Kent State University
Central Michigan
Kent State Ready to Challenge First-Place Central Michigan
1/13/2018 8:55:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes     Video    Audio    Live Stats
Kent State starts a stretch with four of five games on the road at first-place Central Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (9-7, 2-2 MAC) defeated Eastern Michigan, 76-69, for the second time this season on Wednesday to avoid their first three-game skid of the season, while the Chippewas, which are No. 9 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, throttled Bowling Green, 90-54, for their fourth straight victory.
Kent State put together its highest-scoring half of the season to on Wednesday improved to 4-5 when trailing at halftime. The Flashes shot 54.2-percent from the field (13-for-24) and 95.2-percent at the free throw line (21-for-22) to outscore the Eagles 49-35 over the final 20 minutes. Naddiyah Cross scored a career-high 24 points and Jordan Korinek (23 points, 13 rebounds) notched her first double-double of the season and seventh of her career. Korinek shot 17-for-19 at the free throw line, which is the sixth-most by a NCAA Division I player this season, and also matched her career-high with 5 assists.
The Flashes have found success when they have been able to get to the free throw line. Kent State is No. 7 in the country in free throws made (268) and No. 20 in free throw attempts (359) for a 74.7 percentage that is third in the conference. Kent State's +5.3 rebounding margin is second in the MAC with five games in which it has outrebounded its opponent by double-digits.
Senior Jordan Korinek was named MAC East Division Player of the Week on Tuesday after posting 24.5 points per game and going a perfect 15-for-15 at the foul line over the Flashes' two games last week. Korinek is the conference's third-leading scorer (19.9 ppg) and adds 6.0 rebounds per game. The All-MAC forward ranks third nationally in free throws made (103) and eighth in free throw attempts (125).
Graduate student McKenna Stephens (10.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) provides a versatile frontcourt presence as Kent State's leading rebounder and second on the team in three-pointers (17). Junior Merissa Barber-Smith (2.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg) provides an interior presence on defense and is second on the team in blocked shots (11) in just 175 minutes.
The starting backcourt of senior Naddiyah Cross (5.9 ppg, 4.6 apg,) and junior Alexa Golden (8.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) are putting up career-bests in every major statistical category while playing more minutes than any other backcourt tandem in the conference. Cross enters the week with 358 career assists and in need of just seven to break into Kent State's top 10 all-time. Golden has already made 49 free throws after combining to make only 37 in her first two seasons.
Redshirt sophomore Megan Carter (12.0 ppg) has provided an offensive boost since returning to the lineup at the start of the conference season. Carter scored a career-high 16 points in her season debut at Eastern Michigan and then topped it with 17 at Northern Illinois in her next outing. She added 15 Saturday against Western Michigan.Â
Scouting Central Michigan
Central Michigan (12-3, 4-0 MAC) is the lone undefeated team remaining in league play and owns an average margin of victory of 20.5 in four MAC contests. The Chippewas have one of the premier offenses in the country, ranking 19 in scoring (82.1 ppg), third in free throw percentage (.829), eighth in three-point field goals per game (9.8), 12 in three-point field goal percentage (.390). Additionally, CMU leads the MAC in field goal percentage (.456) and rebounding margin (+10.2).
The Chippewas have used the same starting lineup in every game this season, and all five starters average at least 9.5 ppg. All-MAC point guard Presley Hudson (18.4 ppg, 5.6 apg) leads the way on the perimeter with the All-MAC frontcourt of Tinara Moore (16.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Reyna Frost (14.0 ppg, 13.3 rpg) controlling play around the basket. Guards Cassie Breen (12.7 ppg) and Micaela Kelly (9.5 ppg) round out the starting unit.
Series History
• Kent State is 31-28 all-time vs. Central Michigan.
• The Chippewas have won six straight meetings by an average of nearly 23.0 ppg.
• Kent State last defeated CMU, 67-64, on Jan. 22, 2012.
• The Flashes have an 11-17 all-time record vs. the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant.
• KSU's last road victory in the series came on Jan. 23, 2007 (71-53) with five straight losses since.
• Kent State's nine-game winning streak from 1993-97 is the longest for either team.
• The teams have split the two overtime games they have played with CMU coming out on top in the most recent occurrence, 87-70, on Feb. 9, 2008 in Kent.
FLASHback to Last Meeting
• Kent State rallied to tie the game in the third quarter but was outscored 48-35 over the final 16:57 of the contest in the 2017 MAC opener.
• The Golden Flashes trailed by as many 13 13 in the second quarter but got within 40-33 at halftime.
• CMU opened the third period with a three-pointer, but Kent State answered with a 10-0 run to tie the game.
• The Flashes trailed 51-48 with 3:29 in the third, but the Chippewas closed the period with an 11-4 run to push the lead to 10.
• CMU led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter.
• Larissa Lurken led the Flashes with 29 points but shot just 8-for-23 from the floor.
• Jordan Korinek scored 18 points and McKenna Stephens added 10 points and 8 rebounds.
• The Chippewas shot 36-for-70 (.514) from the floor and 12-for-23 (.522) from the three-point line.
• Presley Hudson stuffed the stat sheet with 36 points, 6 steals, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
• Tinara Moore contributed 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks.
TV / Radio
Dave Wilson will have the call on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel and 640 WHLO and Matt DeVries and Adam Jaksa call the game on ESPN3.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes continue their stretch with four of five games on the road on Wednesday at Bowling Green.
