Senior forward Lindsay Shearer scores a point for Kent State during Saturday’s game against Buffalo at the M.A.C. Center. Shearer led the Flashes with 28 points to a 73-56 victory against the Bulls. AMANDA SOWARDS | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Steve Schirra

Even though the Kent State women’s basketball team defeated Buffalo for the 16th straight game, it had to overcome a strong effort by the Bulls as well as its toughest opponent as of late: The Flashes themselves.

The Flashes (11-5, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) survived another slow start to earn Kent State coach Bob Lindsay his 200th MAC win over the Bulls (7-9, 2-3 MAC) 73-56 Saturday at home.

Lindsay is the first MAC coach ever to have 200 victories in the conference.

“This was a game similar to the past few,” Lindsay said. “We played lethargically in the first half and came out in the second and played hard with intensity defensively.”

Kent State, led by senior forward Lindsay Shearer with 28 points, led Buffalo by only by four points at the break, 30-26.ÿ

According to Shearer, the continuous slow starts by the Flashes are something that needs to be corrected before they get any deeper in conference play.

The Bulls came out of the half on a 6-2 run in the first four minutes, putting them ahead by two points. Senior guard Brooke Meunier led the Bulls with 18 points. Buffalo freshman forward Jamie Schiebner also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

ÿ A deficit in the second half was the cue the Flashes needed to go on one of their newly patented second half runs. In about a five minute span, the Flashes went on a 18-4 run of their own. From that point the Flashes never relinquished the lead.

ÿ Shearer finished the game with 28 points and 15 rebounds. It was her 20th double-double of her career. She went 10-of-16 shooting and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.ÿ

“There is no question that without Lindsay’s scoring on the inside, we would not have had a chance,” Lindsay said.

Scoring from the inside in general was a major difference maker for the Flashes in the second half. Buffalo outscored Kent State in points in the paint 14-10, in the first half. But the Flashes ended up beating the Bulls with 34-24 points inside the arc.ÿÿ

“It was a part of our first half slump,” Shearer said. “We weren’t attacking the hoop like we wanted. But we did a good job with that in the second half.”

Going to the free throw came along with going to the basket in the second half.

In the first half, the Flashes only went to the line four times at the hands of Shearer.

But to end the game, the seven Flashes hit 13-of-18 free throws.

The Bull’s lack of depth also helped the second half run for the Flashes. According to Lindsay, the Flashes were able to capitalize on the Bull’s fatigue with their defensive pressure.

Junior guard Sarah Burgess also added 13 points, 10 of which came in the second half. But even more importantly, her points came from different areas of the floor.

“We challenge Sarah (Burgess) every day to be more than a stand-still 3-point shooter,” Lindsay said. And he added that her variety in the game showed that all of their work is beginning to pay off.”

But the starters weren’t the only ones who made an impact on the game. Kent State’s bench outscored Buffalo’s 20-2.

Junior guard La’kia Stewart came into the game with back-to-back double-doubles from the previous two games, but ended with eight points and seven rebounds.

Freshman guard Rachel Bennett won the match-up against her cousin Stephanie Bennett with seven points off the bench.

Contact women’s basketball reporter Deanna Stevens at [email protected].