Men's Basketball Southern Conference

College of Charleston Defeats Kent State In NIT First Round

Kent, Ohio (AP)Thomas Mobley scored 20 points, including 12 in the second half, to lead the College of Charleston past Kent State 71-66 Wednesday night in an NIT opening-round game.

The Cougars (25-7) of the Southern Conference will play Providence, a 67-49 winner over Richmond. The date and site have not yet been announced for the CofC-Providence game.

Antonio Gates scored 17 points to lead Kent State (21-10) of the Mid-American Conference.

The Golden Flashes, who went to the NCAA tournament the past two years and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals in 2000, fell to 2-5 in five appearances in the NIT.

The Cougars are 2-2 in three NIT appearances.

Mobley hit three 3-point shots and scored 11 points in a four-minute span to help the Cougars turn a 29-26 halftime deficit into a 47-42 lead with 10:20 to play.

Kent State then turned up its defensive pressure, limiting the Cougars to just one field goal over a 6:42 span.

Tony Mitchell, who scored 18 points, snapped the drought with a 3-pointer. After Kent State misfired at the other end, Mobley hit another from beyond the arc 25 seconds later for a 59-52 lead.

Kent State pulled within 68-66 when Gates made one of two free throws with 20.3 to play.

The Cougars converted 11 of 15 free throws in the final 1:31 to secure the win.

Gates set a single-season school scoring record with a free throw with 5:09 remaining. He finished with 640 points this season.

Junior center John Edwards had 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting.

Mitchell shot 3-for-5 on 3-pointers and scored nine points in the first half for the Cougars.

Both teams had trouble taking care of the ball early. Kent State freshman guard DeAndre Haynes had seven of the Flashes' 13 turnovers in the first half. The Cougars had 11 turnovers in the half.

Haynes finished with eight of Kent State's 19 total turnovers.