USU wins big over Kent State in Gossner finale

KENT STATE 62  UTAH STATE  81

– Kyisean Reed scored 27 points on 12-of-13 shooting to lead Utah State past Kent State 81-62 Thursday night.

Preston Medlin also scored 20 and was 6-of-8 from the field for the Aggies (8-5) while Morgan Grim scored 14 and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. The point total was a high on the season for USU and came on the final night of the three-day Athletes in Action Holiday Classic, hosted by Utah State.

Mark Henniger led Kent State with a career-high 11 points. No other players scored in double-figures for the Golden Flashes (8-3).

Kent State came into the game shooting 44 percent from the field but fell to 34 percent against the Aggies and also shot only 7-of-14 from the free-thow line. USU shot 30-of-53 and 16-of-19 from the line. 

As USU extended the lead early in the second half, Kent State tried to slow the Aggies with a full-court pressure defense. USU was able to often break the press and get points in the paint, 22 in the second half. USU had a season-high 23 assists in the game, Brockeith Pane getting eight.

USU led by 59-30 with 10:01 to play.

The Golden Flashes were cold from the field in the first half, missing eight of their first 10 attempts. After bursting out to a 10-2 lead, USU was up 29-17 with five minutes to play, sparked by 12 points from Kyisean Reed, including a pair of dunks. 

Kent State was 0-for-9 from the 3-point line in the first half and only 29 percent from the field overall. USU, meanwhile, was 14-of-18 from field and had 14 points in the paint and led 35-21 at halftime.