coach John Groce said. But I felt like it was a decent matchup for us.
Kent State almost erased a 16-point halftime deficit in the first 10 minutes of the second half. After shooting 25 percent in the opening half and falling behind 40-24, the Flashes outscored Ohio 22-10 in the first 10 minutes of the second to pull within 50-46.
The Bobcats turned to Bassett for an answer. He broke through Kent State's attacking defense and drove to the basket relentlessly, scoring the team's next 12 points.
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CLEVELAND - The disappointment and shock in the faces of Kent State fans told the whole story.
The Bobcats led for most of the game, held off two second-half runs by Kent State and stunned the top-seed Flashes, 81-64, in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament in the Quicken Loans Arena last night.
Armon Bassett took the game into his own hands - much like a certain player who regularly plays at The Q - when Kent State tried to come back in the second half.
The junior scored a career-high 38 points, including 20 after halftime. He added seven assists and went a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line.
Obviously I'm not going to say I knew he was going to get 38
coach John Groce said. But I felt like it was a decent matchup for us.
Kent State almost erased a 16-point halftime deficit in the first 10 minutes of the second half. After shooting 25 percent in the opening half and falling behind 40-24, the Flashes outscored Ohio 22-10 in the first 10 minutes of the second to pull within 50-46.
The Bobcats turned to Bassett for an answer. He broke through Kent State's attacking defense and drove to the basket relentlessly, scoring the team's next 12 points.
Bassett's run helped Ohio re-extend its lead to 62-50.
They like to get up into you
and that plays to my advantage
Basset said.
The Flashes did not go away. They took advantage of Ohio's inability to hold onto the ball and closed back within six. But the Bobcats answered again with a 12-0 run capped by Bassett passing to DeVaughn Washington for a thunderous dunk and a 74-60 advantage.
Our guys showed great poise
Groce said. I'm really proud of them.
The Bobcats advance to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament tonight. They are one game away from the tournament final, in which the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Our confidence level has skyrocketed
Washington said.
Despite being the ninth-seeded team in the tournament, Bassett said he liked Ohio's chances against Kent State - a team that beat Ohio twice already this season.
We expected to win
Bassett said. At the same time
we have a lot of respect for (Kent State).
Washington added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats. He shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the field.
The Bobcats made all the hustle plays in the first half. Every loose ball seemed to go the Bobcats' way. On two consecutive plays at the end of the half, Tommy Freeman forced a jump ball, tying up the ball.
The crowd consisted of mostly Kent State fans, with its campus about 30 miles south of Cleveland. But Ohio silenced it quickly with an offensive attack that broke down the Flashes' defense.
Freshman D.J. Cooper left the floor at 16:56 with two fouls in the first half. He played just three minutes in the half and 21 in the game. But the Bobcats made up for Cooper's absence by hitting four 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game en route to a 16-10 advantage.
