Kent State University
21-10,12-6MAC
Toledo
27-4,16-2MAC
MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Run Ends in Semifinals
3/10/2023 3:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND — Kent State lost to top-seeded Toledo, 68-58, in a Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament semifinal contest at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday.
Senior Katie Shumate scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the week in Cleveland. Graduate student Lindsey Thall added 15 points.
For the seventh time in the past eight games, the Golden Flashes (21-10) had fewer than 10 turnovers, finishing with seven compared to the Rockets' nine. Toledo held a 12-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Scoring was at a premium during the first four minutes, as the Flashes held a 4-3 lead. The Rockets finished the quarter by making six of 10 shots and led 17-7 after 10 minutes of action.
Still trailing by 10 midway through the second period, Shumate drained three-pointers on back-to-back possessions. A triple by junior Casey Santoro cut the deficit to one, and Shumate finished inside off a postup on the block to put Kent State ahead with 2:21 left in the half. Toledo scored the only basket the rest of the way to take a 28-27 lead at the break.
The Flashes made three of their first four shots to start the third quarter, and a traditional three-point conversion by Santoro gave them their largest lead of the game, 34-30, with 7:14 left in the period. Kent State made just one field goal over the next six minutes and fell behind by seven. A three-pointer by Shumate trimmed it to four, but Toledo answered with a jump shot in the closing seconds to take a 48-42 lead into the fourth.
The teams traded baskets early in the final quarter and the Flashes got within 56-53 on a layup by Shumate with 4:59 remaining. That is as close as Kent State would get, as only two of its final nine field goals attempts found the bottom of the net.
Kent State hopes its season will continue with a Postseason WNIT spot for the fourth time in the event's last six years. The 64-team field will be announced late Sunday evening, after the NCAA Tournament bracket is released.
Be sure to follow the Golden Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates as they become available.
