KENT, Ohio -- Kevin Zabo had 19 points, including a layup as time expired, and Jalen Avery scored eight of his 13 points in the final seven-plus minutes to help Kent State slip past Northern Illinois 61-59 on Monday night in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Adonis De La Rosa scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Danny Pippen had eight points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Kent State. The fifth-seeded Golden Flashes (16-16) will play No. 4 seed Ball State in the quarterfinals on Thursday.