Kent State University
2-2
Detroit
2-2
Kent State Drops First Road Contest of the Season at Detroit Mercy
11/21/2016 9:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DETROIT, Mich. – Kent State (2-2) dropped its first road game of the season 73-52 at Detroit Mercy (2-2) Monday night.
"Our field goal percentage is the biggest issue," said Head Coach Todd Starkey after the game. "We can't shoot like that on the road and expect to win a basketball game, no matter who we're playing. Obviously our shots weren't falling and we certainly got away from our principles on the defensive end."
The Flashes found early success feeding the ball inside to Jordan Korinek, as she had two early layups, but the team began 2-for-7 from three-point range while the Titans were able to connect on four threes in eight attempts in the opening quarter. That led to a 23-18 lead for Detroit Mercy at the end of the first quarter.
That lead grew to 33-18 as the Titans went on a 10-0 run to begin the second quarter, forcing a Kent State timeout. The game then entered a scoring drought from both sides, as the scoreboard did not change for either team for a span of nearly four minutes. A jumper from Ali Poole changed that with 3:17 to go in the second, but the Flashes couldn't shoot better than 30% in the opening two quarters as they trailed 39-26 at the break.
Chelsi Watson provided a bit of a spark late in the third quarter as she scored six straight Flashes' points. However, the Titans connected on their free throws to keep the lead 56-41 at the end of the third.
The final quarter started with a 10-0 Titans run. That helped them increase their lead and take the 73-52 victory.
Kent State finished the game shooting 26.2% while the home team shot 42.1%. The Flashes won the rebound battle 46-43 including 21 on the offensive glass.
Watson had one of her finest games, recording a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. She also added in four steals and one assist. Korinek and Megan Carter both finished the game with seven points. Taylor Parker had some good minutes in her hometown, grabbing five rebounds, going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line and recording a steal in five minutes of action.
The Golden Flashes will now head to Florida to take part in the Gulf Coast Showcase. The tournament will begin with an 11 a.m. game on Friday against Baylor.
"We are going to play one of the top teams in the country," Starkey added. "We have to regroup and find a way to continue to get better as a team as we go through this next week."
For more information on the upcoming Gulf Coast Showcase, visit kentstatesports.com.
