Kent State University
18-11, 11-7MAC
Buffalo
20-9, 12-6MAC
Barber-Smith, Golden Lead Strong Defensive Effort in Senior Day Victory
3/9/2019 7:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – Seniors Merissa Barber-Smith and Alexa Golden delivered big games on Senior Day as Kent State defeated Buffalo, 62-53, Saturday afternoon inside of the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (18-11, 11-7 MAC) scored on the opening possession to lead wire-to-wire and earn the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Although they combined for only five points, the senior duo made a huge impact on the game's outcome. Barber-Smith grabbed five rebounds and swatted two shots during her 11 minutes on the court. In a two-point game, the Madison, Wisconsin native rejected a shot to force a shot clock violation with 2:15 remaining and then grabbed a defensive rebound on the Bulls' next possession. Golden finished with a career-high eight assists and team-high six rebounds, while also drawing multiple offensive fouls on Buffalo.
"Our team fought so that our seniors could get a win on Senior Night, and I'm proud of them for that," said head coach Todd Starkey.
Kent State held a high-powered Bulls squad that entered as the 23rd highest-scoring team in the country to a season-low 53 points on 13-for-50 (26.0-percent) shooting from the field. The Flashes' defense locked in during the second half and forced Buffalo into a 3-for-24 shooting performance over the final 20 minutes.
"Defensively, we did a really good job," added Starkey. "We executed the game plan presented and did a good job of making most of their shots difficult."
The Bulls made five fewer field goals than in any other game this season and scored nearly half of their points at the charity stripe. The MAC leader in free throws made shot 24-for-33 at the foul line in the contest.
Freshman Asiah Dingle shook off being called for two fouls in the opening minutes of the game and finished with 16 points. Junior Ali Poole provided a spark off the bench with 15 points. Poole scored 10 points in the first quarter after entering at the 5:16 mark. Redshirt junior Megan Carter and freshman Lindsey Thall added 11 points apiece. Thall totaled five blocked shots and a career-high three assists.
The Flashes will host Bowling Green on Monday, March 11 for a MAC Tournament first round game that is scheduled for 7 p.m. The winner of the contest will advance to the quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on March 13 to face Buffalo.
