Initially, it seemed as if the ending of Kent State’s final game in the Gulf Coast Showcase would mirror that of its previous two contests. Against the University of South Dakota and George Mason University, the Flashes held the lead with under one minute remaining. But in each of those games, they were unable to secure the win.
And after Wofford College’s Eric Garcia hit an off-balance three-pointer with 42 seconds left, the storyline was shaping to be the same.
But it wasn’t, thanks to Flashes' sophomore Jalen Avery’s clutch free throws.
Avery, who missed a crucial one-and-one opportunity against George Mason, drained both shots from the charity stripe with 27 seconds left.