Kent State men’s basketball traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands and dominated on its way to victory in an opening-round 100-62 win over Hampton (1-3).

“It was a great game for us — guys shot the ball well, passed the ball well,” coach Rob Senderoff said. “We defended really well in the second half but still a lot ahead of us.”

This is the second time this season the Flashes have scored 100 or more points.

Graduate student Chris Payton led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds – his second 20-point game of the season.

The bench also stepped up for the Flashes (3-1), as six bench players scored 38 points on the night.

“We are still trying to develop our bench, so to see a lot of guys step up and play well is important for us,” Senderoff said.

The Flashes jumped out to an early lead behind rebounding and defense. 

Kent State outrebounded the Pirates 19-10 and went 7-3 on offensive rebounds in the first half. 

The Flashes shot 58% from the field and 45% from three to build a 55-36 lead at halftime. 

Kent State continued its streak in the second half, dominating the paint behind its forwards. 

Junior center Cli’ron Hornbeak added 10 points and seven rebounds to follow Payton.

The Flashes scored 38 points in the paint compared to the Pirates 14. 

KSU has now scored 38 or more points in the paint in three of its four games. 

Junior guard Jalen Sullinger continued his scoring efforts on the year with 14 points.

In a semifinal matchup, Kent State will play Missouri State (2-1) Sunday.

The Bears have not allowed an opponent to score over 69 points in a game. So far, the Flashes average 91 points a contest. 

The last time these two teams faced off was 2003. All-time, the two programs have only played twice – KSU is 2-0. 

Tip-off is at 9 p.m.

“The way we played, it would be great to play again,” Senderoff said. “It’s really about getting refocused and getting ourselves back to what we need to do for whoever we play next.”

Matthew Franos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected]