Kent State University
11-5,5-1MAC
Akron
6-10,1-5MAC
Kent State Wins Third Straight Rivalry Game
1/20/2024 6:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio — The Kent State women's basketball team went into James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday afternoon and beat rival Akron, 69-60.
The Golden Flashes (11-5, 5-1 MAC) struggled with turnovers and getting shots to fall early and trailed by nine a little more than 12 minutes into the contest. Freshman Janae Tyler and graduate student Abby Ogle provided key baskets to provide confidence for their teammates, and Kent State shot 61.3% the rest of the game while shooting 17-of-19 from the free throw line get back in the win column.
Junior Jenna Batsch and redshirt senior Katie Shumate scored 12 points each after halftime on 9-of-14 combined shooting. In addition to leading all players with 18 points, Batsch set new career-highs with five steals and four three-point field goals. Shumate finished with 14 points.
Ogle sank a pair of free with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter to put Kent State ahead 10-9. Akron scored the next 10 points for its largest lead of the game before Tyler finished in the paint with 5:57 left in the second period. She added two free throws on the next possession, but the Zips answered with a basket to push their lead back to six.
Ogle then took sparked a 9-0 run, knocking down a triple, blocking a shot and then converting two free throws after being fouled in transition. Graduate student Mikala Morris and sophomore Dionna Gray added two foul shots each for a 23-21 lead. Batsch drained two three-pointers in the final minute to put the Flashes ahead 29-26 at halftime.
Batsch made two baskets in the first minute of the third quarter for a personal 8-0 run that made it 31-22. After the lead was cut to one, sophomore Corynne Hauser and Batsch converted layups in the final minute of the quarter for a 48-43 lead.
Another triple by Batsch to start the fourth put the lead back to eight but the Zips knocked down shots from long range to get within 61-58 with 3:21 to play. Shumate answered with a corner three and Hauser followed with a driving layup late in the shot clock after a defensive stop to push the lead back to eight. Following two Akron free throws, Shumate sank another triple for the largest lead of the game with 1:19 on the clock.
Kent State will be in action at the M.A.C. Center on Wednesday against Eastern Michigan for the "We Back Pat" game.
Be sure to follow Kent State Women's Basketball on X, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
