KENT: In early March, Kent State coach Rob Senderoff watched his team shoot around at the end of practice.
The Golden Flashes were just a day away from a game against rival Akron — a preview, as it turned out, of the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game. The Flashes were riding a five-game win streak and were in contention for the second overall seed in the conference tournament.
“Regardless of what happens, our guys can be proud of their effort,” Senderoff said at the time.
The Zips won 66-56 the next evening, but the Flashes — who ended up the sixth seed — rolled through the MAC tournament, beating No.