Kent State’s women’s basketball team fell behind Northern Illinois 19-13 after the first quarter, and despite a couple of second-half runs, never could catch up to Huskies.
Final score was 72-62. The loss drops the Flashes to 4-7 in the MAC and 11-12 overall. NIU is 3-8 and 11-11, The Huskies are the third team behind the Flashes in the standings that KSU has lost to. That fact is starting to put Kent State’s chance for a home game in the MAC Tournament in serious question.
Northern scored heavily on transition baskets in the first half, outscoring the Flashes 11-2 on fast-break baskets in the first 10 minutes and 19-4 for the game.
Kent State tied the game midway in the third quarter and got within four points in the middle of the fourth quarter. But NIU always bounced back with runs of its own.
Megan Carter led Kent State with 19 points. Jordan Korinek had 14 but struggled with foul trouble and played just 27 minutes. Freshman guard Erin Thames, starting her second straight game, scored 13 points — more than she had in all her previous games combined.
Courtney Woods, the MAC’s leading scorer, led Northern with 21 points, nine of them in the first quarter and 14 in the first half.
DETAILED STORY, INCLUDING QUOTES FROM CARTER, THAMES AND COACH TODD STARKEY, WILL FOLLOW.