Kent State University
Toledo
Flashes Head to Toledo for WNIT Second Round Contest
3/20/2022 6:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kent State will battle a familiar opponent in the second round of the 2022 Postseason WNIT when it visits Mid-American Conference regular season champion Toledo on Monday, March 21. Tip inside Savage Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The teams last met 82 days ago in the conference opener on Dec. 29. The Rockets closed on a 14-5 run to leave the M.A.C. Center with a 69-60 victory. It appeared the teams might meet in a MAC Tournament quarterfinals contest on March 9, but the league's unbalanced schedule tiebreaker awarded the No. 8 seed to Ohio despite Kent State having a higher winning percentage in the conference standings.
About the Flashes
The Golden Flashes (19-11) played terrific defense over the past two games, holding Ohio and Youngstown State to an average of 54.5 points per game on just 31.9% shooting. Kent State limited the Penguins to only one field goal during a 16-minute stretch of Wednesday's 68-59 first round victory, turning a 10-point deficit early in the second period into an 11-point lead late in the third. YSU got within six with 4:43 to play, but the Flashes answered with a 10-0 run to pull away. Lindsey Thall led the way with 15 points. Katie Shumate added 13 points and Jenna Batsch had a career-high 11 points off the bench.
Kent State had a strong non-conference season, defeating a pair of Power 5 opponents while going 8-1. The Flashes have made a single-season record 244 three-point field goals, sinking eight on Wednesday to break the previous record set in 2018-19. Nationally, Kent State ranks 27th in three-pointers per game (8.1) and 42nd in three-point field goal percentage (.346).
Junior Katie Shumate (12.1 ppg), senior Lindsey Thall (11.5 ppg), junior Nila Blackford (10.5 ppg) and sophomore Casey Santoro (10.2 ppg) provide the Flashes with a quartet of double-digit scorers. Blackford also grabs a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game and has recorded six double-doubles. Santoro has been one of the MAC's most productive non-starters and adds team-best 3.0 assists per game. Freshman Bridget Dunn (9.3 ppg) has made a team-high 51 three-point fields on the season. Senior Hannah Young (6.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has helped the Flashes dominate opponents on the glass.
Scouting Toledo
The Rockets (24-6) posted an impressive 19-1 record during the MAC season but was upset by Ball State in the tournament semifinals. Toledo jumped out to a 15-point lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to defeat Houston Baptist, 61-51, in its first round contest Friday evening. The Rockets' success has been the result of outstanding defense, as they lead the MAC in scoring defense (60.1 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.370) and rebounding margin (+6.91 rpg).
The All-MAC backcourt of Quinesha Lockett (first team) and Sophia Wiard (second team) lead the way for Toledo. Lockett has team-best averages of 17.3 points and 1.8 steals per game, while Wiard leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.52) and adds 12.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. Forward Jessica Cook (8.6 ppg) was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team and center Hannah Noveroske (6.8 pph, 4.2 rpg) was named the MAC Sixth Player of the Year.
Kent State in the WNIT
• This is Kent State's sixth Postseason WNIT appearance.
• The Golden Flashes are 2-5 in WNIT games with first round wins in 2019 and 2022.
• Kent State defeated Green Bay, 64-59, in the first round back in 2019 for its first win in the postseason event.
• The Flashes have never hosted a WNIT contest, and this will be its second postseason game played in the state of Ohio.
• Overall, Kent State is 3-10 in postseason play, with the first victory coming over Texas A&M in the first round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament.
Series History
• Kent State is 35-43 all-time vs. Toledo, including a 14-24 record as the road team.
• Under head coach Todd Starkey, the Golden Flashes are 7-3 overall against the Rockets and 4-1 at Savage Arena.
• Toledo had won nine straight matchups prior to Starkey's arrival.
Broadcast Info
Mason Lowry and Rhett Boyd will call the action on ESPN3, while Tyler Henry will be on the call on the Kent State Radio Network.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will advance to the WNIT third round, which will take place March 23-26, with a win and play the winner of the second round matchup between Marquette and Purdue at a to-be-determined site.
