Kent State Can't Hold Off Central Michigan, 78-72
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Kent State women's basketball team (16-7, 7-4 Mid-American Conference) fought through a see-saw contest at Central Michigan Saturday afternoon, but the Golden Flashes succumbed to a 19-6 run over the game's final 5:21 to drop a 78-72 decision to the Chippewas.
Senior Jamilah Humes (Saginaw, Mich.), in front of her "hometown" fans, poured in 27 points, one off her season high, but it was not enough for the Flashes. Tamzin Barroilhet (Ste. Maxime, France) tallied 12 points while Chenel Harris (Mississauga, Ontario) just missed double figures with nine points, all on three-pointers.
""We didn't play hard enough for long enough to win the game," said head coach Bob Lindsay. "(Jamilah) played great for us. (Humes) and Chenel did everything we asked of them today."
The teeter-totter contest featured eight lead changes and six ties. Kent State's largest lead was 10, 64-54, on a layup by Ellie Shields (Warren, Ohio) with 6:25 to play in the game. Shields finished with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Kent State started slow as Central Michigan jumped out to a 6-0 lead after making their first three field goal attempts. The Chippewas' lead grew to nine, 17-8, with 9:14 to go in the first half.
The Golden Flashes answered with a pair of threes – one by Barroilhet and the other by Humes – and a steal by Humes fed Barroilhet for a fast break layup. Shields' layup with 7:38 left in the first half gave the Flashes their first lead of the game to cap a 10-0 run in just under two minutes.
Central Michigan (16-7, 8-3) built their lead back to six, but seven straight points by Humes was part of a 13-6 Kent State run to give the Flashes a 34-32 lead at the half. Humes had 17 in the first stanza, including nine in the final four minutes of the half.
The Chippewas came out of intermission on fire, notching the first eight points to regain a six-point lead. Then, with a three-pointer by Leslie Schaefer (Verona, Wis.) – her second of her career – Kent State rallied for a 22-7 run over seven minutes in the second half to take a 10-point advantage.
But after a technical foul was called on Shields, Kent State lost its momentum as the host Chippewas rallied with their game-ending run. Although Harris tied the game at 70-70 with a three-pointer from the right side with 1:23 to go, Central rattled off eight of the game's final 10 points to secure the game.
Four players scored in double figures for Central Michigan, led by 21 points by Shonda Long. Kaihla Szunko had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Chippewas out-rebounded Kent State 36-25 and out-scored the Golden Flashes 44-26 in the paint.
Kent State begins the final third of the MAC schedule Thursday, Feb. 17 at Miami (Ohio) for a 7 p.m. contest.
