The driving distance between the campuses of Cleveland State and Kent State is 40 miles, give or take. Measuring the difference between the men’s basketball programs at the two schools requires a different measurement. Light years, maybe. With a 68-52 victory Nov. 23 at Wolstein Center, the Golden Flashes improved to 4-1 and ran their winning streak against CSU to eight games. In a series that began in 1933, KSU now has a 34-23 advantage. The Golden Flashes have won nine of the last 11 meetings against CSU. CSU slipped to 3-4 with a loss that had its roots in a red-hot start by the Golden Flashes and a sluggish start by the Vikings. Shooting 50% from the field overall in the first half while going 7 of 11 from 3-point range, KSU built leads as large as 15 points in the first half before the Vikings managed to narrow the gap to 36-29 at halftime. CSU opened the second half on a 5-0 run to make it interesting at 36-34, but the Golden Flashes responded with a 17-5 spurt to settle matters once and for all. Senior forward VonCameron Davis and graduate forward Anthony Morales each tallied 11 points to pace a balanced attack for KSU. Junior center Dylan Arnett and senior guard Chase Robinson each had 11 points in a losing effort for CSU. “It’s hard to win when the other team is making shots like that,” Arnett said. “We have to learn from this experience and move on.” The Kent program has been a model of consistency in the Division I mid-major ranks under current coach Rob Senderoff and predecessors Jim Christian, Stan Heath and Gary Waters. KSU has posted 12 20-plus victory seasons in the last 15 years. Since 2000, the Golden Flashes have made it to the NCAA Tournament seven times and the National Invitation Tournament eight times. “I have a ton of respect for what they’ve achieved in that program and what they’ve been able to sustain,” CSU coach Daniyal Robinson said.