The Kent State women’s basketball team continued its winning streak and gave coach Todd Starkey his 300th win, defeating Bowling Green 82-74.
Starkey’s 135 wins at Kent State are tied for second in program history with Wartluft Totals (1977-86).
The last six times the Flashes (13-5, 7-1) have played BGSU (10-8, 4-4), they have lost by an average of 8.6 points.
KSU improved its winning streak to three games and has its best Mid-American Conference record through eight games since the 2000-2001 season behind redshirt senior guard Katie Shumate’s career-high 26 points.
Twenty-three of her points came in the second half on 7-of-8 shooting.
“Her second-half performance was phenomenal,” Starkey said. “She stayed aggressive. We tried to run some stuff to get her the ball, and she kind of did the rest.
“When she plays like that, she’s as good as there is in the league.”
Shumate and her high school teammate Morgan Sharps traded baskets throughout the game, as the Bowling Green guard finished with a game-high 30 points.
To start the fourth quarter, Shumate scored the opening five points for KSU, leading to a 58-52 Kent State lead.
With less than four minutes remaining in the game, graduate student center Mikala Morris suffered an ankle injury and could not return to the game.
“She’s hurting right now,” Starkey said. “Obviously, timing is not great coming into the big game against Ball State.”
Morris has started all 18 games this season for the Flashes, averages 8.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and is second on the team in field goal percentage (47%).
After the Falcons brought the score to 67-65, Shumate converted on six consecutive free throws in the final 25 seconds to secure the victory.
Freshman forward Janae Tyler scored 14 points to help KSU’s bench outscore the Falcons 23-0.
“She had a couple of really tough catching finishes down the stretch,” Starkey said. “It’s a tough assignment, Erika Porter. She’s a Baylor transfer, and for her to go back and forth with her in the game, I think was really good.
“She just continues to learn and get better game by game, and it’s fun to watch.”
Junior forward Bridget Dunn had a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Dionna Gray came off the bench and had a career-high of six assists and seven points.
As a team, KSU shot 45% from the field and 7-of-15 from behind the arc. The Falcons shot 50% from the field and 9-of-22 from three-point range.
The Flashes grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 16 second-chance points.
Up next, the Flashes play Ball State (18-2, 8-0) on Wednesday in Muncie, Indiana. In the last ten matchups between the two programs, KSU is 5-5.
“We have to play probably close to our best four quarters of the year, especially at their place,” Starkey said. “ They’re undefeated in the league for a reason, because they’re really good.
“There’s no championship attached to this. There is no postseason attached to it. It’s just another conference game that gives us an opportunity to continue to get better.”
Emily Lowen is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
