ROB MAADDI
Associated Press Writer
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) (Mar. 20) -- Kyrem Massey scored 17 points and
Demetric Shaw added 12, eight straight in a clinching second-half run,
as Kent defeated
Villanova 81-67 on March 20 to advance to the third round of the NIT.
Gary Buchanan led Villanova with 20 points and Jermaine Medley had 11.
John Whorton added 15 for Kent and Andrew Mitchell had 14.
After trailing the entire game, Villanova got within three points for
the first time since the opening minute. A steal by Buchanan and layup
by Brooks Sales made the
score 52-49 with 13:10 left in the game.
But Kent (23-7) pulled away with a 10-2 spurt minutes later. Shaw
scored six straight points to give Kent its biggest lead of the second
half, 65-53, with 9:50 left
in the game. Shaw nailed a 3-pointer from the wing and sank a free
throw to complete a 4-point play.
After Villanova cut it to 65-57, Shaw put back a miss to give Kent a
10-point lead with 5:06 left. Villanova (20-13) never got within single
digits the rest of the
game.
The Wildcats' two senior starters, Malik Allen and Brian Lynch,
combined for 11 points on 5-for-18 shooting. Allen, Villanova's leading
scorer at 14.3 points per
game, was 4-of-10 for nine points. Lynch was 1-of-8 for two points.
Kent took control early by pressing Villanova, leading to six straight
turnovers and a 12-0 lead. Villanova, which committed four turnovers
before finally getting the
ball across halfcourt, took its first shot 2:27 into the game.
But after its seventh turnover led to a 14-2 deficit, Villanova went on
a 14-6 run. Buchanan scored eight straight points at one point for the
Wildcats, including
consecutive 3-pointers.
Buchanan had 14 points in the first half and finished 7-of-13,
including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Mitchell, who averages 9.6 points
per game, had 12 in the first
half.
Massey was 8-of-12 and Whorton was 7-of-8 as Kent shot 58 percent
(33-of-57).
The teams combined for 35 turnovers, including 23 in the first half.
Villanova had 18.
Massey made a spectacular defensive play after Buchanan stole the ball,
drove the length of the court, and went up for a layup that would have
cut the deficit to six
with 8:00 left to play. Massey trailed Buchanan the entire way, leaped
behind him and swatted the shot to a trailing teammate.