Flashes Clamp On The "D" In 64-50 Win Over Marshall
2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sophomore Lindsay Shearer (Minerva, Ohio/Minerva) scored a game-high 21 points for the Flashes who have now won six of their last seven games.
The Golden Flashes used a 12-2 run in the final 3:20 to seal the victory. Leading 52-48, Melissa DeGrate (Jr., Amarillo, Texas/South Plains) connected on her third three-pointer of the game before hitting a runner in the paint to put the Flashes up eight, 57-48. Andrea Csaszar (Jr., Szekszard, Hungary/Janos Garay) then drilled an 8-foot jumper off an out-of-bounds play, putting Kent State up by 11 and making it a four possession game with 1:07 remaining.
Marshall kept the game close, cutting the deficit to four on five occasions in the second half. Twice the Herd cut KSUs lead to four in the early stages of the second half and twice freshman LaKia Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) answered with slashing lay-ups to push KSUs lead back to six.
As they did against Ball State Saturday night, KSU held Marshall to under 20 percent shooting in the first half. Marshall shot just 5-of-28 in the first half and 16-of-50 for the game.
Defense was the name of the game tonight, head coach Bob Lindsay said. I thought we were good defensively and we rebounded better in the second half. Offensively we were good in places. There were times we couldve been a little bit better there too, finished off some shots and made some free throws. Theyre not all going to be pretty.
Weve won six out of seven and we feel pretty good about ourselves. We probably had two of our best practices all year the last couple of days so I felt pretty good going into the game.
The first half was a seesaw battle for the first 10 minutes as the lead switched hands seven times until a Heather Harris (Jr., Duncan Falls, Ohio/Philo) three-pointer at the 9:51 mark sparked a 10-1 run to give Kent State the lead for good. The Flashes would extended its first half lead to as much as nine points twice before taking a 28-22 lead at the half.
DeGrate continued her hot play with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting while recording four rebounds and three steals. Malika Willoughby (Milwaukee, Wis./UW-Milwaukee), the MAC leader in assists, turned in another stellar game with nine assists to go along with four points, four rebounds and two steals while committing only three turnovers.
Csaszar led the Flashes on the glass grabbing a team-high nine rebounds, blocking six shots and dishing a season-high five assists. Harris finished the game with six points while Stewart and Tiffany LaFleur (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) each scored four.
Marshall was led by Sikeetha Shepard-Halls 10 points and five rebounds while Modupe Ishola chipped in with eight points and three boards.
The Flashes will look to continue its winning ways when they hit the road to take on the Falcons of Bowling Green Saturday at 1 p.m.
Notes: The Golden Flashes are now 10-1 at home this season and 7-0 at home in conference games ... Kent State is now 14-4 all-time against Marshall ... Lindsay Shearer recorded her third 20-point game of the season with 21 points ... Andrea Csaszar tied a season-high with six blocks ... KSUs defense held its opponent to under 20 percent shooting in the first half for the second-consecutive game and held Marshall to 17 points under their season scoring average ... Kent State scored 24 points off 22 Marshall turnovers.
