CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Delrecco Gillespie scored 27 points and Morgan Safford added 24 as Kent State defeated Ohio 86-75 in a Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The top-seeded Golden Flashes (24-8) led 40-38 at halftime before using a 12-4 run early in the second half to create separation. The Bobcats (14-17), led by Aidan Hadaway’s 24 points and Javan Simmons’ 22, kept the deficit in single digits for much of the night but could not close the gap.

Kent State shot 50% from the field and made 22 free throws to seal the win before an announced crowd of 9,123. Cian Medley had 11 points and seven assists for the Flashes, while Jackson Paveletzke had 12 points and seven assists for Ohio.