Kent State University
Eastern Michigan
Kent State Visits Eastern Michigan for MAC Women’s Basketball Opener
12/30/2017 12:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes        Video    Audio    Live Stats
Kent State will bring in the new year and the start of Mid-American Conference play with a two-game road trip that starts Saturday at Eastern Michigan. The Golden Flashes will tip at 2 p.m. and then head to the greater Chicago area to prepare for Wednesday's contest at Northern Illinois.
Kent State (7-5) returns from a 10-day break that follows a dominant defensive performance in a 46-31 victory at Robert Morris on Dec. 19. The Flashes put together 40 minutes of stifling defense to allow the third-fewest points in program history and the fewest since Dec. 28, 1996 and held the host Colonials to just under half of their scoring average entering the contest on 25 percent shooting (13-for-52). A collective effort on the boards led to a 43-21 rebounding advantage, as all 10 Flashes who entered had at least one rebound. It is the second time this season that Kent State has been at least +20 on the glass.
The Flashes enter the conference season with a winning record for the first time since in 2010-11 when they went 9-3 in the non-league slate. Kent State's success has largely been due to its ability to get to the free throw line while playing solid on the defensive end without fouling. The Flashes are No. 14 in the country in free throws made (193) and No. 27 in free throw attempts (267) with 28 more makes from the charity stripe than their opponents have attempted.
Senior Jordan Korinek leads the Flashes in scoring (18.8 ppg), rebounding (5.8 rpg) and blocked shots (11). Korineks shoots better than 50 percent from the floor and her 66 made free throws ranks 12th nationally. Graduate student McKenna Stephens (9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and junior Alexa Golden (9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) are second and third respectively, in scoring and rebounding. Senior Naddiyah Cross is averaging a career-best in every major statistical category, including a team-best 5.1 assists per game.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan (4-7) has won two straight following a seven-game skid and is 3-0 at the Convocation Center. The Eagles use pressure defense to force 21.9 turnovers per game and are No. 21 in the country at 11.9 steals per game.
Courtnie Lewis leads the way at 12.3 ppg and is EMU's top three-point shooter with 16 makes at 37.2 percent. Danielle Minott adds 11.2 ppg and a team-best 5.6 rpg, while Sasha Dailey scores 10.0 ppg and is 10th in the country with 3.55 steals per game.
Series History
• Kent State is 36-27 all-time vs. Eastern Michigan.
• The Golden Flashes swept the series a year ago to snap an 11-game losing streak overall and nine games in Ypsilanti.
• In last season's first matchup, Jordan Korinek, Larissa Lurken and McKenna Stephens all recorded double-doubles for the Flashes.
• For the two games, Lurken led Kent State with 25.0 ppg and added 9.0 rpg.
• Korinek posted a team-best 11.5 rpg to go with 24.5 ppg.
• Stephens grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the first matchup and averaged 16.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
• Phyllis Webb paced EMU with 19.5 ppg ad 8.0 rpg.
• Sasha Dailey added 15.5 ppg, 6.0 apg and 5.0 rpg.
