Kent State University
11-5,3-2MAC
Eastern Michigan
9-7,1-4MAC
Flashes Use Strong Start to Beat EMU
1/18/2023 10:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State shot 71.4% during the opening period in a 79-66 wire-to-wire victory against visiting Eastern Michigan Wednesday evening at the M.A.C. Center.
The Golden Flashes (11-5, 3-2 MAC) shot 28-of-54 overall on the night for a 51.9% that is the team's highest this season against a Division I opponent and made 11 of 24 attempts from three-point distance.
Kent State had four scorers in double-figures, while two more finished with nine points. Freshman Corynne Hauser led the way with 17 points and career-high six assists. Senior Clare Kelly scored a season-best 14 points off the bench. Senior Katie Shumate added 11 points and graduate student Hannah Young totaled 10.
A team effort allowed the Flashes to get the best of the Mid-American Conference's top rebounding team, 29-28. Junior Casey Santoro had five boards and four teammates had four apiece.
Hauser made her first three shots of the night to help Kent State build an early lead, which reached 14, before a three-point play for the Eagles in the final minute of the first quarter made it 24-13. The Flashes shot 10-of-14 from the field during the first 10 minutes.
A late Eastern Michigan run pulled the guests within six late in the second quarter, but Hauser buried a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to make it 38-29.
The Flashes' lead was down to five midway through the third, but sophomore Bridget Dunn and Kelly combined for 12 points as part of a 14-4 run to end the quarter and extend the lead back to 15.
The Eagles scored the first basket in the final period, but Kent State answered with a 7-0 to lead by 19, its largest of the night. Eastern Michigan was unable to make it a single-digit game the rest of the way.
The Flashes will travel to Bowling Green on Saturday, Jan. 21 to begin a stretch of four of five games on the road.
