Kent State-Drexel turned out to be a dandy of a mid-major matchup on Opening Night. But the way it finished was anything less than beautiful.
Chris Fouch was a savior for the Drexel Dragons all night off the bench and without his 24 points, Drexel probably doesn't force overtime. So let's keep that in mind. And it happened right after a positive Drexel play, too. When Fouch drilled a 3-pointer — his sixth of the night — with 19 seconds to go, it tied the game 62-62.
The good feeling lasted for about two seconds.
Fouch didn't seem to know the game was tied, instead thought his team was still trailing and immediately fouled Randal Holt on the inbounds. Both free throws were made, Drexel couldn't match on the other end, and Holt took some more freebies to salt away the game. In a closely-contested match, the difference turned out to be a single mental error.
Chris Evans had a terrific night for the Golden Flashes: 21 points, nine rebounds (four offensive), two blocks and two assists. Holt's final line was 17 points on 13 shots.