Kent State University
Duquesne
Women’s Basketball Visits Duquesne for 2019-20 Opener
11/4/2019 12:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The 45th season of Kent State women's basketball will start Tuesday night against Duquesne. The Golden Flashes and Dukes will play the second game of a scheduled doubleheader at PPG Paints Arena in downtown Pittsburgh with tip at approximately 8:30 p.m.
Fourth-year head coach Todd Starkey's squad has been projected to finish third in the ultra-competitive Mid-American Conference East Division. Kent State was fourth a year ago but earned the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. Each of the top four teams in the division posted 20-win campaigns while combining for five postseason victories.
The Flashes return four starters and 83.6-percent of its scoring from last year's 20-win team. Preseason All-MAC East selection Megan Carter headlines the returners after posting averages of 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game during her redshirt junior season. Carter was the Flashes' most consistent scoring threat, reaching double-figures in 27 of 33 games on the season. Point guard Asiah Dingle (12.9 ppg) and forward Lindsey Thall (10.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) were perhaps the two top true freshmen in the conference a season ago. Guard Ali Poole (8.8 ppg) is the team's most experienced player with 92 games in a Flashes uniform. Freshmen Nila Blackford, Clare Kelly and Katie Shumate all made major contributions during the team's foreign tour to Vancouver in August, as the Flashes went 3-0 with an average margin of victory of 37.7 points.
Scouting Duquesne
Although Duquesne has averaged better than 22 wins in six seasons under the leaderships of head coach Dan Burt, the Dukes were voted to finish ninth among 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. The top three scorers, who combined for more than half of the team's scoring, are gone from last year's 19-13 campaign that ended in the A-10 Tournament semifinals.
Duquesne's next four top scorers do return, led by guard Libby Bazelak. The junior averaged 7.4 points per game and led the Dukes in assists (2.9 per game) and steals (1.9 per game). Bazelak is also their top long-range threat with 27 makes and a 33.7 three-point point field goal percentage. Guard/forward Paige Cannon (5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) is the most experienced player on the roster with 98 career games played. Guard Nina Aho, who has played in just five games since a promising freshman campaign in 2016-17, is expected to be a key player for the Dukes.
Series History
• Kent State is 2-5 all-time vs. Duquesne.
• The Golden Flashes have lost four straight in the series with the most recent victory coming by a score of 75-70 on Dec. 5, 2001 at the M.A.C. Center.
• The Dukes won last year's matchup at the M.A.C. Center, 77-72
• Kent State is 0-3 in trips to Pittsburgh with Duquesne owning an average margin of victory of 14 points in those contests.
• The Dukes won its most recent home game in the series, 86-60, on Dec. 3, 2014.
KSU in Season Openers
• Kent State is 22-22 all-time in season openers after a 73-60 setback at North Carolina a year ago.
• The Golden led at the final media timeout but were outscored 23-8 over the final 4:52.
• Head coach Todd Starkey is 2-1 in openers and is the only KSU head coach to be victorious in their debut at the school with a 77-52 win against Bradley start begin the 2016-17 season.
• The Flashes are 1-3 all-time in openers vs. current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Most recently, KSU lost at UMass, 83-53, to start the 2012-13 season.
TV / Radio
Dave Wilson will be on the call on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Tim Brenz and Ellis Cannon bring the action on ESPN+.
Next Up For Kent State
The Golden Flashes will visit Youngstown State on Saturday, Nov. 9 for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
