Kent State (5-17, 2-10 Mid- American Conference) took down conference foe Ball State (16-7, 8-4 MAC) Saturday, 59-50.

Senior Larissa Lurken led the Flashes with 13 points and was the only players to score in double figures. Junior Jordan Korinek and freshman Paige Salisbury added eight points each.

The Flashes started hot with a 15-7 advantage, fueled by an 11-2 lead. The Cardinals managed to go on a 8-0 run, however, and the Flashes’ once-effective offense plodded along in the second quarter for just seven points.

Despite the scoring woes, the Flashes still carried a 21-20 lead into halftime. Then, with a 28-28 tie in the third quarter, the Flashes’ Tyra James connected on a layup to hand the Flashes another lead. The final tiebreaker of the game came when Lurken drained a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Lurken came up clutch for the Flashes when it mattered most: Her 12 points in the fourth quarter led the team, and following her tie-breaking three-pointer, she managed six additional points.

The win over Ball State marks Danielle O’Banion’s first win against a team 16-6 or better as the Flashes’ head coach. The Flashes still didn’t quite stall Nathalie Fontaine, the Cardinals’ top scorer who finished with 28 points despite the loss. No other Cardinals reached double-digit points, however, and the Flashes defense held Ball State to a 31.5% shooting percentage. 

The Flashes will have their first chance in the Wagon Wheel Challenge on Wednesday as they will be on the road to face their rival University of Akron.

Tip off Wednesday is at 7 p.m.