Kent State University
Akron
Women’s Basketball Heads to Akron for 2018’s First Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge Matchup
1/26/2018 5:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes Video Audio Live Stats
Kent State seeks its second straight road victory when it travels to rival Akron for a Mid-American Conference contest on Saturday. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and is the first of two this season between the schools as part of the Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.
The Golden Flashes (10-10, 3-5 MAC) defeated Toledo, 62-55, to snap the Rockets' 15-game home winning streak Wednesday night. Jordan Korinek shot 17-for-18 at the free throw line as part of a 30-point, 11-rebound performance to lead the Golden Flashes. McKenna Stephens just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in the wire-to-wire triumph. Defensively, Kent State held Toledo to just 19-for-60 (.317) shooting from the floor and 5-for-23 (.217) from beyond the three-point arc.
Kent State has found success when it has been able to get to the free throw line. Kent State is No. 5 in the country in free throws made (327) and No. 18 in free throw attempts (440) for a 74.3 percentage that is third in the conference. Kent State's 5.3 rebounding margin is second in the MAC with seven games in which it has outrebounded its opponent by double-digits.
Senior Jordan Korinek is the conference's third-leading scorer (20.1 ppg) and adds 6.5 rebounds per game. The All-MAC forward ranks second nationally in free throws made (131) and attempted (157). Graduate student McKenna Stephens (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) provides a versatile frontcourt presence as Kent State's leading rebounder and second on the team in three-pointers (23).
The starting backcourt of senior Naddiyah Cross (6.0 ppg, 4.0 apg,) and junior Alexa Golden (7.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) are putting up career-bests in every major statistical category while playing more minutes than any other backcourt tandem in the conference. Golden has already made 56 free throws after combining to make only 37 in her first two seasons. Sophomore Ali Poole (8.4 ppg) leads the Flashes with 26 three-pointers in her first season as a starter.
Redshirt sophomore Megan Carter (12.8 ppg) has provided an offensive boost since returning to action at the start of the conference season. Carter has set a new career-high scoring mark three times and has scored at least seven points in seven of eight games played.
Record Book Watch
Seniors Naddiyah Cross and Jordan Korinek both broke into the top-10 in program history in statistical categories during Wednesday's 62-55 victory at Toledo.
Cross is tied with Carrie Nance (1997-01) for 10th in the record book with 365 assists and is five assists away from tying Darlene Wolfe (1978-81) for ninth.
Korinek, who scored her 1,500th career point last Wednesday at Bowling Green, passed both Mary Bukovac (1986-89) and Carrie Templin (1995-98) with 30 points in the contest, one off of her career-high set earlier this season against Southeastern Louisiana. The Akron, Ohio native is now ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,553 points and could crack the top-5 before her career ends.
Korinek added 11 rebounds against Toledo to pass Margie Zezulewicz (1976-79) for 10th in program history and bring her career total to 659.
Scouting Akron
Akron (6-13, 0-8 MAC) is 5-7 at home this season but has lost nine straight with its last win coming on Dec. 20 against SIU-Edwardsville, 59-58, in the opening game of the Florida Gulf Coast Hilton Garden Inn Classic. Although the Zips are still seeking their first win against a MAC foe, six of their eight conference games have been decided by single-digits.
As a team, Akron is 10th in the MAC in scoring (64.8 ppg) and seventh in scoring defense (65.3 ppg), but are allowing 73.5 points per game in league play. The three-point line plays a big role in the Zips' offense, as they are sixth in the conference in three-point field goals per game (7.3) with greater than 36-percent of their field goal tries coming from three-point distance. Turnovers (17.8 per game) and rebounding (-2.7 rebounding margin) have been struggles for Akron, which ranks 11th in the MAC in both categories.
Leading scorer Megan Sefcik (13.4 ppg) has not played in the past five games. Sefcik broke Akron's single-game three-point record, while also tying the MAC record, with 10 triples against Ohio Christian back on Dec. 16. Preseason All-MAC East point guard Shaunay Edmonds (10.8 ppg) is second in the conference in free throw percentage (.836) and leads the Zips with 4.2 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game. Guard Alyssa Clay (7.1 ppg) is off to a strong start to MAC play and is averaging9.4 points per game while shooting 53.1-percent (17-for-32) on three-point tries. Forward Haliegh Reinoehl (7.1 ppg) is fourth in the MAC in rebounding (8.6 rpg).
Series History
• Kent State is 50-15 all-time vs. Akron.
• The Golden Flashes snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Zips with a pair of victories last season.
• Kent State has not won at Akron in consecutive seasons since 2007 and 2008.
• The Flashes shot 16-for-40 (.400) from the three-point line over the two games last season.
• Larissa Lurken led Kent State with 21.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 5.0 apg.
• Jordan Korinek added 12.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg, while McKenna Stephens contributed 12.5 ppg on 5-for-7 (.714) from beyond the arc .
• Hannah Plybon paced Akron with 18.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg. Shaunay Edmonds added 16.0 ppg.
FLASHback to Last Meeting
• Kent State held off a late Akron in a 73-69 victory at the M.A.C. Center to secure a season sweep on Feb. 25, 2017.
• The Zips had a chance to tie the game in the final 20 seconds, but missed a three-point attempt, and the Golden Flashes shot 4-for-4 at the foul line to close it out.
• Kent State was able to get within 23-17 at the end of the first quarter after trailing 13-4.
• The Flashes closed the first half on a 22-6 run to lead by six at halftime.
• Kent State led by 10 early in the fourth period before Akron made a final push.
• The Flashes shot 17-for-18 (.944) at the free throw line compared to Akron's 7-for-11 (.636).
• Larissa Lurken poured in a game-high 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
• Alexa Golden and Jordan Korinek added eight points and seven rebounds each.
• Shaunay Edmonds scored 26 points to lead Akron and Hannah Plybon added 13 points.
TV / Radio
Dave Wilson will have the call on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel and 640 WHLO and Michael Reghi and Jacki Windon will call the game on ESPN3.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes are scheduled to play six of the next eight at the M.A.C. Center, beginning with back-to-back home dates against Bowling Green (Wed., Jan. 31) and Northern Illinois (Sat., Feb. 3).
