Kent State University
18-11, 11-7MAC
Buffalo
18-11, 9-9MAC
Thall Drains Six Three-Pointers in Final Regular Season Contest
3/7/2020 6:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Sophomore Lindsey Thall made six three-point field goals as part of a 28-point performance as the Kent State women's basketball team fell on the road to Buffalo, 72-58, in the final regular season game Saturday afternoon.
While the Golden Flashes (18-11, 11-7 MAC) had their four-game winning streak come to an end, they had already secured at least a share of the Mid-American Conference East Division title and were locked into the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament. Eight players logged at least 15 minutes and only one played more than 26 minutes.
Thall knocked down six of her 11 attempts from long range and was Kent State's only scorer in double-digits. She added a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Nila Blackford also grabbed nine boards in 18 minutes of action. Sophomore Asiah Dingle recorded five assists and four steals in just 15 minutes.
Despite not making a field goal for more than six minutes to start the game, freshman Clare Kelly's putback at the 3:56 mark tied it at 6-6. Buffalo scored five in a row and the teams traded buckets twice before Sydney Brinlee converted a pair of free throws to get within 15-12. The Flashes turned it over while trying to hold for the final shot of the period, and the Bulls nailed a corner three at the buzzer to lead 18-12.
Thall went 4-for-4 from downtown in the second period with her final basket tying it at 24-24 with 2:57 until halftime. UB scored the next four points and the Flashes split a pair of foul shots on three possessions in a row to get within 28-27. Kent State got a defensive stop late in the quarter but couldn't get a transition basket to fall just before the buzzer.
The Flashes went more than six minutes without a field goal again to start the third period, as the Bulls extended the lead to 13. Thall went on a personal 4-0 run to get within single digits, but Buffalo had an answer and led 51-37 at the end of the period.
Kent State scored on its first three possessions in the fourth to get within 51-44 with 8:19 to play. However, UB made its next five field goals as part of a 13-4 run to start and pull away.
The Flashes will play a MAC Tournament quarterfinals contest on Wednesday, March 11 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland against the winner of Monday's first round game between Buffalo and Miami.
