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KENT, Ohio -- Junior guard Mike Laster (Detroit, Mich.) matched his career high with 16 points off of the bench, but the Ohio men's basketball team (18-9, 10-6 MAC) saw its four-game winning streak snapped in a 70-67 setback to Mid-American Conference East Division rival Kent State (17-12, 9-7 MAC) on Saturday (Feb. 25) at the M.A.C. Center.

The Bobcats held a 35-27 halftime lead and led by as many as 13 in the second half, but the Golden Flashes outscored Ohio by a 17-7 count over the final 5:46.

"I thought we tried to score too much off of the dribble and not enough off of the pass," said third-year head coach Saul Phillips. "When we're sharing the ball, we're at our best. It wasn't one guy; it was a team. I thought we were impatient at times and credit to them. They sped us up a little bit. At the same time, we need to do better."

Saturday's loss put a halt to a three-game road conference winning streak for Ohio. The Bobcats wrapped up the road portion of their 2017 MAC schedule with a record of 6-3.

"We certainly had our chances," said Phillips. "Even on the last play, We had our chances. Listen, we haven't used the road as an excuse, and we aren't going to start tonight. We've had a good season on the road. Certainly this happens to teams all the time on the road."

Laster shot 7-of-8 from the field and sank a pair of three-pointers to lead Ohio's offense. Twelve of his points came in the opening 20 minutes of play. He has reached double figures in points in each of the last five games. Laster also hauled in three rebounds over 19 minutes of work.

Redshirt junior guard Jaaron Simmons (Dayton, Ohio) logged 15 points, a game-high seven assists, two rebounds and a steal while playing all 40 minutes.

Redshirt senior forward Kenny Kaminski (Medina, Ohio) contributed 11 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in 33 minutes.

Freshman forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) nearly achieved a double-double with eight points, a team-high nine rebounds, an assist and a steal over 27 minutes. He has led the team in rebounds in 11 of the last 14 games.

Kent State built an 11-2 lead over the first six minutes of play, taking advantage of a pair of treys by sophomore guard Jalen Avery and a triple from senior guard Deon Edwin. The Bobcats responded with a 12-3 run, though, with Laster scoring seven points and freshman guard Rodney Culver sinking a pair of free throws with just over 11 minutes remaining in the half to give Ohio a 14-13 lead.

The ensuing seven minutes featured two ties, and neither squad led by more than three points. The Bobcats closed out the first half by outscoring the Golden Flashes by an 11-2 count over the final 3:22. Simmons hit a pair of jumpers and knocked down a three to spark the run that sent Ohio into halftime with an eight-point advantage.

A three by sophomore guard Jaylin Walker a little under four minutes into the second half cut Ohio's lead down to three at 37-34, but an and-one three-pointer by Kaminski highlighted an 11-1 stretch that gave the Bobcats a 48-35 upper hand with 14:40 to go.

Ohio's lead shrunk back down to four with 10:26 to play after a layup by Kent State senior forward Jimmy Hall, but four points from Carter and jumpers by Laster and Simmons made it an eight-point game in favor of the Bobcats with just over six minutes remaining.

Kent State's defense clamped down in crunch time, though, holding Ohio to just one made field goal over the ensuing 5:49. A layup and pair of free throws by Avery, a pair of free throws by Edwin and a layup by Walker trimmed the Bobcats' lead to two at 63-61 with 1:47 to go. Hall then converted a conventional three-point play with 54 seconds left to give Kent State a one-point lead.

The Golden Flashes never relinquished their edge in the waning seconds. Avery and Walker combined to make six free throws in the final 36 seconds with Ohio forced to foul. Two potential game-tying three-point attempts by Simmons in the last 11 seconds were off the mark.

"It sucks," said Simmons. "You want to win every game, especially on the road against a good crowd. We'll get the next one. We're onto the next. Can't dwell on it. Just got to regroup."

Edwin and Hall each tallied double-doubles for Kent State with 20 points and a game-high 18 boards and 20 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. Edwin shot 5-of-15 from the field and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe. He also dished out a team-high four assists and posted a block and a steal in 38 minutes. Hall went 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. He also logged two assists and a game-high two blocks in 36 minutes.

Avery also finished in double figures for the Golden Flashes with 12 points. He also tallied a rebound, an assist and a steal in 33 minutes.

Ohio opens a two-game homestand to close out the 2016-17 season next Tuesday (Feb. 28) at the Convocation Center, playing host to a nationally televised showdown against MAC East Division rival Buffalo (15-14, 9-7 MAC) on CBS Sports Network. The opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.

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