Kent State University
10-6,9-4MAC
Buffalo
12-8,9-6MAC
Women’s Basketball Beats Buffalo in Play4Kay Game, 65-62
2/24/2021 9:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State scored the final four points to earn a 65-62 victory over Buffalo in the annual Play4Kay game at the M.A.C. Center on Wednesday night.
The Golden Flashes (10-6, 9-4 MAC) held the Bulls to their second lowest-scoring game of the season and did not allow a field goal over the final 4:55 of the contest. Sophomore Clare Kelly hounded Buffalo star Dyaisha Fair on the game's final possession and the high-scoring guard's heave from 25 feet out didn't fall.
Sophomore Nila Blackford scored 16 of her team-high 18 points in the second half. The forward shook off 1-of-8 shooting in the first half by making 8 of 10 shots while playing all 20 minutes after halftime and also led Kent State with nine rebounds. Classmate Katie Shumate added 17 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
Junior Mariah Modkins, who scored seven of her 10 points during the final six minutes, put the Flashes ahead, 63-62, with a runner near the elbow as the shot clock neared expiration with 50.6 seconds to play.
Following a defensive stop, Kelly found Blackford open for a layup on an underneath inbounds play to extend it to 65-62 with 17.1 to play. Kent State forced another turnover but missed two free throw attempts with 10.7 on the clock to allow the Bulls to get the ball with a chance to tie it.
After a timeout, Buffalo got the ball into the hands of Fair, who made the team's only three-point field goal of the night, with 7.1 seconds remaining. The nation's sixth-leading scorer was unable to create space from Kelly and had to chuck a desperation shot that hit off the glass and grazed the rim before falling to the ground.
Kent State heads back on the road on Saturday when it attempts to complete a season sweep of Miami.
