Kent State and Indiana have a rich NCAA history as Kent State’s last NCAA tournament victory dates back to 2002 when they made a surprising run to the Elite Eight before being eliminated by Indiana. In the recent first-round game, Indiana’s star player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, led the Hoosiers to a 71-60 victory over Kent State, scoring 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking five shots, and making five assists. Indiana advanced to the second round of the tournament and will face the Miami Hurricanes in the Midwest Region semifinals. In their only previous encounter, the Hoosiers lost 58-53 to Miami in December 2001. For more updates on the March Madness coverage, you can visit the AP March Madness coverage and the AP NCAA men’s bracket, or follow the AP Top 25 college basketball poll and AP_Top25 on Twitter.
Trayce Jackson-Davis led the fourth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers to a 71-60 victory over Kent State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The All-American player scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked five shots, and made five assists, becoming the first player in NCAA tournament history to achieve these stats. Indiana advanced to the second round of the tournament for the first time since 2016 and will face fifth-seeded Miami in the Midwest Region semifinals. Indiana’s coach, Mike Woodson, credited Jackson-Davis as the team’s focal point in offense, defense, rebounding, and blocking shots.
Indiana’s victory was a relief for their fans, who witnessed Purdue, their in-state Big Ten rival, lose to 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson. The game was played well past midnight in Albany, New York, in front of a mostly Indiana fan audience. Kent State, the Mid-American Conference champs, had won six straight games before the tournament but could not overcome Indiana’s solid defense, shooting only 32% from the field. Sincere Carry scored 15 points to lead the Golden Flashes.
Race Thompson, Indiana’s forward, matched his season-high score of 20 points, shooting 8-of-11, and took advantage of Kent State’s defense focusing on Jackson-Davis. Thompson scored 13 points in the first half while Jackson-Davis contributed ten points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks, including a chase-down block of Jalen Sullinger’s layup in the final seconds of the half.
Jackson-Davis energized the audience in the second half with six consecutive points, starting with a one-handed dunk down the lane, followed by a smooth baseline drive and a spinning layup, bringing the score to 62-50 with 7:39 left in the game. Woodson praised Jackson-Davis for his performance and credited him with making several plays in the game’s closing minutes, securing the Hoosiers’ win.
Kent State and Indiana’s NCAA history
Kent State’s last NCAA tournament victory dates back to 2002 when they made a surprising run to the Elite Eight before being eliminated by Indiana. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers had a quiet night from their star freshman Jalen Hood Schifino, who scored only eight points due to foul trouble.
Indiana’s upcoming game against Miami
Indiana will face the Miami Hurricanes in the Midwest Region semifinals. The Hoosiers have played the Hurricanes once before, losing 58-53 in Miami in December 2001.
For more March Madness coverage and updates, visit AP March Madness coverage and the AP NCAA men’s bracket, or follow the AP Top 25 college basketball poll and AP_Top25 on Twitter.
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