Kent State University
Eastern Michigan
Kent State Returns to M.A.C. Center to Host EMU in Wednesday Women’s Hoops Matchup
1/7/2020 3:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kent State will seek its first Mid-American Conference win of the women's basketball season on Wednesday, January 8 when Eastern Michigan visits the M.A.C. Center for a 7 p.m. contest.
The Golden Flashes (7-5, 0-1 MAC) fell to Ball State, 66-62, to Ball State on the road during Saturday's conference opener. Nila Blackford impressed in the first MAC game of her career, leading all players with 23 points and nine rebounds. Megan Carter had 13 points and Lindsey Thall added 10 points. Kent State was credited with a season-low six assists and matched its season-low with just nine turnovers. Asiah Dingle had a team-best three assists and matched her season-high with eight boards.
Kent State's defense has been much-improved over the past four contests, limiting opponents to 55.2 points per game on 35.1-percent shooting from the field. Georgia Southern and Hiram had their lowest-scoring games of the season, while Troy had its second-lowest scoring game. The Flashes forced an average of 18.3 turnovers per game during the stretch.
All five starters are scoring in double-figures for the season. Freshman Nila Blackford (14.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) is one of only two MAC players among the top-10 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding. Redshirt senior Megan Carter (12.5 ppg) has scored in double-digits in each of the past seven contests against Division I opponents. Sophomore Lindsey Thall (12.2 ppg) is fourth in the MAC in blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and three-point field goal percentage (.425). Sophomore Asiah Dingle (11.8 ppg) leads the Flashes in assists (3.9 apg) and steals (2.0 spg). Freshman Katie Shumate (11.0 ppg) has displayed a versatile skill set and ranks in the top-two on the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg), steals (19) and blocked shots (14).
Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan (6-6, 1-0 MAC) has won four games in a row following a 78-61 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday. The Eagles have outscored their opposition by an average of 73.5-57.5 during the winning streak.
The Eagles rank 10th in the MAC with an average of 66.3 points per game and are last in three-point field goals per game (6.1), free throws per game (9.3) and free throw percentage (.569).
Guard Areanna Combs (20.7 ppg) has made an immediate after missing the first six games of the season. The Oklahoma State transfer scored 32 points against Bowling Green, which tied for the most on the opening day of the conference season. Guard Aaliyah Stanley adds 12.9 points per game and leads EMU with 27 three-pointers. Point guard Jenna Annecchiarico (7.6 ppg) averages a team-best 3.8 assists per game. Center Autumn Hudson (3.8 ppg) is the Eagles' top rebounder at 5.8 rebounds per game.
Series History
• Kent State is 40-27 all-time vs. Eastern Michigan.
• The Golden Flashes are 6-0 under third-year head coach Todd Starkey after losing 11 consecutive contests to the Eagles.
• Kent State has an average margin of victory of 11.83 during these six contests.
• The Flashes are 23-7 all-time record vs. the Eagles in Kent. EMU last won at the M.A.C. Center on Feb. 4, 2015 (70-53).
• Kent State's 19-game winning streak from 1992-03 is the longest for either team.
• The Flashes have won both games that have required overtime. Most recently, KSU came out on top in double-overtime, 96-94, in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on March 3, 2000 in Cleveland.
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 ESPN+.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will return to the M.A.C. Center on Saturday to host Western Michigan at 1 p.m.
