A jumper in the paint from senior center Jonnivius Smith tied the game at 27 with 4:40 to go in the first half, keeping UB (4-24, 2-13 MAC) in the game.
In the following 4:40, the Bulls coughed up a 12-0 run and turned the ball over five times in that span. UB gave up 22 points off turnovers and turned the ball over a total of 18 times, allowing Kent State (14-14, 7-8 MAC) to score 12 points in transition.
It was the first time in a loss this season that the Bulls shot better than their opponent from the field and the three-point line. UB shot 46% from the field on 50 attempts and a season-high 46.2% from three, topping Kent State’s 45.5% from the field and 40% clip from beyond the arc. The defeat also marked the first time this season that UB shot better than 40% from the three-point line against a D-1 opponent.
Senior forward Isaiah Adams led the team with 19 points, making three of his four three-point attempts. Smith, the other Bull in double figures, had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes. Freshman guard Anquan Boldin Jr. returned from a six-game absence, coming off the bench to play 9:21 of game time.
UB controlled the game in the opening 10 minutes, leading 21-16 on a three-pointer from freshman point guard Ryan Sabol. Kent State battled back to take a 1-point lead, but Sabol hit another three to restore the lead. From there, everything went astray for the Bulls as they gave up the 12-0 run that decided the game.
It was the 23rd time this season that the team has allowed an opponent to go on at least a 10-0 run, according to EvanMiya. UB is one of just 16 teams in the country that have let a 10-0 run happen that many times.
The Bulls kept pace with Kent State in the second half, but by then it was too late. Kent State led by as many as 23 points, and UB never got closer than 10 points as the team went on to lose.
The Bulls will next face the Toledo Rockets (17-11, 11-4 MAC) at home on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., and the first 200 fans will receive a New Era hat. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Henry Daley is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at henry.daley@ubspectrum.com
Henry Daley is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. His work has featured on other platforms such as Medium and Last Word on Sports. Outside of the newspaper, he enjoys running and watching sports (when he’s not writing about them).
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
