KENT – Sincere Carry scored 23 points to lead Kent State to an 82-75 victory against Ohio on Tuesday night at the MAC Center.

The Bobcats led by double digits early in the second half before the Golden Flashes turned the game down the stretch and remained undefeated at home. They shot 60.7% after halftime.

Jaylin Hunter led balanced Ohio (17-13, 9-8 Mid-American Conference) with 14 points. Miles Brown and AJ Clayton had 11 points each.

The Bobcats’ biggest lead came with 15:45 remaining on a Dwight Wilson layup that made it 50-40, capping a 9-0 run. The Golden Flashes (24-6, 14-3 MAC) got back in it quickly, taking a 54-53 lead on a Malique Jacobs jumper at the 12:13 mark.

Ohio’s final lead came when Clayton made three free throws to make the score 64-63 with 7:36 left. A Chris Payton three-point play put Kent State back on top. The Golden Flashes gradually added to their lead, as the Bobcats went cold in the final minutes.

Kent State had a quick start in addition to the strong finishing, going up 11-2 in the first five minutes. Ohio used a 9-0 lead, capped by a Clayton 3-pointer, to take a 31-25 lead, and after Kent State got within a point, Clayton connected from long range again to make it 39-35 at halftime.

Ben Roderick and DeVon Baker had nine points each, while AJ Brown scored eight points and Wilson seven. Wilson added eight rebounds. Elmore James had six points and three steals.

Jacobs and Chris Payton scored 15 points each for Kent State. Payton had a game-high nine rebounds, while Jacobs had five assists. Carry had three steals.

With one game left in the regular season, the Bobcats are in fifth place in the MAC, one game ahead of Buffalo and Northern Illinois.

Ohio closes out the regular season by hosting Bowling Green at 8 p.m. Friday on CBS Sports Network.