Kent State University
2-2,0-0MAC
Chattanooga
5-1,0-0SoCon
Golden Flashes Drop Daytona Beach Classic Opener to Mocs, 64-54
11/24/2023 9:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Freshman Janae Tyler scored a career-high 14 points to account for half of Kent State's bench scoring in a 64-54 loss to Chattanooga on Friday at the Ocean Center as part of the Daytona Beach Classic.
The Golden Flashes (2-2) had a season-high 32 points in the paint but struggled to make jump shots and finished 2-of-22 from behind the three-point arc.
Kent State established its advantage inside early as graduate student Mikala Morris scored the team's first two baskets for a 4-2 lead. After missing five in a row, the Flashes knocked down six of the next seven for their largest lead of the game, 18-11, before the Mocs sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to get within four.
Redshirt senior Katie Shumate scored her second basket of the contest to make it 22-16 with 7:03 left in the second quarter, but Kent State trailed 29-22 at halftime after missing its final 10 shots.
Shumate and Morris opened the third quarter with made baskets to get within 31-26, but Chattanooga scored the next eight points to push its lead to double-digits. After falling behind by 17, the Flashes held the Mocs without a field goal for the final four minutes to get within 48-36 at the end of the period.
Kent State's defense stepped up in the fourth, holding Chattanooga to three field goals while forcing six turnovers. A three-pointer by sophomore Dionna Gray got the Flashes within single-digits and a free throw by graduate student Abby Ogle made it 59-52 with 1:09 to play, but that was as close as the comeback came.
Tyler, who returned to action after missing Tuesday's game at Xavier, posted her career scoring night on 6-of-8 shooting. Morris finished with a season-high 12 points, while Shumate added 10 points and team-best seven rebounds. Junior Bianca Juzzo scored her first points in a Flashes uniform, knocking down a mid-range jump shot in the third quarter.
Kent State will play Missouri in its final game of the Daytona Beach Classic on Saturday at 5:45 p.m.
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