Field Level Media
Dec 21, 2018
Jaylin Walker scored 26 points off the bench as Kent State rallied from a double-digit deficit and held off host Oregon State 66-63 in a nonconference game Friday afternoon in Corvallis, Ore.
Jalen Avery added 16 points and Antonio Williams scored 11 for the Golden Flashes (9-2), who improved to 4-1 on the road and bounced back from an 83-70 defeat at Louisville last weekend.
Tres Tinkle scored 20 for the Beavers (7-4), who lost for the first time in five games at Gill Coliseum this season. Kylor Kelley added 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Kelley, the nation's leader with 4.0 blocked shots per game, had five Friday.
Walker made two key plays in the final two minutes after Oregon State had slashed Kent State's 11-point lead down to one.
With 1:49 remaining, Walker made an off-balance jumper as the shot clock expired, putting Kent State up 64-58.
With 12 seconds left and the lead down to 64-63, Walker grabbed an offensive rebound off an Avery miss and was fouled. He converted both free throws for the final margin.
Stephen Thompson Jr., the Beavers' second-leading scorer with 15.4 points per game, was limited to just three on 1-for-16 shooting. He missed all six of his 3-point attempts, including one in the final seconds that would have tied the score.
Oregon State scored the game's first five points and extended to lead to 21-7 with 12:52 remaining in the first half.
But Kent State bounced back to take a 42-33 lead at the half as Walker had 13 points and Avery added 11.
Walker made a 3-pointer with 5:30 left in the half to give Kent State its first lead at 27-26. Tinkle made a layup at the other end as the Beavers regained the lead, but Walker hit another 3-pointer for Kent State.
Atter a 30-all tie, Kent State closed the half with a 12-3 run, capped by Avery's 3-pointer on a fast break with 46 seconds left.
The Golden Flashes shot 52.1 percent in the first half (13 of 24), including 7 of 12 from 3-point range, but were limited to 29.0 percent (9 of 31) in the second half.
--Field Level Media