Kent State routs North Carolina Central

November 18, 2008 at 12:02a.m.

No. 6 Pittsburgh cruised past Miami; Xavier defeated Toledo.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KENT — Al Fisher scored 15 points to lead five Kent State players in double digits Monday night as the Golden Flashes beat North Carolina Central 83-42 in the first round of the South Padre Island Invitational.

Chris Singletary had 12 points, while Rashad Woods came off the bench to score 11 for Kent (1-0). Brandon Parks added 10, and Anthony Simpson had another 10 from the bench. Fisher had eight rebounds.

Vincent Davis, was the only Eagles player in double digits. Stevy Worah-Ozimo had a game high 11 rebounds for NCCU (0-2).

Kent State scored 34 of its points on 29 turnovers, more than three times NCCU’s 11 points off turnovers.

The Flashes held the lead from the start of the game, pulling ahead 13-0 by the 16:26 mark and heading into halftime up 40-17.

It was Kent’s first game with head coach Geno Ford, who took over this spring after Jim Christian left for Texas Christian.

No. 6 Pittsburgh 82, Miami (Ohio) 53.

PITTSBURGH — Jermaine Dixon hit two 3-pointers while scoring nine points during Pittsburgh’s 16-2 run to start the second half.

Levance Fields had 12 points and a career-high 12 assists and Sam Young and Dixon scored 14 points each for Pittsburgh (2-0).

Xavier 81, Toledo 65

CINCINNATI — B.J. Raymond scored 18 points, hitting all four of his shots from behind the extended 3-point arc, and Xavier’s young lineup made a dozen early turnovers before settling down.

Xavier (2-0) led by as many as 23 before Tyrone Kent led a Rockets rally in the closing minutes. Kent, who led the MAC in scoring last season, had a career-high 37 points, going 11-for-20 from the field.