Kent State University
1-1,0-0MAC
Northern Kentucky
1-1,0-0Horizon
Women’s Basketball Dominates NKU Early in First Win of Season
11/13/2022 6:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State earned a wire-to-wire victory over visiting Northern Kentucky, 77-54, on Sunday afternoon at the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (1-1) scored the first 14 points of the contest and held a double-digit lead for all but 55 seconds the rest of the game. Kent State outscored the Norse 26-11 in the second period to take a 24-point advantage into halftime and led by as many as 29 points during the third quarter.
All 14 Flashes saw action with 11 entering the scoring column. Senior Katie Shumate had a game-high 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while classmate Clare Kelly was right behind with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Freshman Corynne Hauser had 11 points to reach double-digits for the first time and junior Casey Santoro added 10. Sophomore Bridget Dunn grabbed a career-best nine rebounds to help limit NKU to one second chance point.
After controlling the opening tip, graduate student Lindsey Thall knocked down a three-pointer from behind the top of the arc on a feed from Santoro. Kelly scored the next five points for Kent State and the lead reached 14-0 with 2:52 left in the period following three layups by Hauser. After missing their first 12 shots, the Norse made three in a row and added a pair of free throws to get within 18-9 after 10 minutes of action.
Kelly drained a triple to start the second quarter. The Flashes allowed an open jumper on the opposite end of the floor but then tightened up the defense and held NKU scoreless for more than three minutes as the lead extended to 18. A steal and layup by sophomore Jenna Batsch beat the halftime buzzer to cap a 10-1 run and put Kent State ahead 44-20 heading into the locker room.
Back-to-back baskets by Batsch gave the Flashes their largest lead of the contest, 57-28, with 2:13 remaining in the third period.
Kent State made 50.9% of its shots and held a decisive 40-18 scoring advantage in the paint.
Freshmen Dionna Gray and Tatiana Thomas and redshirt freshman Elena Maier made their Flashes debuts. Gray made a pair of three-pointers for six points and grabbed three rebounds.
Kent State will play its final four games in November on the road, beginning at Arkansas on Nov. 17.
