Kent State Advances to MAC Tournament Semifinals

Golden Flashes defeat Ohio Bobcats 86-75 in quarterfinal matchup

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:03am

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The No. 3 seed Kent State Golden Flashes defeated the No. 6 seed Ohio Bobcats 86-75 in the Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament quarterfinals. The Golden Flashes will now face the No. 2 seed Akron in the semifinals on Friday. Kent State led 40-38 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, led by senior forward Delrecco Gillespie's 18 second-half points.

Why it matters

This win marks the fifth consecutive year that Kent State has advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals, as they look to win their first conference tournament title since 2023. The matchup between Kent State and Akron in the semifinals will renew a long-standing rivalry between the two Ohio schools.

The details

Kent State led for most of the game, but Ohio made a late push led by junior forward Javan Simmons and senior guard Jackson Paveletzke. However, the Golden Flashes were able to hold on at the free throw line down the stretch. Kent State had balanced scoring, with all five starters scoring at least 5 points in the first half, while Ohio relied heavily on Simmons and senior guard Adain Hadaway in the first half.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
  • The semifinals matchup between Kent State and Akron will be on Friday, March 14, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The players

Rob Senderoff

Head coach of the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Morgan Safford

Senior guard for the Kent State Golden Flashes who led the team with 24 points.

Delrecco Gillespie

Senior forward for the Kent State Golden Flashes who scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half.

Javan Simmons

Junior forward for the Ohio Bobcats who led the team's comeback effort with 22 points.

Jackson Paveletzke

Senior guard for the Ohio Bobcats who scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.

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What they’re saying

“We came out at the start of the second half and really played the way we need to play, extended the lead and held on there at the end.”

— Rob Senderoff, Head coach, Kent State Golden Flashes (cleveland.com)

“The MAC Tournament's not easy. They're going to make runs a good team. That's why (Ohio's) here.”

— Morgan Safford, Senior guard, Kent State Golden Flashes (cleveland.com)

What’s next

The Kent State Golden Flashes will face the Akron Zips in the MAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, March 14, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The takeaway

Kent State's balanced scoring and ability to protect the ball proved to be the difference, as they held off a late Ohio comeback to advance to the MAC Tournament semifinals for the fifth consecutive year. The matchup with rival Akron in the next round will be a highly anticipated contest.