# Suder’s 23 points lead second-seeded Miami (OH) past third-seeded Kent State, 72-64 in MAC semifinals

*   By AP Staff
*   Updated: 9:36 PM CDT, March 14, 2025
*   Brought to you by AP

  
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Suder scored 23 points in the second quarter, and Kent State fell back to 64-72 in the third. Miami coach Adreese Khasanovic said his team is “still in the region.”

The RedHawks (25-7) scored two and missed two shots in the fourth quarter, and fell behind 13-11 at the half. They led 36-33 in the third quarter before Khasanovic scored 11 in the last three minutes to lead Miami 45-42.

Kent State coach Joe Hickey said his team was “disappointing” early in the game and had to "get back into the game and get that momentum up."

The RedHawks have a chance to advance to the East Coast Conference Final on Sunday, March 16, when they face Kent State at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The team has not won a league game since the 2020 Big East Conference championship and last won the East Coast Conference in 2018. They also loss to the Gators in 2021 and the Bulls in 2024.

Suder and Brent Kessler both had 17 points for Miami, while Kent State had two more points in Matt Edwards and Noah Gladson. The RedHawks held Kent State to just 17 points in the first six minutes, with Suder winning The Freshman of the Year Award this season.

Suder shot 15-of-25 from the field, shooting 2-of-3 from three-point range and 3-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also shot 10-of-20 from the game's first 50 minutes.

Kent State shot 19-of-28 from the field, shooting 1-of-5 from three-point range and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line. They had 17 points in the first six minutes, and lost five more points in the last 30 minutes than they led by the half.

Kessler had 19 points for Kent State. He went 2-of-5 from the field, shooting 1-of-2 from three-point range and 1-of-10 from the free-throw line.

The RedHawks are now 13 games behind their closest postseason competitor, the Gators, as they begin a six-game stretch against Alabama and Florida State. They've lost six of their last seven home games in MAC semifinals.

The RedHawks ranked 15th in the Southeastern Conference this year and are 17-12 against SEC opponents this season. If they advance to the East Coast Conference Final, they would mark their first conference title since 2012.
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