Kent State University
Buffalo
Kent State Begins Two-Game Road Swing Saturday at Buffalo
2/8/2019 7:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kent State will begin the second half of the Mid-American Conference women's basketball seasons on Saturday at Buffalo. Tip-off inside of Alumni Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (12-8, 5-4 MAC) led wire-to-wire on Wednesday's 55-51 win against Western Michigan. After leading by 19 with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter, Kent State had a tough time scoring. Meanwhile, the visiting Broncos heated up from beyond three-point line in the fourth period and fought back to make it a 52-51 game with 12.8 remaining. Â The Flashes were able to convert 3-of-4 at the foul line to close it out. Megan Carter scored a team-high 17 points and Asiah Dingle added 12 points. Alexa Golden grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as part of a 46-28 advantage on the glass for Kent State.
Guard Megan Carter (16.5 ppg) has scored at least 12 points in all but three games this season and is tied for the team lead with 47 assists. The MAC's seventh-leading scorer has hit the 20-point mark in five of the past six games. Freshman Asiah Dingle (13.2 ppg) has provided a scoring threat at the point guard position. Forward Lindsey Thall (9.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg) leads Kent State with 33 three-pointers to go with a MAC-best 34 blocks. Center Merissa Barber-Smith is the team's top rebounder at 6.7 per game and has 22 blocked shots. Guard Alexa Golden (7.4 ppg) leads the team in assists (2.5 apg), steals (2.7 spg) and three-point field goal percentage (.373).
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo (15-5, 7-2 MAC) enters No. 10 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll and No. 24 in the most recent NCAA RPI rankings. The Bulls topped Toledo, 73-63, on Wednesday to improve to 8-2 at Alumni Arena. Those losses were a 62-55 setback to No. 8 Stanford and an overtime loss to first-place Ohio in the conference opener.
The Bulls score 75.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the MAC, and allows 67.1 points per game. Buffalo is efficient at the free throw line and ranks in the top-30 nationally in free throws made (323) and free throw percentage (.755). The Bulls play aggressive on defense and are second in the conference in steals per game (10.0) and turnover margin (+4.1).
Guard Cierra Dillard is one of the MAC's top players. The redshirt senior is the nation's third-leading scorer at 24.7 points per game and recently surpassed 1,000 points in her second season at Buffalo. Dillard has drilled a team-high 65 three-pointers and her 138 free throws are the second-most in the country. She ranks second in the conference in assists per game (5.8) and steals per game (2.95). Forward Summer Hemphill (13.5 ppg, 9.23 rpg) has posted a double-double in six of 12 games played while blocking a team-best 17 shots. Guard Theresa Onwuka adds 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Series History
• Kent State is 27-16 all-time vs. Buffalo.
• However, the Bulls are 13-1 over the past 14 meetings.
• The Golden Flashes snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series with an 80-71 victory inside of the M.A.C. Center in the 2017 regular season finale, clinching the MAC East Division title.
• Kent State is 11-8 in games played at Buffalo.
• The Flashes won the first 19 meetings between the schools, beginning with an 86-77 victory on Jan. 13, 1999.
• The Flashes are 1-4 vs. Buffalo under third-year head coach Todd Starkey.
TV / Radio
Dave Wilson will be on the call on 640 WHLO and the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Paul Peck and Amy Audibet bring the action on ESPN3.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will be back on the road to take on Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
