Game Day Preview: Kent State Faces Miami (Ohio) Thursday

Ellie Shields

	AM 640 WHLO in Kent
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The Kent State women's basketball team (16-7 7-4) starts the final leg of the Mid-American Conference schedule Thursday when the Golden Flashes travel to Miami (Ohio) for a 7 p.m. contest at Millet Hall.

Thursday's contest will be aired live on terrestrial radio in the Kent area on AM 640 WHLO with Dave Wilson providing play-by-play commentary. Wilson's audio broadcast can also be heard online at kentstatesports.com.

Live stats and streamed video (subscription required) are available through the Miami (Ohio) athletics website. The provided links will activate at the start of each game.

In A Flash: Kent State leads the MAC and is ranked 48th in the nation in field goal percentage. The Golden Flashes are shooting 42.7 percent from the field this season, and the team is 8-2 when it shoots better than 45 percent from the floor.

Flash Forward: Kent State returns home to host Buffalo Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. The game will serve as Senior Day for Kent State's five-player senior class of Stephanie Gibson, Chenel Harris, Jamilah Humes, Taisja Jones and Ellie Shields.

Scouting the Flashes

Kent State fought through a see-saw contest at Central Michigan Feb. 12, but the Golden Flashes succumbed to a 19-6 run over the game's final 5:21 to drop a 78-72 decision to the Chippewas. Senior Jamilah Humes, playing in front of her "hometown" fans, poured in 27 points, one off her season high. Tamzin Barroilhet tallied 12 points while Chenel Harris just missed double figures with nine points, all on three-pointers.

Sophomore center Leslie Schaefer, who stands 6-3, is 2-of-3 from three-point distance this season. Schaefer's triples have come against Vermont Dec. 19 and Central Michigan Feb. 12.

In the Feb. 14 release of the NCAA statistics, Kent State ranks 38th in the nation with 10.9 steals per game; that same clip is second-best in the MAC. Jamilah Humes and Taisja Jones are both ranked in the top 100 nationally in steals per game; Humes 54th with 2.6 spg, Jones 79th with 2.4 spg. State takes advantage of their increase in possessions, as the team is 42nd in the NCAA in turnover margin (+3.74). The team is averaging 23.3 ppg in points off turnovers.

Scouting the Opponent

MIAMI (OHIO) (10-14, 2-9)

All-time series: Kent State leads, 39-35

Lindsay vs. Miami: 31-17

Current Kent State streak: W4

• After starting the season 7-3, Miami has won just three of their last 14 contests. Most recently, the RedHawks suffered an 83-64 setback at Western Michigan Feb. 12 despite a 36-point effort by sophomore guard Courtney Osborn.

• Osborn is third in the MAC this season with 17.3 ppg, as the guard also leads Miami in assists and steals. Kirsten Olowinski is averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, while junior Maggie Boyer is also adding double figures offensively with 12.7 ppg.

• Maria Fantanarosa, in her 13th season at Miami, is among the winningest coaches in MAC history. She owns a career record of 196-184, with 106 victories in MAC action.

• Thursday marks the 75th all-time meeting between Kent State and Miami (Ohio), making it the most-played rivalry for the Golden Flashes.

• Excluding neutral court games, the home team has won 73 percent of the time in the series (47 of 64 games).

• Between Kent State head coach Bob Lindsay and Miami mentor Maria Fantanarosa, the two coaches have amassed 605 victories, including 357 wins in Mid-American Conference play.

• Of Kent State's eight all-time wins at Millet Hall, all eight have come during Bob Lindsay's 22-year tenure.

• Senior Taisja Jones is averaging 11.7 free throw attempts a game against the RedHawks.