Kent State University
Buffalo
Women’s Basketball to Host Buffalo Saturday for “We Back Pat” Game
1/24/2020 12:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Kent State women's basketball team will return to action after a mid-week bye to host Buffalo for a 1 p.m. contest Saturday at the M.A.C. Center. This game will serve as the "We Back Pat" game and fans are encouraged to wear purple in support of the cause.
The Golden Flashes (10-6, 3-2 MAC) have won three in a row following a 2-0 road trip with stops at Northern Illinois and Miami. Asiah Dingle has scored a team-best 18.3 points per contest during this stretch. Nila Blackford is close behind at 17.0 points per game, while Katie Shumate has contributed 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per night. Dingle converted a pair of free throws to regain the lead with 7.9 on the clock, and Blackford added a layup in the closing seconds to close out a 78-75 victory last Saturday at Miami. Kent State had led by 13 with 5:29 to play but was unable to make another field goal until Blackford's final lay-in. Meanwhile, the RedHawks went 5-for-5 from long distance as part of an 18-4 run to take the lead at the 1:17 mark. Blackford led all scorers with 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting and pulled down eight boards. Shumate registered her second double-double with 18 points and game-high 11 rebounds. Dingle scored 11 of her 18 points during the final quarter.
Five Golden Flashes are scoring in double-figures for the season. Freshman Nila Blackford is posting team-leading averages of 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Asiah Dingle (12.9 ppg) leads the Flashes in assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.0 spg). Redshirt senior Megan Carter (12.7 ppg) has scored in double-digits in each of her past eight contests against Division I opponents. Freshman Katie Shumate (12.3 ppg) has displayed a versatile skill set and ranks in the top-two on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg), steals (23) and blocked shots (15). Sophomore Lindsey Thall (11.2 ppg) is second in the MAC in blocked shots (1.8 bpg) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.396).
Scouting Buffalo
The No. 13 team in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25, Buffalo (12-5, 3-3 MAC) lost at Ball State on Wednesday night, 69-65. The Bulls are 3-4 in true road games, including back-to-back losses. Buffalo leads the Mid-American Conference in rebounding (43.2 rpg) and rebound margin (+5.0) while committing a league-high 18.4 turnovers per game.
Freshman guard Dyaisha Fair is the nation's sixth-leading scorer at 22.4 points per game and has hit the 20-point mark in 12 of 16 games played. Fair also leads UB in assists (4.3 apg) and steals (2.7 spg) while adding 5.6 rebounds per game. Guard Theresa Onwuka is having a breakout senior season with averages of 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Guard Hanna Hall adds 7.9 points and scored a season-best 17 points on Wednesday.
Series History
• Kent State is 28-18 all-time vs. Buffalo.
• The Golden Flashes won each of the first 19 games in the series, beginning with an 86-77 victory on Jan. 13, 1999.
• However, the Bulls are 15-2 over the past 17 meetings.
• Kent State 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.
• The Flashes are 16-6 in games played at the M.A.C. Center.
• The Flashes are 2-6 vs. Buffalo under fourth-year head coach Todd Starkey.
About "We Back Pat" Week
"We Back Pat" Week is celebrated by all 14 teams in the SEC, and many other basketball programs around the world take time to observe the occasion as well. The initiative, which utilizes promotional public address announcements, video endorsements and television exposure to share a very important message, focuses on raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease and The Pat Summitt Foundation's role in fighting it.
TV / Radio
Dan Griffin will be on the call on 640 WHLO and the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Dave Wilson and Ben Pagani will bring the action on ESPN3.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will be back in action at the M.A.C. Center against Ball State on Wednesday, January 29 at 7 p.m.
