Kent State Men's Basketball Hosting Western Michigan Tonight

The Game

The men's basketball team (15-6; 5-3) heads into tonight's 7 p.m. contest with Western Michigan (10-12; 4-4) having won three straight following road wins at Toledo and Central Michigan this past week. 

The Golden Flashes offense continues to shine in Mid-American Conference play where the team is averaging a league-best 75.2 points per game and shooting 49 percent from the field.

The high-powered offense has five players averaging better than 9.5 points per game, led by 13.0 points per game from junior guard Randal Holt and 12.9 points per game from senior forward Justin Greene.

Holt racked up 23 points on 7-10 from the field and 4-5 from three in the win over Central Michigan. He is shooting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc and 86.4 percent from the foul line in league play.

Greene, meanwhile, has nine straight double-digit scoring games and his 15.4 points per game in MAC play scoring average ranks third in the league   

The Kent State defense has been just as solid this season. The 17.0 turnovers forced per game (22nd nationally) by the Golden Flashes this season are the most by the team since 2000 while the 9.0 steals per game (12th nationally) are the most since 1999.

Western Michigan was handed its first home loss of the season to Bowling Green by a final of 72-48 on Wednesday night. The road hasn't been as smooth for the Broncos who are 1-11 away from Kalamazoo. Matt Stainbrook, a 6-9 sophomore center from Bay Village, Ohio, leads the team with 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.

TV/Radio

• www.kentstatesports.com free video stream

• WNIR 100.1 FM (Ty Linder)

Quick Flashes

• Including the MAC Tournament, Kent State has won 27 straight games against MAC West opponents. The last loss was a 56-51 defeat at Toledo on Feb. 2, 2008.

• Kent State is one of only nine teams in the country averaging at least nine steals and forcing 17 turnovers per game.  

• Kent State leads the league averaging 75.2 points per game during MAC play and are also tops in the league during conference play shooting 48.9 percent and handing out 16.4 assists.

• Kent State is averaging 10.5 steals and 25.3 points off turnovers in the last four games.

• During MAC play Michael Porrini is the only player in the league averaging more than 10 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.

• Kent State is 12-2 this season when Randal Holt hits more than one three-pointer in a game.

• The Golden Flashes are shooting 45 percent (27-60) from three in the last three games.  

• Kent State is 9-0 this season when hitting at least 15 free throws in a game

• Kent State and Western Michigan are the only two schools in the MAC with five players averaging more than 9.5 ppg.

Next Up For Kent State

• Kent State travels to Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night. Game time is 7 p.m.

• Kent State will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Elite 8 team on Feb. 18 when the Golden Flashes host a SEARS BracketBuster game. Former Kent State standouts Antonio Gates and others from the team that produced the best record in Mid-American Conference history will be in attendance and honored at halftime.