BUFFALO, N.Y. - Lindsay Shearer (Jr., Minerva, Ohio/Minerva) led all scorers with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Lakia Stewart (So., Philadelphia, Pa./Central) added 14 and four off the bench as the Kent State womens basketball team put on a clinic at Buffalo, winning 76-34. The win is the third in a row and fifth in the last six games for the Flashes who improve to 15-8 and 8-4 in the MAC while the Bulls fall to 4-19 and 2-10 in the conference.
The win keeps the Flashes just two games back behind Marshall in the MAC East with two weeks remaining after the Herd won on the road tonight at Western Michigan.
The 34 points were the fewest given up by the Flashes this season after holding Akron to 35 points back on Feb. 5. It also was the fewest since the Flashes held Coppin State to 29 points back in 1996.
The Flashes dominated in every phase of the game, outshooting, outrebounding and outhustling the Bulls all night. Kent State scored 21 points off 20 UB turnovers. The Flashes tied a season-low with just 10 turnovers and didnt allow a single UB player to score in double figures. Victoria Badinici led Buffalo with nine points and five boards.
Shearers double-double was her sixth of the season while her 25 points marks the seventh time she has hit the 20-point mark this season and the 14th time in her career. She also had three steals, was 7-of-7 from the line and 9-of-16 from the floor.
Kent State blew the game open in the first half, holding the Bulls scoreless over a six minute span. With the game tied at 12 with 13:20 left, Melissa DeGrate (Sr., Amarillo, Texas/South Plains) hit back-to-back three pointers to spark a 27-3 run to end the half as the Golden Flashes led 39-15 at halftime.
The Flashes pounded the ball inside early and often as they went to the free throw line 17 times in the first half, converting 13. Shearer and DeGrate had 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Flashes full-court press forced 11 UB turnovers in the first half for 13 points. Malika Willoughby (Jr.-R, Milwaukee, Wis./Washington) has six points and six assists in the first half.
Kent State continued its suffocating defense in the second half, limiting the Bulls to just five field goals on 5-of-28 shooting (17.9 percent).
Kent State made a living at the free throw line, shooting 26-of-34 which are season-highs for makes and attempts. Kent State outrebounded the Bulls, 46-34.
DeGrate scored 13 while Willoughby had eight points and six assists. Kerrie James (So., Mississauga, Ontario/Power) enjoyed one of her best overall nights with seven points and a career-high six rebounds with just one turnover in 24 minutes.
Kent States next game will be at Toledo at noon Saturday. The game is the MAC TV Game of the Week and will be aired on Fox Sports Ohio.
