Kent State University
Ball State
Golden Flashes and Cardinals to Meet Friday in MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals
3/14/2024 4:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
A spot in the Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament championship game will be on the line when No. 3 seed Kent State battles No. 2 seed Ball State in a semifinals contest on Friday, March 15. Tip inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is expected around 12:30 p.m.
A pair of players making their MAC Tournament debut led the Golden Flashes (19-10) to a 63-60 victory over Northern Illinois in a quarterfinals matchup on Wednesday. Junior Bridget Dunn grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and knocked down four three-point field goals in scoring 14 points, while freshman Janae Tyler had a team-high 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and blocked three shots in 18 minutes off the bench. Redshirt senior Katie Shumate and junior Jenna Batsch added 14 points each.
Kent State has been terrific on the defensive side of the ball and ranks third in the MAC in opponent field goal percentage (.387), opponent three-point field goal percentage (.298) and blocks per game (3.7).
All-MAC First Team guard Katie Shumate leads the Flashes with averages of 15.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and is one of only two MAC players who rank in the top 10 in both categories. Forward Jenna Batsch has been among the most improved players in the conference this season and is averaging 13.4 points per game. Forward Janae Tyler (9.2 ppg) is one of the top scorers among reserve players in the MAC, while forward Bridget Dunn (6.8 ppg) has helped the Flashes ranks second in the conference in rebounding margin (+5.4) with a career-best average of 7.0 rebounds per game and leads the Flashes with 49 three-point field goals.
Kent State in the MAC Tournament
• Kent State is making its 36th appearance in the MAC Tournament and has a 37-31 record in tournament play.
• The Golden Flashes are making their third semifinals appearance since 2020.
• Kent State has advanced to the semifinals 20 times overall, recording an 12-6 record in those games (2020 game was not played after tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic).
• The Flashes have won three MAC Tournament titles: 1999, 2000 and 2002.
• Kent State appeared in the championship game seven straight years from 1996-2002 and has played for the title 12 times overall.
• During that seven-year stretch, the Flashes owned an 18-4 MAC Tournament record.
MAC Tournament History vs. Ball State
• Kent State is 4-1 all-time vs. Ball State in MAC Tournament play.
• The Golden Flashes won each of the first four matchups, which were all played in Kent or on a neutral court in Cleveland, with an average margin of victory of 23.8 points.
• The Cardinals won the most recent meeting, 73-38, at home in 2014.
Scouting Ball State
The Cardinals (28-4) extended their winning streak to five with a 77-53 victory over Ohio on Wednesday. Ball State ranks in the top 35 in the country in scoring margin (+13.5), three-point field goals per game (8.2), turnover margin (+5.22), steals per game (10.7) and turnovers forced per game (19.7).
Ally Becki is one of the most versatile players in the conference and boasts averages of 13.1 points, 4.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. MAC Defensive Player of the Year Nyla Hampton (8.6 ppg) ranks fourth nationally with 107 steals and leads the conference in assists per game (5.0). Madelyn Bischoff is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game and ranks in the top 40 nationally in three-point field goals (80) and three-point field goal percentage (.392).
Series History
• Kent State is 41-25 all-time against Ball State and enters on a three-game losing streak.
• The Golden Flashes won four in a row prior to the 2022-23 season.
• Kent State has held the Cardinals below 70 points in seven of the previous nine meetings.
• The Flashes are 4-7 vs. Ball State under head coach Todd Starkey.
Broadcast Info
Dave Bacon and Cayleigh Griffin will call the action on ESPN+, while Dane Richardson will have the call on the Kent State Radio Network.
Next Up for Kent State
With a win, the Golden Flashes advance to the championships on Saturday, March 16 against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 seed Toledo and No. 4 seed Buffalo.
Follow the Flashes
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