Oklahoma State University Athletics
Kent State-Oklahoma State Preview
March 12, 2002 | Cowboy Basketball
March 12, 2002
GAME: No. 10 Kent State (27-5) vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State (23-8).
REGIONAL: South, First Round.
TIME: Thursday, 12:20 p.m. EST.
SITE: The BI-LO Center, Greenville, S.C.
Oklahoma State has been inconsistent since winning its first 13 games this season.
Now, with their leading scorer banged up, the Cowboys look to hold off surging Kent State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament's South Regional.
The Cowboys shot just 34 percent and were held to their lowest point total of the season in a 72-51 loss to Texas Tech in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament Friday
"I don't believe I've ever had a ballclub that can play so well, then all of a sudden, within the game itself, go back down into Death Valley and play about as poorly as we can possibly play," Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said.
Maurice Baker and Victor Williams, Oklahoma State's top scorers, were held to a combined seven points on 3 of 17 shooting.
"As hard as it will be to put this loss behind us, we know we're going somewhere (in the NCAA tournament) and we've got to be ready," Williams said.
Baker still seems to be hampered by a high ankle sprain that has bothered him for the past month. Baker is averaging just 2.2 points on 5-for-22 shooting in his last five games, but still leads the team with at 13.3 points.
While Oklahoma State looks to return to its early-season form, Kent State has been peaking for the past two months. The Golden Flashes have won 18 straight, holding opponents to an average of 62.2 points during that span.
Kent State, which won the Mid-American Conference outright as well as the conference tournament, has broken the school record for wins in a season.
"Momentum is an important factor," coach Stan Heath said. "At this time of year you want to be playing your best basketball, and we've been playing at a very strong pace recently."
The Golden Flashes are led by the backcourt of Trevor Huffman and Andrew Mitchell, who could pose major problems for a hindered Baker.
Huffman, who boasts strength and physical play that most MAC guards found difficult to handle, also has a finesse game, making 37 percent of his 3-pointers.
Mitchell is shooting 85 percent from the free-throw line, finishing second in the conference in that category. He is also dangerous from beyond the arc, shooting 38 percent.
The winner will face either No. 2 Alabama or No. 15 Florida Atlantic in the second round on Saturday.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Kent State - F Demetric Shaw (6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg), F Antonio Gates (15.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg), C Nate Gerwig (5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg), G Huffman (16.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), G Mitchell (15.5 ppg, 3.3 apg). Oklahoma State - F Melvin Sanders (8.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg), F Ivan McFarlin (10.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg), C Fredrik Jonzen (12.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg), G Baker (13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), G Williams (13.1 ppg, 4.0 apg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Kent State - Automatic bid, Mid-American Conference champion. Oklahoma State - At-large bid, Big 12 Conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Kent State - 0-1, 1 year. Oklahoma State - 23-20, 21 years.
