Kent State University
Buffalo
Flashes Aim to Dethrone Defending Tournament Champion Bulls Wednesday in MAC Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals
3/10/2020 2:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
East Division co-champion Kent State will face 2019 Mid-American Conference Tournament champion Buffalo in a tournament quarterfinals contest Wednesday evening at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The final game of the day is estimated to tip at 7:30 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (18-11) clinched at least a share of the division title after defeating unanimous preseason favorite Ohio, 81-77, last Wednesday at the M.A.C. Center to conclude a four-game winning streak. Locked in as the No. 3 seed in this week's tournament, eight different Kent State players saw 15 or more minutes of action in a 72-58 loss at Buffalo on Saturday. The Flashes overcame a 3-of-14 shooting performance in the first period to tie the game at 24-24 and trailed 28-27 at halftime. Another slow start to the third period allowed the Bulls push their lead to 14. Kent State scored the first seven points in the fourth quarter to get within seven at the 8:19, but UB shot 7-of-10 the rest of the way to earn the Senior Day victory. Lindsey Thall drained six three-pointers and finished with a game-high 28 points to go with nine rebounds and two blocks. Nila Blackford pulled down nine boards in 18 minutes and Asiah Dingle recorded five assists and four steals in 15 minutes.
Five Golden Flashes are scoring in double-figures for the season. Sophomore Asiah Dingle leads the Flashes in scoring (13.1 ppg), assists (3.2 apg) and steals (2.1 spg). Dingle has averaged 13.8 points on 56.5-percent shooting since the beginning of February. Freshman Katie Shumate has displayed a versatile skill set and ranks in the top-two on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg), rebounding (6.4 rpg), steals (34) and blocked shots (25). Freshman Nila Blackford is the conference's top freshman rebounders at 7.8 per game and adds 12.3 points per game. Redshirt senior Megan Carter (11.9 ppg) has ranks 18th on Kent State's all-time scoring list with 1,234 points. Sophomore Lindsey Thall (11.8 ppg) is the MAC's top shot blocker (2.2 bpg) and only NCAA Division I player with 60 three-pointers and 60 blocks this season.
Kent State in the MAC Tournament
• Kent State is making its 34th appearance in the MAC Tournament and has a 34-29 record in tournament play.
• The Golden Flashes have advanced to the quarterfinals in Cleveland for the fourth year in a row.
• Kent State has advanced to the semifinals 17 times, recording an 12-5 record in those games.
• The Flashes have won three MAC Tournament titles: 1999, 2000 and 2002.
• Kent State appeared in the championship game seven straight years from 1996-2002 and has played for the title 12 times overall.
• During that seven-year stretch, the Flashes owned an 18-4 MAC Tournament record.
MAC Tournament History vs. Buffalo
• Kent State is 2-3 all-time vs. Buffalo in MAC Tournament play, with all five being quarterfinal matchups.
• The Golden Flashes won the first two postseason meetings between the teams, knocking the Bulls out of the tournament in both 1999 (84-48) and 2000 (71-68).
• Buffalo earned its first victory, 66-54, in 2009.
• The Bulls have eliminated Kent State the past two years by an average margin of 27.5 points.
Scouting Buffalo
Buffalo (19-11) enters with a conference-best six-game winning streak. The Bulls built a 29-point halftime lead in defeating Miami, 87-72, in a first-round game on Monday. Buffalo leads the MAC in rebounding (42.5 rpg) and rebound margin (+4.1).
Freshman guard Dyaisha Fair is the nation's sixth-leading scorer at 21.3 points per game and has hit the 20-point mark 20 times. Fair also leads UB in assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.7 spg) while adding 5.8 rebounds per game. Guard Theresa Onwuka is having a breakout senior season with averages of 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Forward Adebola Adeyeye (5.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg) has averaged 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds over the past four games.
Series History
• Kent State is 28-20 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 17-2 over the past 19 meetings.
• Kent State is 1-3 in matchups played on a neutral floor and 2-3 in MAC Tournament meetings.
• The Flashes are 2-8 vs. Buffalo under fourth-year head coach Todd Starkey.
TV / Radio
Dave Wilson will be on the call on 640 WHLO and the Golden Flashes iHeartRadio channel, while Dave Bacon and Jacki Windon will bring the action on ESPN+.
Next Up for Kent State
With a win, the Golden Flashes advance to the MAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, March 13 against the winner of the quarterfinal between No. 2 seed Ball State and No. 7 seed Eastern Michigan. Kent State is hopeful for its third Postseason WNIT invitation in the past four seasons should it lose in the quarterfinals.
