Kent State University
10-5,2-4MAC
Eastern Michigan
4-7,1-3MAC
Kent State Pulls Away from EMU with Dominant Second Half
1/15/2022 4:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State held visiting Eastern Michigan to five field goals over the final 20 minutes of Saturday afternoon's "We Back Pat" game inside of the M.A.C. Center and pulled away for an 83-58 victory.
The Golden Flashes (10-5, 2-4 MAC) trailed by four with 2:30 to play in the second quarter before closing the contest on a 49-20 run. Kent State held the Eagles to 6-of-25 shooting during the run and turned nine turnovers into 14 points. Offensively, the Flashes shot a season-best 51.9% from the field (27-of-52) and scored the most points against a Division I opponent this season.
"I recognized the team that was on the court again in the second half," said head coach Todd Starkey. "It looked like how we started the year. It was really good to see that."
Freshman Bridget Dunn led the way with a career-high 19 points. Junior Nila Blackford and sophomore Casey Santoro scored 15 points each. Blackford also grabbed 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and Santoro registered four assists.
A back-and-forth first quarter featured nine lead changes with neither team going ahead by more than three over the first six minutes of action. Eastern Michigan then made six of seven field goal attempts as part of an 11-2 run, but Blackford and senior Lindsey Thall each scored layups in the final minute to get Kent State within 23-19 at the end of the period.
The Flashes scored the first five points in the second quarter on a three-pointer by Dunn and two free throws by Blackford to go ahead, the first of seven lead changes in the period. Down 38-34 with 2:30 remaining before halftime, Dunn scored all of Kent State's points in a 7-2 run for a 41-40 lead going into the locker room.
A corner three-pointer by junior Katie Shumate less than three minutes into the third period put the Flashes ahead by double-digits for the first time. The lead reached 17 before four quick points by EMU, but Dunn drained a triple in the closing seconds to make it 65-49.
The teams traded baskets to start the fourth period, but Kent State's defense locked in and held the Eagles without a field goal for nearly eight minutes while the lead extended to 23.
The Flashes will be right back in action on Monday, as a previously postponed game at Buffalo has been rescheduled for a 5 p.m. tip.
