Thursday, December 19, 2002
Kent State (6-0) extended the nation's longest Division-I winning streak in the regular season to 21 wins.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Antonio Gates scored 26 points to lead Kent State to a 89-84 victory over Middle Tennessee Wednesday night.
With 1:05 to play, Chattanooga (6-2) cut the Golden Flashes lead to 82-79 with a rebound and layup by Ashley Champion. Kent State (6-0) made five of its next seven free throws to hold off any comeback attempt.
Kent State's Anthony Wilkins had 19 points and Eric Haut added 16. Champion scored 21 points for the Mocs. Ray Trowell added 20 and Tim Parker 17.
Kent State has the nation's longest Division-I winning streak during the regular season with 21 wins.
Cent. Michigan 74, Bradley 71
PEORIA, Ill. -- J.R. Wallace had 23 points and Chris Kaman added 15 points and 16 rebounds as Central Michigan held off a second-half rally by Bradley. Central Michigan (6-1) led by 10 at halftime, but Bradley got back into the game behind James Gillingham's 23 second-half points to take a 59-58 lead with 7:59 remaining. The Chippewas regained the lead for good moments later when Kevin Nelson made a driving layup to make it 62-60. Nelson finished with 11 points, and Kaman added five blocks for Central Michigan. Gillingham had a career-high 25 points for Bradley (2-5).
IUPUI 90, Cleveland St. 74
CLEVELAND -- Chris Sanders scored 28 points and Odell Bradley had 21 points to lead IUPUI (4-6), which had five players in double figures. Josh Mullins had 16 points, Antoine Lewis scored 13 and Matt Crenshaw had 10 points and nine assists. Jermaine Robinson led Cleveland State (4-6) with 18 points.
Wright St. 75, E. Kentucky 61
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Seth Doliboa matched a career-high with 28 points to lead Wright State in the third-place game of the Billy Minardi Classic. Vernard Hollins added 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Raiders (6-3), who went 26-of-54 from the field (48 percent) and 10-of-22 from 3-point range (46 percent). Shawn Fields scored 18 points but only five in the second half, to lead the Colonels (5-3), who have lost two straight after their best start since 1949.
Purdue 78, Belmont 61
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Brett Buscher scored 15 points and Chris Booker added 14 as Purdue beat Belmont in Gene Keady's 700th game as the Boilermakers coach. Willie Deane scored 12 and Kilgore 10 for Purdue (5-2). Adam Mark led Belmont (3-5) with 14 points and Adam Sonn added 12.
Northwestern 66, Elon 51
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Aaron Jennings had 17 points and Winston Blake added 13 for Northwestern (5-2). Northwestern forced Elon (4-2) into 22 turnovers. T.J. Parker had 10 points for the Wildcats. Steve Harvin and Gary Marsh both had nine points to lead the Phoenix.
No. 16 Mississippi St. 78,Georgia St. 54
JACKSON, Miss. -- Mario Austin had 24 points and 10 rebounds as Mississippi State won its seventh straight. Timmy Bowers scored 11 points and Derrick Zimmerman had 10 assists for the Bulldogs (7-1), who held Georgia State scoreless for more than seven minutes in the second half. Cedric Patton had 21 points for Georgia State.