Kent State University
10-11 (3-6MAC)
Akron
7-13 (1-8MAC)
Shooting Woes Doom Golden Flashes in Rivalry Tilt
1/27/2018 9:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio — Kent State struggled to get shots to fall inside of James A. Rhodes Arena during Saturday afternoon's 75-60 setback to rival Akron in a Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge matchup.
Senior Jordan Korinek posted her second consecutive double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 3:25 remaining and the Golden Flashes (10-11, 3-6 MAC) trailing by nine. Korinek's basket at the 3:49 mark was the final made field goal for Kent State, which missed its final 17 shots, including 12 in the final minute.
As a team, Kent State finished 22-for-79 from the floor for a season-worst .278 shooting percentage. Korinek (9-for-16) was the only Flash with multiple attempts to shoot better than 30 percent.
"The most important ingredient in today's win for Akron was that they just wanted it more than we did," said head coach Todd Starkey. "You can't fight just in certain moments in these games. You have to fight for 40 minutes, and I thought Akron did a much better much of that than we did. They played hungry. We knew that was going to be the case, and we tried to prepare for that."
The Flashes pulled down a season-high 23 offensive rebounds and outscored the Zips 20-3 on second-chance opportunities. Overall, Kent State held a 53-42 rebounding advantage. Junior Alexa Golden led the effort on the glass with a career-high 11 rebounds, which included five on the offensive end.
Akron scored the first four points of the contest before Korinek hit a jumper to put the Flashes on the board. The Zips led 8-4 when graduate student McKenna Stephens hit a jumper to start a 7-0 Kent State run. Korinek followed with a three-pointer and a layup to go ahead, 11-8. Akron went on to score the final five points of the period to lead 13-11.
After falling behind by 13 on 12 straight Akron points, Kent State responded quickly with a 10-0 run. Sophomore Ali Poole scored eight of her 10 points during the run. The teams traded baskets in the final minute of the second period, and the Flashes went into the locker room trailing 32-29.
Kent State scored the first three points after halftime and held the Zips scoreless until the 5:47 mark of the third. Stephens tied the game, 36-36, on a layup off a pass from redshirt sophomore Megan Carter at the 4:16 mark and got to within 41-40 on a free throw by Golden at the 2:30 mark.
Akron then made 12 of its final 17 shots from the floor and went 7-for-11 at the charity stripe to close the game on a 34-20 run.
Golden added nine points and just missed her first double-double. Stephens chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, while Carter handed out a season-high five assists despite a tough shooting performance.
Kent State committed just 13 turnovers, one off its season-low, but created just nine and was outscored 13-3 in points off the turnovers. The Flashes were also outscored in the paint (48-20), on the fast break (14-0) and off the bench (38-11).
The Flashes are scheduled to play six of the next eight at the M.A.C. Center, beginning with back-to-back home dates this week. Kent State hosts Bowling Green on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. and Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m.
Notes
• Kent State has played 16 of 21 games this season away from the M.A.C. Center.
• After shooting a season-high 38 free throws Wednesday at Toledo, the Golden Flashes went without a free throw attempt in the first half for the second time during conference play.
• Senior Jordan Korinek posted her 24th career 20-point game and ninth career double-double.
• Kent State's 20 second-chance points were one off its season-high set against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 18.
• The Flashes 3 points off turnovers are the fewest in a game this season.
• The Zips' 48 points in the paint are the most the Flashes have allowed this season.
