Men’s basketball hosts Cleveland State

After a comeback victory against Youngstown State, the Kent State men’s basketball team takes on the Cleveland State Vikings at 7 p.m. tomorrow night in the M.A.C. Center.

Senior guard Jay Youngblood led the team in scoring against the Penguins with 21 points to seal the second win in a row for the Flashes (3-2). Seniors Kevin Warzynski and DeAndre Haynes each contributed 15 points, followed by junior Omni Smith who recorded a career-high of 13 points.

The Vikings (2-2) also are coming off a two-game winning streak against Rochester College and Central Michigan. The Vikings beat the Chippewas 56-43 on Wednesday. Cleveland State’s defense has limited its opponents to a .314 shooting percentage from the field. The Vikings have also only allowed 43 points in each of their past two games.

Junior forward Raheem Moss leads the Vikings in scoring, averaging 10.5 points a game.

Viking’s forward J’Nathan Bullock is a standout freshman and a new addition to their starting lineup. He has scored at least 10 points in two games this year and ranks eighth in the Horizon League averaging 2.5 offensive rebounds a game.

Cleveland State is led by third year coach Mike Garland, whose overall record is 13-42. The Vikings posted an overall record of 9-17 last season.

This will be the 40th meeting between the two teams, the Flashes lead the series 24-15. Kent State narrowly beat Cleveland State 71-68 at their last meeting in 2001.

– Sean Joseph