RADFORD, Va. - The Kent State womens basketball team rode Lindsay Shearers career-high 30 points to a 66-57 victory over the Radford Highlanders tonight (Dec. 21) in Radford, Va. The win improves the Golden Flashes to 6-3 on the season, matching their best start since the 1998-99 season. The loss drops the Highlanders to 1-6.
Shearer, whose pervious best was 25 points last season, scored 22 points in the first half alone as Kent State built a 39-25 halftime advantage. She was 9-of-16 from the floor with two 3-pointers and 10-of-11 from the free throw line while adding four steals and four rebounds.
It marks the first 30-point performance by a Kent State player since Dawn Zerman scored 33 in a 106-84 win over Bowling Green Jan. 17, 2000 in Kent.
Kent State led by as much as 19 points in the first when Shearers lay-up at the 3:30 mark made it 37-18. Shearer scored 10-straight points for the Flashes in a span of 1:40 in the first half.
But Radford came out the aggressor in the second half and cut KSUs lead to 46-40 at the 13:14 mark on Corrie Fertittas 3-pointer, capping off a 15-7 run to open the half. Then a put back underneath by Lakia Stewart followed by another Shearer 3-pointer pushed the lead back to 51-40.
The Highlanders were able to whittle KSUs lead to seven several times the rest of the way, but came no closer as the Flashes made 10-of-14 free throws in the final six minutes to ice it. Kerrie James also added a big 3-pointer from the right wing at the 4:25 mark to push the Flashes lead back to 12 points.
Melissa DeGrate, the reigning MAC East Player of the Week two weeks in a row, added 11 points and six rebounds while Malika Willoughby and Stewart both had seven for the Flashes.
The Flashes enjoyed another solid night defensively, scoring 18 points off 18 Radford turnovers and held the opposition to under 60 points for the sixth time this season.
Corrie Fertitta led Radford with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Game Notes:
Radford is the sixth team this season that KSU has held to under 60 points ... the Flashes have now won three-consecutive games ... the Golden Flashes have now hit at least one 3-pointer in 53-consecutive games ... Kent State is 5-1 this season when leading at halftime, 5-1 when scoring at least 60 points ... Both teams shot an identical 22-of-56 (39 percent) from the field and 4-of-17 (23 percent) from 3-point range ... Tiffany Kelly made her first start of the season and the seventh of her career and tied a career-best with four assists.
