Kent State University
5-2,4-0MAC
Ball State
4-5,2-3MAC
Kent State Celebrates Senior Day with 70-61 Victory
1/9/2021 6:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State's bench accounted for 51 points on Saturday to lift the team to a 70-61 victory over Ball State on Senior Day. Sophomore Nila Blackford led the way with her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman Casey Santoro and junior Hannah Young also made key contributions while logging more minutes of court action than any other game this season.
The Golden Flashes (5-2, 4-0 MAC) have won five games in a row and are one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Mid-American Conference women's basketball standings.
Not being in the starting lineup for the first time this season, and just the second time during her Kent State career, was not a deterrent for Blackford. The forward from Louisville scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and came away with a career-high three steals in the rare reserve role.
Santoro played a career-high 33 minutes, which included the entire second half. She finished with 12 points and a career-best three assists. Young had her best game of the season with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Katie Shumate added seven points to round out the bench scoring. Shumate also grabbed five boards and blocked two shots.
After allowing 21 points in the opening period and trailing by four through 10 minutes of play, the Flashes' defense held the Cardinals to 21 points on 8-of-27 shooting over the next 20 minutes. Meanwhile, a 21-5 run over an eight-plus minute span late in the first quarter and into the second helped Kent State build a 37-30 halftime lead.
Ball State hung around and trailed by six late in the third, but Lindsey Thall had a personal 5-0 run over the final 90 seconds to push the lead to 11 entering the fourth. Thall finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
A 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter helped the Flashes start to pull away. A three-pointer by Casey Santoro made it 58-45 at the 8:20 mark. Hannah Young scored on a pass from Nila Blackford on the next trip down the floor. Santoro added a fast break layup to give Kent State its largest lead of the day, 62-45, with 6:41 to play. Ball State closed with a 9-2 run over the final three minutes to get within single digits for the final score.
The Flashes held a decisive 43-33 rebounding advantage and led 17-2 in second-chance scoring. Kent State finished with more assists (13) than turnovers (12) for the second time this season. Sophomore Clare Kelly had a career-high four assists to lead the way.
The Flashes will make the trip down the road to play rival Akron in a Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge contest on Wednesday, January 13 at 6 p.m.
