Another bad second quarter, another MAC loss

A disastrous second quarter for the third straight game helped send Kent State to a 73-52 defeat at Western Michigan.

Western outscored KSU 26-11 in the quarter.In its two previous games, KSU had been outscored in the second quarter 28-14 and 17-5. In all three games, the Flashes had played pretty well in the first quarter. Tuesday they trailed the Broncos 17-14 after 10 minutes.

“The trick is to play with urgency” throughout the game, coach Danny O’Banion said in her postgame radio interview. “We did it after we got behind (7-0) in the first quarter. We did it in the second half (when KSU scored 10 in a row to get to within 15). That’s the next step we need to take.”

KSU is now 3-11 on the season, 0-4 in the MAC. The Flashes have lost seven in a row, have yet to win a road game and are the only team in the league yet to win a conference game. Western Michigan is 10-6, 2-2 in the conference and still undefeated at home at 5-0.

WMU senior forward Miracle Woods outscored the entire Kent team in the second quarter. She had 15 points on 9 of 9 shooting.

“She’s an all-conference caliber player (second team for two season),” O’Banion said, “and she did what all conference players do.

It was the second-lowest point total of the season for the Flashes (they scored 49 against Cleveland State). The Flashes went 0 for 13 in three-point shooting. Western came into the game first in the conference in three-point defense, allowing just 26 percent, and were fourth in scoring defense. KSU was last in the MAC in three-point shooting (27 percent), going into the game.

Jordan Korinek led Kent State with 15 points and eight rebounds. Larissa Lurken had 14 points and five steals. Tyra James had 10 points but five turnovers.

Notes:

  • Overall, KSU made 21 turnovers, leading to 23 Western points. Western had 19 turnovers, and KSU scored 21 points from them. In the crucial second quarter, though, WMU outscored Kent 10-0 off turnovers. The Flashes had 12 steals.
  • Kent State shot 37.7 percent, Western 48.3 (27.8 on three-pointers). The Broncos outrebounded KSU 37-30.
  • KSU had a season-low five assists on 20 baskets. WMU had  19 assists on 29 baskets.
  • Freshman walk-on Paige Salisbury, who’s become the back-up point guards, had four points, the most in her career. Chelsi Watson had six and seven rebounds. Only two other players scored, and they had a total of three points.

Kent State will stay in Michigan until its Saturday afternoon game at Eastern Michigan, which is 11-4 but lost to Ohio at home Tuesday, 71-64. OU is the only undefeated team in the MAC at 4-0 (12-3 overall). Eastern is 2-2 in the league.

Box score

Other MAC scores

  • Akron (8-7, 2-2) 71, Bowling Green ((5-8, 1-3) 55, at Bowling Green.
  • Ball State (10-4, 3-1) 68, Buffalo (10-4, 2-2) 63, at Ball State.
  • Toledo (8-7, 3-1) 55, Miami (7-8, 1-3) 50, at Miami.
  • Central Michigan (9-6, 3-1) 95, Northern Illinois (8-7, 2-2) 63, at Central.

MAC standings