Buffalo heads to MAC final with 78-61 win over Kent State

Mar 10, 2018, 02:05 am

CLEVELAND -- Jeremy Harris scored 22 points and CJ Massinburg scored 14 and Buffalo beat Kent State 78-61 on Friday and advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title game.

The top-seeded Bulls (25-8) will play Friday night's other semifinal winner between second seed Toledo and No. 3 Eastern Michigan.

Buffalo used a 14-4 run and led 31-17 with just more than four minutes before halftime. Jaylin Walker's 3 as time expired brought Kent State within 39-29. Harris made a pair of 3-pointers as the Bulls went on a 16-9 run for a 17-point lead with 14 1/2 minutes to play and stayed ahead by double digits the rest of the way.

Nick Perkins scored 12 and Dontay Caruthers added 11 points for Buffalo, which shot 31 of 70 (44 percent) from the field and 9 of 19 from 3-point range.

No. 5 seed Kent State (17-17) got 16 points from Jalen Avery, Kevin Zabo scored 14, Walker, 12 and Danny Pippen chipped in 10.