Kent State University
19-11,10-10MAC
Youngstown State
23-7,17-4Horizon
Big Second Half Fuels Flashes Past Penguins in WNIT First Round
3/16/2022 8:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Kent State used a 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away from host Youngstown State for a 68-59 victory in a Postseason WNIT first round contest on Wednesday evening.
The Golden Flashes (19-11) made eight three-point field goals in the victory to bring their season total to 244, breaking the previous record set during the 2018-19 season.
Senior Lindsey Thall led a balanced scoring effort with 15 points. Junior Katie Shumate had 13 points and freshman Jenna Batsch had a career night with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench. It was also a group effort on the glass, as Kent State held a 35-21 rebounding advantage. Junior Nila Blackford and freshman Bridget Dunn grabbed six boards apiece and Thall was right behind with five. Junior Clare Kelly and sophomore Casey Santoro had five assists each.
Shumate and senior Mariah Modkins made three-pointers on the first two possessions for a quick 6-0 lead. Dunn's a triple shortly before the media timeout gave Kent State an 11-7 lead. The Penguins scored out of the timeout, but layups by Dunn and Thall pushed the lead back to six.
Youngstown State scored the final seven points of the period to go ahead and extended it to a 15-0 run during the opening minutes of the second. A three-pointer put the Penguins ahead by 10 with 7:11 left in the half, but the Flashes locked in on the defensive end and allowed just one field goal over the next 16 minutes of game action.
A 13-0 run midway through the third quarter gave Kent State a 48-35 lead, but YSU scored the next eight points to get within 48-43 going into the fourth.
The Penguins sank a three-pointer late in the shot clock to get within six, but a great effort by Shumate to follow her own missed shot led directly to an open jumper by Dunn for a 60-52 lead at the final media timeout. Kent State scored the next eight points to take its largest lead of the night, 68-52, with 1:51 to play.
The Flashes advance to the WNIT second round, which will take place March 19-22, to play the winner of Friday's contest between Toledo and Houston Baptist at a to-be-determined site.
