After a 64-55 win in its regular-season opener Sunday, the Kent State women’s basketball team sets its eyes on the defending national champions for Tuesday’s matchup.
After winning 34 games a season ago, No. 7 Louisiana State University (2-1) earned its first NCAA National Championship in program history, defeating Iowa 102-85.
This was the most points scored in a Women’s Final Four game.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey has led the Tigers since 2021, and she previously coached at Baylor for 21 seasons.
While with the Bears, Mulkey won three NCAA Tournament titles in 2005, 2012 and 2019.
She is the first women’s basketball coach to win NCAA championships at multiple schools.
In the offseason, the Tigers added graduate student guard Hailey Van Lith, who spent the first three seasons of her career at Louisville.
She led the team in scoring twice and helped lead the Cardinals to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2022 Final Four.
Last season, Van Lith was one of two Power-Five players to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game. She is averaging 8.5 points, five assists, and 1.5 rebounds through two games this season.
Returning for the Tigers is junior forward Angel Reese, who was named 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, First Team All-America and SEC All-Defensive Team.
She led the SEC in both scoring (23 ppg) and rebounds (15.4 ppg) to become the fourth player in conference history to lead in both categories while setting an NCAA record with 34 double-doubles during the season.
Reese is averaging 19 points per game, 12 rebounds and has tallied four steals and three blocks this season.
After coming off of the bench in 30 games last season, junior forward Jenna Batsch leads the Flashes in scoring with 15.
“She came back from this summer determined to play with more confidence and work on her game,” Kent State coach Todd Starkey said.
In their three games on the season, the Tigers have four players averaging more than 10 points per game, with sophomore forward Sa’Myah Smith leading the way with 19.3.
In the season opener against the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Flashes (1-0) had three players score in double figures: Batsch (15), graduate student forward Mikala Morris (10) and sophomore guard Corynne Hauser (10).
In all three games for the Tigers, they have had at least four players score 10 or more points.
LSU opened its season with a 92-78 loss to Colorado and back-to-back victories against Queens (112-55) and Mississippi Valley State (109-47).
Under Starkey, Kent State has allowed an opponent to score 100 or more points once in a contest with Ohio State (103-47) in 2020.
After Sunday’s win against MVSU, Mulkey told reporters, “Kent State is going to be quite a match-up for us at 11 a.m. in the morning.”
This will be the second time Starkey and Mulkey’s teams have played each other. In 2016, Mulkey’s Bears defeated Kent State 84-42.
In the last 10 seasons, the Flashes are 1-6 when facing nationally ranked teams – in 2021, KSU defeated No. 19 UCLA 75-69.
Kent State and the No. 7 Tigers will tip off Tuesday at noon EST.
Jacob Shondel is sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].
