Kent State University
12-16, 5-11MAC
Akron
8-19, 2-14MAC
Senior Day Double-Doubles from Korinek and Stephens Lead Flashes to Rivalry Game Victory
2/24/2018 10:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State avenged a loss to rival Akron earlier in the season with a 60-55 wire-to-wire victory on Senior Day inside of the M.A.C. Center on Saturday afternoon.
Prior to tip-off, the Golden Flashes recognized this year's four-member senior class for the group's contributions to the program. The quartet delivered in a big way, totaling 33 points, 28 rebounds and eight assists. The Flashes got double-doubles from both Jordan Korinek and McKenna Stephens. Korinek, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the season's first encounter with the Zips, scored a game-high 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Stephens posted 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Kent State (12-16, 5-11 MAC) led by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter, but the Zips climbed back to make it a one-possession ball game with 2:10 remaining. The Flashes were able to string together three consecutive stops and converted five-of-six at the foul line to push the lead back to seven before Akron scored in the closing seconds. With the lead at four and less than a minute to play, Korinek came up with a big block, and then boarded an Akron missed three-point attempt on the next possession before calmly stepping to the free throw line and sinking two shots to put the game out of reach.
"I'm really pleased for our seniors to be able to beat Akron today. They were all really big for us," said head coach Todd Starkey. "We had too many turnovers on big possessions in the fourth quarter but played well enough down the stretch. Jordan came up with a great rebound when we really needed it, and it's fitting that both her and McKenna had a double-double on senior day."
Senior Naddiyah Cross dished out a team-high four assists, moving into sole possession of eighth on Kent State's career assists list (387) in the process. Cross added three points and three rebounds. Her only basket of the game was a big one, as her three-pointer pushed the Flashes' lead back to double-digits with 6:56 left on the clock. In her first career start, redshirt senior Zenobia Bess pulled down four rebounds and had a team-high two steals.
Kent State shot 15-for-16 at the charity stripe for a season-high 93.8 percent. Although the Flashes shot just 20-for-60 (.333) from the floor, they forced the Zips into their worst shooting night of the conference season (20-for-63; .317).
The Flashes outrebounded Akron, 44-34, and now have a double-digit rebounding margin in 12 games this season. Junior Alexa Golden and redshirt sophomore Megan Carter both assisted on the glass with five rebounds each. Golden added 14 points, while Carter had nine points.
The Flashes host Buffalo in the final home game of the season on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
