Kent State University
Ohio State
Women’s Basketball Hosts Ohio State for Home Opener Thursday Night
11/20/2019 11:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball
For the first time since 1981, Kent State welcomes Ohio State to the M.A.C. Center as the 2019-20 home slate begins on Thursday, November 21. The game will tip at approximately 7:30 p.m. and follows the men's basketball game against Concord. Both teams feature several talented young players with freshmen and sophomores accounting for greater than 80-percent of scoring so far this season.
The Golden Flashes (3-1) begin a three-game homestand following wins at Duquesne and Youngstown State and a pair of games at the Akron Classic this past weekend. Kent State bounced back from a disappointing performance against No. 24 Michigan on Friday to defeat Purdue Fort Wayne, 75-67, on Saturday. The Flashes went a perfect 14-for-14 at the charity stripe over the final 1:53 to stretch a close the wire-to-wire victory.
All five starters are scoring double-figures. Sophomore Asiah Dingle (15.0 ppg) and freshman Katie Shumate (14.8 ppg) lead the way and have each scored at least 10 points in every game. Dingle adds 4.8 rebounds per game and has a team-best 12 assists. Shumate leads Kent State with nine steals and is the second-leading rebounder (5.8 rpg). Freshman Nila Blackford (12.3 ppg) is grabbing 8.8 rebounds per contest and has two double-doubles. Sophomore Lindsey Thall (12.3 ppg) is the top shotblocker (2.0 bpg) in the Mid-American Conference for the second year in a row. Redshirt senior Megan Carter adds 10.0 points per game and sank the game-winner with 0.2 on the clock at Duquesne in the season opener.
Scouting Ohio State
Following a 51-point victory in the season opener against Valparaiso, the Buckeyes (2-1) needed overtime to win at Cincinnati and suffered a 74-68 loss at home to preseason MAC favorite Ohio on Sunday. Ohio State has good size throughout its lineup and ranks 15th nationally in blocked shots (6.3 bpg). The Buckeyes are also ninth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.182) and 27th in field goal percentage defense (.319).
All-Big Ten Second Team performer Dorka Juhasz leads OSU with 12.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Guard Braxtin Miller provides versatility with averages of 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. A two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 honoree at Oklahoma State, Miller was granted a waiver for immediately eligible from the NCAA on November 8. Guard Kierstan Bell (9.7 ppg) scored 2,883 career points during her high school career and is as the girls basketball player in state history to be named Ohio's Player of the Year three times. Guard Madison Greene (9.3 ppg), forward Aaliyah Patty (9.0 ppg), Janai Crooms (7.3 ppg, 6.0 apg), guard Jacy Sheldon (7.3 ppg) and forward Aixa Wone Aranaz (6.0 ppg) give the Buckeyes plenty of capable scoring options.
Series History
• Kent State is 0-6 all-time vs. Ohio State with all six matchups occurring from 1978-81.
• The Buckeyes won the first-ever meeting, 69-64, on March 3, 1978 in Bowling Green.
• Ohio State won the most recent meeting, 67-62, in the OAISW championships game held on March 8, 1981 in Toledo.
• The Golden Flashes lost the only meeting at the M.A.C. Center, 69-64, on February 18,1981.
• Kent State is 5-35 all-time vs. schools currently in the Big Ten.
TV / Radio
Ty Linder will be on the call on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Dave Wilson and Tanner Castora bring the action on ESPN+.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes will open the home schedule against Ohio State on Thursday, Nov. 21 with tip-off scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m.
