Another Second Half Run Falls Short for Flashes
3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, N.Y. -
Freshman forward Chenel Harris led both sides with 19 points, including 15 in the second half. She also pulled down 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double in eight games. "We were mising a lot of easy shots," Harris said of the team in the first half and early in the second half. "We weren't composed and we just ended up giving easy baskets to Buffalo." Sophomore guard Rachel Bennett grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, but was one of several Flashes to struggle from the field. KSU shot 25 percent from the floor and made just 7-of-16 shots from the free throw line. Heather Turner led Buffalo's senior class with 17 points and 17 rebounds. She scored the first nine points of the game for the Bulls and had 11 points and nine rebounds at the half. "She gave us a lot of difficulty," Harris said of Turner. "Our focus going into the game was to double down on her. She finishes well and gave us problems tonight." It took the Flashes over five minutes to connect on their first field goal of the game, but Buffalo's turnovers kept the margin close. KSU shot 22 percent in the first and committed 13 turnovers, but trailed by only four points at the break (23-19). Harris sat on the bench for the final 10:50 of the half with foul trouble, while Asheley Harkins took her seat at the 8:48 mark with two fouls. KSU even held a brief 19-16 with four minutes to play in the half. Harris made Kent State's first two field goals after the break, but it took over eight minutes for another Golden Flash to convert a field goal in the second half. A layup by Turner gave the Bulls a 41-26 lead with 11:20 to play, before the Flashes began chipping away. "We caught our second wind in that second half again," Associate Head Coach Lori Bodnar said. "But we made a couple mistakes to take us out of our rhythm." A three-pointer from Harris cut the lead down to five (47-42) with 1:42 remaining, but a pair of late rebounds by Turner helped the Bulls run out the clock. Quicken Loans Arena will play host to the 2008 Kraft Mid-American Conference Tournament beginning with two first round games on Sunday, March 9. The Golden Flashes will play their opening round game Monday (Mar. 10) against Northern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. The winner of Monday's first round game will take on Bowling Green Tuesday in Cleveland. Monday's game can be heard on AM 1350 and www.sportsradio1350.com.
