Kent State University
Central Michigan
Flashes Lock Down Chippewas to Get Back in Win Column
2/2/2022 10:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State held its fourth Mid-American Conference opponent under 60 points in its return to action Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center to begin February with a 68-57 victory over Central Michigan.
The Golden Flashes (11-7, 3-6 MAC) recorded 12 steals and scored 25 points off turnovers, the most since the season opener at Northern Kentucky. Junior Clare Kelly led the way with four steals to match her career-high, while junior Nila Blackford, freshman Bridget Dunn and senior Lindsey Thall added two steals apiece.
Junior Katie Shumate tied her season-high with 21 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting to lead Kent State in the scoring column. Blackford posted her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Thall added 11 points and had four assists to share the team lead with Kelly.
The opening minutes of the game featured four ties, the last coming on a Central Michigan basket at the 2:28 mark. Sophomore Casey Santoro answered with a three-point field goal on the next trip down the floor to start a 7-2 run, but the Chippewas made a late three-pointer to get within 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Central Michigan went ahead 19-18 less than two minutes into the second period, but the Flashes took back the lead for good 55 seconds later when excellent ball movement resulted in an open triple for Shumate. Kent State went on to score the next 11 points overall, with the Newark native contributing seven of them, and built the lead to 35-24 at halftime.
It remained an 11-point advantage late into the third quarter when Blackford put together a dominant 30-second stretch that gave the Flashes their largest lead of the game. The forward rejected a shot in the paint on the defensive end, and then blew past her defender on a drive from above the free throw line for a layup. Blackford then jumped a passing lane and scored a fast break basket to make it 50-35.
The lead dipped into single-digits twice in the fourth quarter but a 5-0 run on two Shumate free throws and a Thall three-pointer allowed the Flashes to extend it back to a 14-point game with 7:10 remaining.
Kent State is scheduled to visit Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 5 with tip set for 2 p.m. The Flashes will then host Miami in a 7 p.m. contest at the M.A.C. Center on Monday, Feb. 7.
