Kent State University
Bowling Green
Play4Kay Game Set for Saturday vs. BG
2/15/2019 2:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kent State women's basketball will host its annual Play4Kay game Saturday when Bowling Green visits the M.A.C. Center for a 5 p.m. contest. The annual game helps to raise awareness and funding for women's cancer research and honor female cancer survivors.
The Golden Flashes (13-9, 6-5 MAC) put 40 points on the board and led by 16 at halftime in a 67-54 road victory against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday to complete their third consecutive season sweep of the Eagles. Alexa Golden did all of her scoring in the opening 20 minutes and led all players with 17 points and 10 rebounds to record Kent State's first double-double of the season. Golden rounded out the stat sheet with four steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Megan Carter (12 points), Asiah Dingle (11 points) and Lindsey Thall (10 points) also scored in double-figures, while Ali Poole added eight points and a career-high eight rebounds.
Guard Megan Carter (16.2 ppg) has scored at least 12 points in all but three games this season and is second on the team with 53 assists. The MAC's seventh-leading scorer is 7-for-10 from behind the three-point arc over the past four games. Freshman Asiah Dingle (12.4 ppg) has provided a scoring threat at the point guard position. Forward Lindsey Thall (9.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads Kent State with 38 three-pointers and her 35 blocked shots rank second in the MAC. Center Merissa Barber-Smith is the team's top rebounder at 6.6 per game and has 24 blocked shots. Guard Alexa Golden (8.2 ppg) leads the team in assists (2.5 apg), steals (2.7 spg) and three-point field goal percentage (.395).
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green (8-14, 1-10 MAC) took down Buffalo, 78-72, on Wednesday for its first conference win of the season. Five players scored in double-figures as the Falcons made a season-best 56.8-percent of its field goal attempts to overcome a season-high 28 turnovers.
The Falcons rank fifth in the MAC with an average of 70.6 points per game and are prolific three-point shooting team. Bowling Green ranks 15th in the country in three-pointers per game (9.4) and 50th in three-point field goal percentage (.331). The Falcons lead all MAC teams with just under 40-percent of their points coming from beyond the arc.
Guard/forward Andrea Cecil is in the midst of a breakout season and is the team's top scorer at 15.3 points per game. Cecil adds 5.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 42.7-percent from the three-point line. Guard Morgan McMillen leads all MAC freshmen with an average of 14.1 points per game. McMillen ranks 23rd nationally with 70 three-pointers. Guard Sydney Lambert (11.9 ppg) and center Angela Perry (11.6 ppg) give the Falcons four double-digit scorers. Guard Kadie Hempfling (5.5 ppg) leads the way in rebounding (8.7 rpg), assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.7 spg).
Series History
• Kent State is 33-51 all-time vs. Bowling Green.
• Each team defended home court last season, as season series was split for the first time since 2011.
• The Golden Flashes are 19-19 all-time at home against Bowling Green with wins in three of the last four matchups inside the M.A.C. Center.
• Kent State went 17-1 from 1995 until the 2005 MAC Tournament title game, which the Falcons won, 81-75.
• The Flashes are 3-1 vs. Bowling Green under third-year head coach Todd Starkey.
TV / Radio
Jacob Pavilack will be on the call on the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Dave Wilson and Henry Palatella bring the action on ESPN+.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will conclude the season series with Western Michigan and travel to Kalamazoo on Wednesday, Feb. 20 before returning home for the final two games in February.
