DEKALB, Ill. -- Jimmy Hall had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Jalen Avery and Kevin Zabo each added 16 points as Kent State held off Northern Illinois 73-66 on Tuesday night after 15 lead changes.
Avery scored with 24 seconds remaining and Hall followed with a block on Marshawn Wilson's shot to preserve the final score. Kent State (11-9, 3-4 Mid-American) took the lead on a Hall layup with 16:07 remaining and held on, though it mostly stayed a one-possession game.
Avery gave the Golden Flashes breathing room, 68-64, with a 3-pointer with just over three minutes to play and scored Kent State's last eight points.