Kent State University
4-20, 2-11MAC
University at Buffalo
15-9, 8-5MAC
Close Game Falls Away from the Golden Flashes 59-57 at Buffalo
2/18/2015 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Kent State (4-20, 2-11) led for more than 25 minutes against Buffalo (15-9, 8-5) Wednesday night and the game was tied for more than two minutes, making for an exciting contest where the Bulls were able to pull out the 59-57 win.
The Golden Flashes started well, making two of their first three baskets while the Bulls missed their first five shots to give Kent State a 6-0 lead at the beginning of play.
Past the halfway point of the first, Buffalo was able to bring the game within a point, but an old-fashioned three-point play by CiCi Shannon and jumper by McKenna Stephens opened the Kent State lead back up to six. An 11-0 run blossomed that lead to 25-13 at the 5:30 mark of the opening half.
The Golden Flashes shot an impressive 52% in the first and were a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line to lead 33-24 at the break.
Buffalo began the second on a 4-0 run before Larissa Lurken silenced the threat with a wide-open three. The Bulls would work their way back in, however, as they went on an 8-0 run over a 2:03 minute span and the Flashes were held scoreless for 3:08, resulting in a tied game, 36-36, with 15:17 left to play.
The home team continued that run out of the timeout and took its first lead of the evening on a foul shot. Jordan Korinek quickly took the lead back on a layup, but the Golden Flashes committed eight turnovers in a four and a half minute span to allow Buffalo to get in front.
After a scoring drought by both teams, Korinek made another basket to make it a 41-40 game and a Bulls turnover and Krista White layup gave the lead back to Kent State, 44-42.
But as the second half would go, that lead switched hands quickly as the teams made back-to-back threes to keep the one-point lead with Buffalo with less than ten minutes left to play.
Kent State then took the one-point advantage with 7:49 left after Lurken was fouled on a three-point attempt and sunk two of her three at the line. Krista White later made a free throw to tie the game at 50.
Three Flashes' turnovers enabled the Bulls to go on a 7-0 run out of the tie, but Kent State would not let them get too far ahead, as they worked their way back to be down by just two with two minutes left to play.
With the final seconds winding down, Kent State was forced to foul as Buffalo had the ball up by two. The Bulls made the first and got the offensive rebound on the second, making the Golden Flashes send them to the free throw line again, now with 17.9 seconds on the clock. Buffalo made one again and Shannon put in a missed three to put the Flashes down 59-57 with 2.2 seconds left. The Bulls went back to the line where they missed both with barely over a second remaining, and that's how the game ended with Buffalo in front 59-57.
The team shot 49% in the game and made it count at the free throw line, sinking 11 of their 15 shots. However, they committed 29 fouls to send Buffalo to the charity stripe 37 times where they were successful 19 times on those attempts. Kent State also turned the ball over 23 times and the Bulls were able to score 28 points off those mistakes.
Shannon led the way offensively with 13 points and ten rebounds. Korinek was close behind with ten points and six rebounds. Lurken, White and Stephens all contributed with eight points each.
The Golden Flashes remain on the road for another Mid-American Conference East Division contest when they travel to Bowling Green for a 5 p.m. matchup on Saturday.
