Kent State women’s basketball team avenged a heartbreaking loss to the University at Buffalo from tWednesday when the Flashes took down Bowling Green on Saturday, 62-58.

The win gives the team their first conference season sweep over Bowling Greensince 2002.

Kent State (5-20, 3-11 Mid-American Conference) never trailed once in the game, and were in control from the opening tip. Sophomore guard Larissa Lurken sunk two early three-pointers to open things up, and gave her team a 6-0 lead. From there, the Flashes kept the momentum going.

The Flashes used offensive efficiency to defeat the Falcons. The team shot 50 percent from the field, as well as 50 percent from the three-point line. Kent State came into the game shooting the third-highest field goal percentage in the conference at about 40 percent.

The team also shared the ball well in the game. Out of the team’s 23 made field goals, 15 of them were assisted. Senior guard Mikell Chinn lead the team with 10 assists, and coach Danielle O’Banion said a big reason for the team’s success offensively is due to Chinn’s playing.

“Our offensive production over the last two weeks has really improved, and I think a large part of that is due to her,” O’Banion said. “Our challenge has been running offense well enough and maintaining possession well enough so that can actually execute our offense.”

Turnovers have been the Achilles’ heel for the team all season long, but on Saturday, they were finally able to clean that up and, instead, force their opponents into making the mistakes. The Flashes forced 13 turnovers in the game, with six of them being steals. They were able to take advantage of their opponents misfortune, as they scored 14 points off of the turnovers.

“Defensively, our players were disciplined,” O’Banion said. “We wanted to make Bowling Green operate outside the three-point line and force them to take contested shots and limit their second chance points.”

Leading the way for the Flashes was Lurken, who scored 16 points. Redshirt freshman forward McKenna Stephens added 11 points, and redshirt senior center CiCi Shannon scored 10 points and collected eight rebounds.

Kent State will seek revenge when they play host to Akron for the Wagon Wheel challenge at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the M.A.C. Center. The team lost to the Zips in their first meeting on Jan. 31, 74-67.

“It’s a pride thing,” O’Banion said.  “We’re continuing to play for so much and we’re excited to have those guys back in our gym for the big rivalry, and we have high expectations for ourselves to really lock down and get something done.”

Contact Quentin Smith at [email protected].