary’s) tough and he

makes everyone else play

tough,” Ford said. “We don’t

get real rattled because he plays

with that stone face and he’s the

biggest, strongest, toughest guy,

so they (the team) just do what

he says.”

Kent State (17-7, 8-2 Mid-

American Conference) was in

trouble in the second half, as the

team was down nine points late

in the game. The second-half deficit

was the first time Kent State

trailed after halftime since Jan. 30

against Western Michigan.

A defensive change and an

offensive run fueled the Flashes’

comeback over the Chippewas

(11-10, 6-3 MAC).

Following Kent State’s seventh-

straight win, the Flashes

stand one game ahead of Akron

and Miami, who both hold a 7-3

MAC record in the East division.

Although Central Michigan suffered

its third MAC loss, the Chippewas

hold a half-game lead over

Ball State in the West division.

“This was not a trip I was

looking forward to making,”

Ford said. “I feel like we stole

one, we got the ski mask on and

we got lucky and we’re running

out of town.

“I don’t think there is any

question that they (Central

Michigan) are the best team on

that side because they’re tough

and they run really good stuff

on offense.”

The Flashes were helped by

the strong leadership of Singletary,

who scored 19 points and a

game-high six rebounds and six

assists, and powered by sophomore

guard Justin Greene’s

game-high 22 points. Eighteen

of Greene’s points were recorded

in the second half.

Kent State was down 48-39

with less than 13 minutes to

play, but Ford changed the manto-

man defense the Flashes were

using to a zone defense.

With the help of a 13-0 run,

which included six points

from Greene, the Flashes took

a 52-48 lead with eight minutes

left in regulation.

“We didn’t have anyone

guarding well one-on-one,”

Ford said. “We caught them a

little off-guard going zone and

they missed some shots.”

The Kent State offense shot

25-for-43 (58.1 percent) from the

field, including 6-for-11 (54.5

percent) from three-point range.

The Flashes, who have now

won 16 straight games against

the MAC West, return to the

M.A.C. Center on Wednesday

to host Ball State, which will be

the last MAC West opponent of

the season.

Contact sports reporter

Cody Erbacher at [email protected].