Kent State University
Eastern Michigan
Women’s Hoops Seeks Season Sweep of EMU Saturday at Noon
1/29/2021 11:51:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Kent State's women's basketball team returns to action Saturday when it hosts Eastern Michigan for a noon contest inside the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (5-2, 4-0 MAC) will take the court for just the third time in 2021, and the Eagles will be the opponent for the second time. Kent State defeated Eastern Michigan, 67-61, on January 2 in Ypsilanti. Mariah Modkins scored a career-high 16 points and Nila Blackford recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. Overall, the Flashes have won five in a row with the last loss coming on December 9. The three-point line, balanced scoring and rebounding have been keys during the win streak. Kent State has averaged 9.4 three-pointers while converting on 44.8 percent of shots from behind the arc. Six players are averaging at least 8.0 points per contest. After being beaten on the glass in both of the first two games, the Flashes have outrebounded opponents by an average of nearly 8.2 over the last five.
Four players are averaging more than 9.0 points per game and eight have posted double-figure scoring nights. Sophomore Nila Blackford is one of two MAC players averaging a double-double with team-best marks of 15.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Junior Lindsey Thall adds 10.1 points per game and is the top shot blocker (1.7 bpg) in the MAC for the third year in a row while averaging a career-best 5.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Katie Shumate (9.6 ppg), who had offseason surgery and was limited to 15 minutes of action in each of the first two games, has averaged 11.2 points during Kent State's win streak. Junior Mariah Modkins (9.3 ppg) is having a breakout season and leads the Flashes in assists (21) while ranking second in three-point field goals (11), and steals (8). Freshman Casey Santoro (6.7 ppg) are sophomore Clare Kelly (6.6 ppg) and combining for more than 18 points per game during the team's first four league contests.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
The Eagles (9-6, 6-4 MAC) has played as well as any MAC team over the past few weeks with victories in five of the last six games. During this stretch, EMU ended a 13-game losing streak against Central Michigan and is coming off a 69-66 win against Ohio on Wednesday. The Eagles also own the best true road record (6-1) in the league.
One of the top defensive teams in the MAC, the Eagles lead the league in scoring defense (61.5 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.369). Only three opponents have been able to hit the 70-point mark while four have been held under 55 this season.
Guard Areanna Combs (19.7 ppg) does a little bit of everything for EMU. The Oklahoma State transfer leads the MAC with 3.1 steals per game and adds 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Her 280 field goal attempts are the second-most in the nation. Forward Ce'Nara Skanes adds 17.3 points per game on MAC-best .508 field goal percentage and also leads the conference at 10.8 rebounds per game. She is seventh in the country with nine double-doubles. Point guard Jenna Annecchiarico (9.8 ppg) averages a team-best 4.1 assists per game and adds 2.3 steals per game. She ranks second in the MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.97) and second nationally in minutes played (568).
Series History
• Kent State is 41-28 all-time vs. Eastern Michigan.
• The Golden Flashes had won six consecutive matchups prior to a 74-69 setback last season in Kent.
• The Flashes are 23-8 all-time record vs. the Eagles in Kent.
• The Flashes' 19-game winning streak from 1992-03 is the longest for either team.
• Kent State is 7-1 under fifth-year head coach Todd Starkey.
• The Flashes had an 11-game losing streak prior to Starkey's arrival in 2016
Broadcast Info
Dave Wilson and Jack Berney will call the action on ESPN3, while Clint Scroggs has the call on the Kent State Radio Network.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will visit Ohio on Wednesday, February 3.
