Kent State University
18-8,10-5MAC
Ohio
6-20,4-11MAC
Women’s Basketball Dominates Second Half, Secures Top-Four MAC Tournament Seed
2/22/2023 10:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State shot 58.6% from the field after halftime and led by as many as 29 points during Wednesday evening's 82-56 win over Ohio at the M.A.C. Center.
With the victory, the Golden Flashes (18-8, 10-5 MAC) are guaranteed a top-four seed in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament with three regular season games to play.
Senior Katie Shumate scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, just missing her second straight double-double. Graduate student Lindsey Thall made three three-pointers to add to her school record and finished with 13 points. Junior Casey Santoro and freshman Corynne Hauser also scored in double-figures with 14 points and 10 points, respectively.
Kent State led 19-17 at the end of a competitive first quarter. The Flashes forced six turnovers in the period and converted them into nine points. Ohio shot 6-of-9 from the field and made a trio of three-pointers to keep it close.
Hauser's three-pointer was followed by two from Thall as part of a 9-0 run that pushed the lead to double-digits for the first time with 6:06 to play in the second period. The Bobcats closed the half with a 6-0 run over the final three minutes to get within 35-30.
Kent State quickly pushed it back to a double-digit margin with a 7-0 run over the first two minutes of the third. A 13-0 run later helped the Flashes outscore Ohio 25-10 in the period, with eight different players contributing to the scoring column.
The Flashes scored the first nine points in the fourth quarter to take their largest lead of the night, 69-40. Kent State shot 17-of-29 during the second half.
Kent State recorded single-digit turnovers for the third game in a row and finished with nine compared to 18 for its guest.
The Flashes will attempt to extend their winning streak to four on Saturday when they play at Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m.
