Well-traveled Kent State visits Stanford in NIT second round
Kent State (23-11) ventured east to upstate New York and upset St. Bonaventure 75-56 on Tuesday behind balanced scoring and double-doubles by Cli'Ron Hornbeak and Delrecco Gillespie.
The Golden Flashes made a brief stopover at home before grabbing another flight, this one west to Northern California, where the Cardinal (21-13) await after taking their tournament opener 87-70 at home over Cal State Northridge behind strong performances by Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers.
Rebounding from a loss to Miami (Ohio) in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament, Kent State got 11 points and 12 rebounds from Hornbeak and 12 points and 10 rebounds from Gillespie in the win at St. Bonaventure.
As he prepared for a first-ever matchup with Stanford, Golden Flashes coach Rob Senderoff credited his team's positive response to getting a call from the NIT as a driving force in the first-round win.
"It's an honor and a privilege to get invited to play in the NIT," he said. "It's a testament to what our team has accomplished this season. I'm glad our seniors get a chance to play in the postseason and our underclassmen get another chance to play for our seniors."
With an opportunity to advance to the tournament quarterfinals, where a meeting up the road against regional top seed San Francisco is a possibility, Kent State will have to deal with center Raynaud, the nation's best double-double producer with 24 and averages of 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
The All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team performer dominated Cal State Northridge in the opening round, blocking five shots while also finding time for 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Sellers chipped in with 20 points.
Like Senderoff, Stanford coach Kyle Smith assured his team will take great pride in advancing in the longtime popular event, while hoping to also use it as a springboard to an NCAA Tournament appearance in the near future.
"I think it's great," he said of the NIT. "You gotta train your mind and your body to play this time of year. We'll always be playing during finals, which is the case whether you're in the NCAA Tournament or NIT. That's why I was proud of our guys. I said the reason you're here is because you have the capacity to do both, and that's what makes Stanford unique."
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