Kent State uses strong 2nd half to beat Central Michigan

Jan 28, 2018, 12:09 am

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Kevin Zabo had 22 points, Jaylin Walker added 21 and Kent State overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Central Michigan 84-76 on Saturday.

Zabo's 3-pointer with 1:27 left made it 74-67 and Micah Peterson extended the lead to 78-69 on a pair of free throws at 1:01. The Chippewas got within five on Matt Beachler's 3 with 38 seconds left, but the Golden Flashes (11-10, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) made 3 of 4 free throws to hold on for the victory.

Kent State took the lead for good at 61-60 on Adonis De La Rosa's first of a pair of free throws and Walker's 3-pointer with 4:32 left capped a 9-2 run at 69-62. De La Rosa added 14 points.

The Golden Flashes erased most of their 41-32 halftime deficit with an 8-1 run to start the second period and overtook the Chippewas (13-8, 2-6) at 49-47 before the 15-minute mark.

Shawn Roundtree led five in double figures for Central Michigan with 17 points.