BUFFALO — The Bulls will look to keep a pair of streaks alive on Tuesday night when Buffalo hosts Kent State in game two of a three game homestand. The Bulls are looking for their seventh straight win, while they are also in search of their eighth straight victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes dating back to the 2013-14 season. The Bulls are currently in a second place tie in the MAC East at 9-5, while Kent State is two games back at 7-7.
Redshirt sophomore Dontay Caruthers is averaging 14.0 points per game over his last three contests including a career-high 18 points at Bowling Green on Feb. 11. Caruthers, who has been UB’s top stopper on defense, also had a career-high seven assists in the win over Miami (OH) on Saturday afternoon. He leads the Bulls with 50 steals and according to kenpom.com, he is ninth nationally in steal percentage.
Buffalo will begin a stretch Tuesday night where they will play three straight games against teams in the top four in the MAC East. Following the matchup with the Golden Flashes, UB will play two straight games on national television on CBS Sports Network beginning on Friday night when Buffalo hosts MAC-leader, Akron. UB will then go to Athens, OH on Tuesday night to face a Bobcats team they are currently tied with in the standings. All teams are fighting for one of the coveted four spots in the MAC Quarterfinals in Cleveland.
Kent State is 15-12 and 7-7 in MAC play following a huge 70-67 road win at Akron on Friday night, breaking the Zips’ home winning streak, which was the second longest in the nation. Kent State has won two in a row including a 76-72 win over Miami last Tuesday. The Golden Flashes fell to the Bulls at Kent State back on Jan. 17, 82-69.
Kent State is led by senior Jimmy Hall, who is averaging a double-double this season for the Golden Flashes with 18.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Jaylin Walker, who played for UB head coach Nate Oats in high school at Romulus, is second on the team at 14.8 points per game. Deon Edwin completes the double-figure scorers with 13.1 points per game. No other player averages more then 5.8 points per game.
Jimmy Hall led Kent State in the first meeting between the two schools as he had 24 points and 16 rebounds, but Deon Edwards was the only other double-figure scorer with 11 points. UB forced Kent State into 19 turnovers in the contest.
Rob Senderoff enters his sixth year as the head men’s basketball coach at Kent State. The 43-year-old took over the program in April 2011 after spending seven previous years on the Golden Flashes’ coaching staff. Senderoff earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albany in 1995 and a master’s in sports studies from Miami in 1997.
from UBBulls.com via IFTTT
