KENT, Ohio (Interstat) — The Kent State Golden Flashes will look to bounce back from a high-scoring, season-opening loss when they host the Cornell Big Red in a nonconference men’s basketball game Friday.

The game at Memorial Athletics Center tips off the 2025-26 season for Cornell.

Kent State (0-1) is coming off a 103-97 overtime defeat to Troy on Monday. The Golden Flashes’ defense will be tested again against a Cornell team that last played in the Ivy League postseason.

In the loss to Troy, Kent State was led by a trio of high-scoring performers. Delrecco Gillespie scored 22 points and added three blocks, while Morgan Safford and Rob Whaley Jr. each chipped in 21 points.

Cornell’s most recent contest was its 2024-25 season finale, a 90-84 loss at Yale last March. The Big Red will begin a challenging stretch of 10 consecutive road games with this contest against the Golden Flashes.

Following Friday’s game, Kent State remains at home to face UNC Wilmington on Monday. Cornell continues its road trip with a game at Illinois State on Sunday.