by CLEVELAND, Ohio- The fourth and fifth-ranked squads, Central Michigan and Kent State, met up in the quarterfinal round on Thursday afternoon. The winner of the meeting would face eighteenth-ranked Buffalo.
A very back-and-forth first half set the tone for an exciting twenty minutes. The Chippewas held the lead for over the first ten minutes before the Golden Flashes jumped back in and earned a lead with 6:49 remaining. When the buzzer sounded for the halftime break, Central Michigan held an extended lead of 42-34.
Shawn Roundtree had 14 points for Central Michigan while Phillip Whittington posted 15 points for Kent State.
Despite taking a 52-51 lead with 13:28 left in the second half, the Golden Flashes were unable to sustain an advantage that put Central Michigan in any danger of losing the ballgame. The lead was stretched to nineteen points, the largest of the contest.
The Chippewas took the win over Kent State by a final score of 90-79. Larry Austin Jr. put up 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Roundtree added 20 points.
For Kent State, Whittington posted 21 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. The center did a great job of positioning himself around the rim throughout the game, just not nearly enough to help make up for the shortcomings around the rim.
With the victory, Central Michigan will meet Buffalo in a semifinal showdown.
