Women's Hoops Opens Home MAC Slate Tuesday Night Versus Akron
1/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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KENT, Ohio-- The Kent State University womens basketball team hosts the University of Akron in its Mid-American Conference home opener on Tuesday night, Jan. 10. Tip-off for the game is at 7 p.m. inside the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (M.A.C.) Center. It is also the first home game of 2006 for the Golden Flashes.
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The Flashes host preseason MAC favorite Bowling Green in an important East Division contest on Saturday. Jan. 14. Game time is 2 p.m. in the M.A.C. Center.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
The Flashes currently rank second overall in field goal percentage defense, steals and turnover margin and are the top team in the league in three-point field goal defense. They also allow the fourth fewest points in the league.
Individually, senior All-MAC forward and All-America candidate Lindsay Shearer tops the league in scoring at 18.8 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding and all four shooting categories.
Classmate and fellow All-MAC performer Malika Willoughby (7.0 ppg.) tops the conference in assists (74) and steals (t-first, 39). Freshman Rachel Bennett is second on the team in scoring at 7.3 ppg. and has hit a team-high 16 three-pointers. Junior Sarah Burgess is averaging 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in her four games since joining the lineup.
KSU has also gotten solid contributions from starters Kerrie James (6.3 ppg., 47% threes) and Tiffany LaFluer (4.8 ppg., 15 blocks) and reserve Lakia Stewart (5.8 ppg., 5.1 rpg.).
LAST TIME OUT FOR KENT STATE
Freshman guard Rachel Bennett came off the bench to score a career-high 23 points and the Kent State defense forced a season-high 30 turnovers to turn back Ohio, 83-73, at the Convocation Center in Athens on Sunday afternoon.
Ohio blistered the nets at a 63% clip in the first half, hitting six-of-eight from behind the three-point line, but the Flashes led by six at the break.
The Bobcats slipped to just 26.7% shooting in the second half and Bennett made a key block on Ciara Iglehart in the closing seconds with the Flashes up by six to secure the victory. Lindsay Shearer scored 19 points, surpassing the 1,400-point mark for her career, and Sarah Burgess added 13 points for the Flashes.
THE FLASHES 500
With eight wins this season, Kent State now has an all-time record of 498-348 (.588) since 1975-76. With just two more victories, the program will reach the historic 500-win plateau. Among MAC schools, only Northern Illinois (540), Bowling Green (509) and Toledo (505) have won more games.
SCOUTING AKRON
Akron (3-8, 0-1 MAC) opened the season just 1-7, but has rebounded to split its last four decisions. The trio of sophomore Jessie Crooks (11.4 ppg.), freshman Niki McCoy (10.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and senior Courtney Stewart (10.3 ppg., 30 assists) have led the way so far. Those three have combined to lead the Zips in scoring 11 times this season, including McCoys double-double in Saturdays 71-54 loss at Bowling Green (14 points, career-high 12 rebounds).
SERIES STUFF
Kent State has domiated the series, holding a 37-4 edge over the Zips. The Flashes have won 12 straight against Akron dating back to the 1998-99 season In Kent, the Flashes hold a 19-1 advantage and have won 13 straight over the Zips at the M.A.C. Center.
THE LAST MEETING:Kent State 57, Akron 35
A dominating defensive effort helped Kent State overcome offensive difficulties and garner head coach Bob Lindsay his 300th career victory. The Flashes were just 2-of-17 from three-point range and 9-of-19 from the foul line, but held Akron to just 26.9% shooting overall and forced 26 turnovers. Melissa DeGrate scored a game-high 15 points and Lindsay Shearer added 13. Lakia Stewart grabbed 10 rebounds for the Flashes.
BENNETT NAMED MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman guard Rachel Bennett has been selected as this weeks Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week the league announced today (Jan. 9). Bennett scored a career-high 23 points in Kent States 83-73 victory at Ohio University on Sunday (Jan. 8). Coming off the bench, she was 7-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, and finished a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
SHEARER SURPASSES 1,400
With 19 points at Ohio Jan. 8, senior All-American candidate and All-MAC forward Lindsay Shearer raised her career point total to 1,402. That total is the 11th highest total in school history and also makes her just the 11th player in school history to reach the 1,400-point plateau.
SENIORS AND THE CENTURY MARK
The Jan. 8 contest at Ohio marked the 100th game of Lindsay Shearers career. She has appeared in every game since stepping on campus and has started 92 of those contests. In addition, classmate Malika Willoughby will play in her 100th career game- and 72nd at Kent State- against Akron.
WILLOUGHBY MOVES UP STEALS LIST
Senior point guard Malika Willoughby moved into eighth place on the all-time Kent State steals list with her six thefts at Ohio Jan. 8, raising her career total to 242. Earlier this season, she became just the fourth player in Kent State history with at least 400 assists.
BIG GAMES OFF THE BENCH
In each of the past four games, Kent State has gotten big games from key reserves, including the last three contests in which the leading scorer came off the bench. Kerrie James aided the double-OT win over Radford with a career-high 13 points and matched that total against Hawaii Dec. 28. Sarah Burgess led KSU with 17 on Dec. 28 and Samantha Scull had 13 Dec. 30. In Sundays win at Ohio, Rachel Bennett totaled a personal best 23 points in a reserve role.
RESERVES HOLD KEY TO VICTORY
When the Kent State bench outscored the Ohio reserves 33-6 on Jan. 8, it marked the eighth time this season the Flashes bench outscored the opposition. In those eight contests, Kent State is 7-1.
BURGESS BRINGING PRODUCTION
After scoring just two points in her Kent State debut Dec. 21, junior transfer Sarah Burgess has become a vital part of the KSU offense, averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the last three games.
CANUCKS CONTRIBUTING
When freshman Samantha Scull joined the Kent State program this season, it rose the total of players that are from north of the border to three. Scull and juniors Kerrie James and Tiffany LaFleur are from the Canadian province of Ontario and all three have been key contributors to the Flashes solid start this year.
