March giveth, but March can taketh away.
Kent State looked like it was going to make the NCAA Tournament after taking a 61-60 lead with six seconds left on a Cli’Ron Hornbeak tip-in, but then something horrible happened.
Believing his team was still down, Julius Rollins intentionally fouled Akron’s Greg Tribble, sending him to the line.
Tribble made both free throws with 4.8 seconds left, and Jalen Sullinger missed a last-second shot for the Golden Flashes.
In a flash, Kent State went from elation to misery, and Akron secured the MAC’s automatic bid.
It’s one of those moments you get when mid-major conferences get only one team into the tournament and everything is on the line.
After the game, Kent State coach Rob Senderoff blamed himself for the team’s loss.
“What a horrible, tough way to lose,” he said. “I feel really, really, badly for our roster with how we lost. As I told the team, I should have called a timeout there. I do not blame Julius. There’s 100 plays in the game and that was just one of them.”
College Basketball reporters took to Twitter after the game to say they felt bad for Rollins.
CBS’ Seth Davis said he was sick for him.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, said his heart breaks for Rollins.
Tribble said he was stunned for a moment when Rollins fouled him.
It ended up working out for us,” he said. “It was surprising, but it was like free points. I’ll take them.”
Tribble finished with only four points in the game but scored the two biggest of the season for Akron thus far.
The win gave the Zips, 24-10 on the season, their second MAC Tournament title in three years and sent the 17-17 Golden Flashes home; no NCAA Tournament bid for them.
