MAC TOURNAMENT Flashes, Toledo advance

Kent State beat Ohio 72-59, while the Rockets toppled Akron 77-69.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND -- Kent State didn't need the Mid-American Conference player of the year to get back to tournament final.
With senior guard DeAndre Haynes in foul trouble, the Golden Flashes easily handled defending champion Ohio with a 72-59 win Friday night.
Jay Youngblood and Mike Scott scored 15 points each to help Kent State (24-8) earn its fifth trip to the MAC tourney final in six years.
"This was a game we had to win with depth," Kent State coach Jim Christian said. "The guys who came off the bench made the difference for us."
Haynes was in foul trouble nearly the entire game, drawing two early in the first half, then getting his fourth with 14:57 left.
With Haynes sitting on the bench with a towel around his neck, Kevin Warzynski's 15-foot jumper capped a 13-0 run, giving Kent State a 60-40 lead with 8:59 left.
Freshman Jordan Mincy played like a veteran in Haynes' absence, scoring two points with four assists and just one turnover in 21 minutes.
"I'm so proud of Jordan, sitting there and just watching him be able to step in," Haynes said. "Much love to him."
The last time Kent State reached the final as the top seed in 2002 they went all the way to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.
"It's the best Kent State team since the one that went to the final eight," Ohio coach Tim O'Shea said.
"I'm not sure which team is better."
Toledo 77, Akron 69
CLEVELAND -- Justin Ingram scored 23 points and Toledo stormed back from 13 points down in the second half to advance to the Mid-American Conference championship for the first time since 1996.
The Rockets (20-10) won their only conference tournament title in 1980.
Anton Currie hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:59 left, and Tyrone Kent stole a lazy inbounds pass and went in for a layup 13 seconds later to fuel Toledo's comeback.
Toledo outscored Akron 30-10 over the final 13 minutes.
Florentino Valencia added 18 points for Toledo, which won its seventh straight game and 10th in a row against MAC schools.
Romeo Travis had 14 points and Darryl Peterson 13 to lead Akron (22-9), which was playing in its first semifinal, but didn't show any nerves until the final minutes.