Kent State University
21-11,12-5MAC
Notre Dame
27-6,13-5ACC
Kent State Drops NCAA Tournament First Round Game to No. 2 Seed Notre Dame
3/23/2024 6:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 15 Kent State fell to host No. 2 seed Notre Dame, 81-67, in a NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament first round contest Saturday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion.
The Golden Flashes finish the season with a 21-11 record and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
Playing in her Kent State record-tying 143rd game, redshirt senior Katie Shumate posted a double-double with 20 points and game-high 11 rebounds. Shumate finishes her career fourth in Flashes history in points (1,857) and rebounds (848).
Three additional players had double-digit scoring performances. Freshman Janae Tyler scored 18 points, her most against a Division I opponent, on 8-of-11 shooting to help Kent State's bench outscore the Fighting Irish reserves, 20-10. Junior Jenna Batsch had 13 points and Dionna Gray closed her sophomore campaign with 12 points and five assists.
The Flashes led 5-4 in the opening minutes before a six-minute scoreless stretch allowed the host to go ahead by 17. Head coach Todd Starkey was able to calm the team with a timeout, as Batsch drained a three-pointer on the next possession and Tyler followed a stop on the defensive end with her first basket to get within 22-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Despite Shumate and Tyler combining for 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting during the second quarter, Notre Dame was able to extend its lead. The Irish shot 63.2% in the period and took a 49-30 advantage into the halftime break.
Shumate and Gray provided makes on Kent State's first two shots in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 14. Notre Dame answered with a 7-0 run but the Flashes allowed just one field goal over the final seven minutes and only trailed by 13 entering the fourth.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Shumate and Gray made it 67-55 with 5:33 remaining. Notre Dame then called timeout and went on a 10-2 run to put the game out of reach.
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