Kent State University
6-4
Youngstown State University
3-6
Big Fourth Quarter Hands Flashes 75-60 Win Over Penguins
12/10/2016 7:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – For three quarters Kent State (6-4) and Youngstown State (3-6) battled back-and-forth, but the home team outscored its opponent by 12 in the final ten minutes to earn a 75-60 victory Saturday night at the M.A.C. Center.
The Penguins scored the first basket of the game but the Flashes got in front with foul shots before YSU tied the game at ten at the first media break of the night. Youngstown State was able to take a slim 18-16 lead by the end of the opening period.
In the second, the Flashes remained trailing by about a basket for most of the quarter. At the three-minute mark, McKenna Stephens made two baskets, the latter after two offensive rebounds, and hit two foul shots to score six consecutive points for the home team.
Alexa Golden then sparked the team as she made two free throws and then tied the game at 38 with seconds on the clock before the break. A Penguins' three missed the mark at the buzzer as the game was knotted 38-38 at halftime. Free throws kept the Flashes alive in the opening half as they were a perfect 11-for-11 at the line.
The third quarter started with YSU going to the line and missing two free throw attempts, the first misses from the charity stripe all night. Ali Poole then hit a shot from deep to break the tie and put Kent State in front. However, that lead was short-lived because of an 8-0 run from the Penguins.
A McKenna Stephens three tied the game again at 46 before Merissa Barber-Smith and Poole grabbed offensive boards that eventually led Poole to go to the line and put the Flashes up by two. Larissa Lurken sunk a three after a Penguins miss to grow the lead to five. Kent State led 53-50 at the end of the third.
With that lead heading into the decisive final quarter, Naddiyah Cross connected on an old-fashioned three-point play that ignited a 7-0 run. The Flashes outscored the Penguins 22-10 in the final ten minutes as they shot 57.1 percent and held the opposition to 23.1 percent shooting, enabling Kent State to take the victory.
Overall, the Golden Flashes shot just less than 50 percent in the contest and won the battle of the boards 38-27, including 12 offensive rebounds that resulted in 12 second chance points. Defense looked good again as the team came up with five blocks and nine steals.
Four Golden Flashes reached double-digits in scoring led by 18 from Lurken and 17 from McKenna Stephens, her biggest game this season. Golden hit a new career-high with 14 while Jordan Korinek was a rebound short of a double-double as she scored ten.
Kent State will have next week off to finish up the semester with final week. They will close the regular season on the road at Iowa on Tuesday, December 20 and Minnesota Thursday, December 22.
