Kent State rode a dominant first half to defeat Western Michigan 73-66 Thursday night, securing their spot in the Mid-American Conference tournament semifinals.
The Golden Flashes (22-10, 11-7 MAC) built a commanding 43-25 halftime lead and withstood a second-half rally from the Broncos (12-20, 9-9 MAC) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Marquis Barnett led Kent State with 18 points, while Jalen Sullinger and Cian Medley each contributed 13 points. Delrecco Gillespie recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Kent State's defense stifled the Broncos early, holding them to just 25 first-half points. Western Michigan found its rhythm after halftime, outscoring Kent State 41-30 in the second period, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.
The Golden Flashes will face Miami (OH) in Friday's semifinal. The RedHawks defeated Eastern Michigan 81-75 in their quarterfinal matchup.
In other quarterfinal action, Toledo edged Ohio 90-85 in overtime while top-seeded Akron dominated Bowling Green 96-67.
The MAC tournament championship game is scheduled for Saturday, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
