Kent State might not have been the dominant MAC force of years past this season, but it did continue one important tradition. An NIT selection March 13 sent the Golden Flashes to the postseason for the seventh consecutive season.

The league tournament ended abruptly for Kent State, which lost to Ohio 62-55 in a quarterfinal matchup. But Kent State's body of work locked up its third consecutive NIT bid. The Flashes will travel to Western Kentucky for a first-round matchup on March 16.

"We're excited to get the chance to continue our season and play a team like Western Kentucky in their building," Kent State head coach Jim Christian said. "It is a great opportunity for our program to play in its seventh straight postseason tournament."

After thumping Ohio barely two weeks earlier, Kent State struggled to find its shooting touch in the league tournament rematch. Kent State shot 33.3 percent from the floor and only 25 percent from 3-point range. Only three Flashes players had more than two field goals in the loss.

Kent State's scrappy defense forced 16 Ohio turnovers that converted into 14 points. G Jay Youngblood continued his late-season resurgence with 16 points and seven rebounds.

-- Ohio's MAC tournament quarterfinal victory over Kent State avenged its 2003 semifinal loss to the Flashes. Kent State did not reach the MAC tournament final for the first time in four years.

-- Kent State's 91 points scored in a first-round MAC tournament game against Central Michigan marked its second-highest total in the league tournament.

PROBABLE LINEUP: Point guard DeAndre Haynes, shooting guard Jason Edwin, guard Jay Youngblood, power forward Scott Cutley, center Kevin Warzynski.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Before the year began, I told (coach Jim Christian) that he didn't need to win 20 for this to be considered a success. I really didn't know how well we'd do because we lost so many guys." -- Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy, after the team posted its seventh consecutive 20-win season.

KEYS: Kent State will need strong perimeter shooting to win at Western Kentucky, which is 14-1 at home this season. All five Western Kentucky starters average more than nine points a game, so the Flashes can't make many mistakes on defense. G Jay Youngblood, one of the team's best players as of late, will need another productive offensive performance against the Hilltoppers. Kent State will need more help from its frontline of PF Scott Cutley and C Kevin Warzynski, who combined to shoot 4-for-13 in a MAC tournament quarterfinal loss to Ohio.

ROSTER REPORT: After practically disappearing in Kent State's first-round MAC tournament matchup, junior G Jay Youngblood rallied to lead the team in points (16) and rebounds (7) against Ohio. Youngblood has grabbed seven or more rebounds in four of his last five games.

-- Sophomore G Armon Gates scored a team-high 15 points off the bench in Kent State's first-round MAC tournament win over Central Michigan. Gates buried four 3-pointers and shot 50 percent from the field in just 20 minutes played.

-- F Jason France notched his first collegiate basket with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds against Central Michigan.