CLEVELAND — The Bowling Green State University mens basketball team’s hopes of advancing to the NCAA Tournament were dashed by two sharpshooting Kent State guards Friday.

Kent State senior Giovanni Santiago and junior Jalen Sullinger were a combined 11-for-15 from downtown to lead the Golden Flashes to a 73-60 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

For the third straight year, Kent State (17-16) advances to the MAC championship game, while the Falcons fall to 20-13 hoping for a postseason tournament bid.

Sullinger was 5-for-7 from the arc, including shots late in the shot clock from 25 to almost 30 feet out, scoring 22 points with five assists and four rebounds.

Santiago was 6-for-8 from downtown, scoring 20 points with six assists and three steals. The two combined for all but one of Kent State’s assists, garnering 11-of-12, so when they weren’t shooting, they were dishing to someone who scored.

“A hard-fought game obviously but not the result we wanted,” BGSU coach Todd Simon said. “We did play tough, we did a lot of good things, we made the free throws, we took care of the ball, but we just couldn’t get shots to fall and they caught fire.

“(It was) probably the best shooting night of the season at the right time. A couple guys just put them on their back and hats off to them,” Simon continued.

Other than the shooting by Kent State, Simon thought his team followed the gameplan well, including just nine turnovers while forcing the Flashes to commit 13.

“These are the games you can do a lot right, and that (shooting) is a great neutralizer — the late clock threes that they got, deep and they were even contested, and some of those you just have to shrug and say, ‘Hey, that’s their day — heck of a game.’

“Santiago hasn’t had six threes in a game for a while and he fired at the right time, and he’s a good player and that is what good players do. Sullinger obviously is a guy who can do that. The threes between those guys was a special performance,” Simon continued.

BGSU 7-foot senior Jason Spurgin expected the length of his team to be able to offset the Golden Flashes’ shooting ability, allowing the Falcons to settle into a zone most of the game, but when you’re hitting from close to 10 feet beyond the arc, it can spoil your plan.

“We talked about it in the film room yesterday and today that they are an explosive team,” Spurgin said. “They live with the three-ball and they shoot it well. We expected those arms to try to handle them and bounce back with it, but they looked better than us.”

BGSU junior guard Marcus Hill, despite being heavily faceguarded by the Golden Flashes, matched Sullinger by scoring 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field. Hill also had six rebounds and two assists.

BGSU 6-foot-8 senior forward Rashaun Agee was 4-for-8 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free throw line, scoring 15 points with seven rebounds. Agee’s presence led to the Falcons owning a 32-24 advantage in points scored in the paint.

But they could hardly counter Kent State’s overall 51% (26-for-51) shooting from the field, including 12-for-18 from the arc (67%).

Meanwhile, the Falcons shot just 38% (20-for-530 from the field, including a dismal 4-for-20 (20%) from beyond the arc. BGSU did connect on 16-of-17 free throws (94%).

BGSU owned it’s biggest lead of five points just under two minutes into the game, but trailed 34-28 at halftime and never regained its lead in the second half.

Spurgin had eight points and four rebounds, senior guard Trey Thomas had seven points and two assists, senior forward Sam Towns had five points and five rebounds, and senior guard Da’Shawn Phillip added three points.

For Kent State, 6-9 junior center Cli-Ron Hornbeak, a Toledo St. Francis product, had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds, and sophomore guard Julius Rollins had eight points and four rebounds.

Junior forward VonCameron Davis had seven points and six rebounds, junior guard Mike Bekelja scored five points, and graduate guard Tyem Freeman added two points for the Flashes.

Simon lauded the leadership Spurgin and Agee brought to the team this year. Both are seniors but have eligibility remaining.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group,” said Simon. “These guys (Spurgin and Agee) led this group coming back into a chance to compete for a championship level in the MAC. Twenty wins, and we did a lot of great things behind the leadership of these two guys.”

Agee, who was with the program under last year’s coach, Michael Huger, said the Falcons were determined to make a difference this year.

“We want to let people know we’re not here just to be in the MAC,” Agee said.

Spurgin played for Simon at Southern Utah before the coach got the head coaching gig at BGSU, and Spurgin and his 6-7 sophomore brother, Greg Spurgin, transferred and following Simon to Bowling Green.

There is a reason why the Spurgins, who hail from Toowoomba, Australia, left their family half a world away to play in Utah, and then joined Simon when he came to BG.

“Not only does he make you a better play but a better person,” Jason said. “The coaching staff under him are always interested in me on the basketball court and outside of basketball. They want you to grow as a person, as a human being, and that’s why I want to be around as much as I can be.

“My parents appreciate everything he has brought to me with my basketball career and outside of basketball, I trust him to take care of me so far away from my family. It’s hard to be away from the people that you love. There is a reason why I transferred to Bowling Green and stayed with coach.”