Flashes (5-5 in MAC) play at Eastern Michigan (3-7) Wednesday

Carter holding ball (1)

Guard Megan Carter is eighth in the MAC in scoring (17.3 points per game), sixth in free-throw percentage and ninth in field-goal percentage. (File photo from KSU website.)

The game

Kent State (5-5 MAC, 12-8 overall) at Eastern Michigan (3-7, 10-11), 7 p.m. Wednesday.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: This kind of game is critical if Kent State is going to hold on to a good seed in the MAC Tournament. The Flashes beat Eastern 71-64 at home on Jan. 5 and have a better record. Now they need to prove they can beat a team like the Eagles on the road. They have similar away games coming up against Western Michigan, Akron and Bowling Green.

WHAT COACH TODD STARKEY IS SAYING: “It comes down to us. We’ve got to play the way we’re capable of. We hope to have good practices Monday and Tuesday, focus on our game plan and go up there and play well.”

About Eastern

IN THE MAC: Ninth at 3-7, two games behind Kent State. Has beaten Bowling Green and Western Michigan at home and Akron on the road.

(I use full league standings because seedings are determined solely be the conference record. Where a team finishes in its division means nothing.)

RPI: 185 of 351 teams. Schedule strength: 159. Home record: 7-2, with only losses being to Buffalo (16-5) and Northern Illinois (14-8) in overtime. Has lost four in a row.

LAST GAME: Lost to Toledo 63-43 in Toledo Saturday. Kent beat Toledo 58-47 in Toledo in January.

KEY TEAM STATS (conference statistics only)

  • Scores 63.6 points a game, 11th in MAC. Opponents score 70.7 (eighth).
  • Field goal percentage: 38.7 (11th). Field goal defense: 42.5 (eighth).
  • Three-point percentage: 31.7 (eighth). Three-point baskets per game: 7.0 (seventh). Three-point defense: 37.3 (10th).
  • Rebounding margin: Minus-2.2 (eighth). Turnover margin: Plus-1.5 (third).

KEY PLAYERS

  • 5-8 senior guard Danielle Minott (16.6 per game, 11th in MAC).  Field goal percent: 34.7, 15th). Three-pointers per game: 2.4 (10th). Free-throw percentage: 79.4 (fourth). Steals: 2.1 (seventh). Preseason all-MAC West.
  • 5-8 redshirt sophomore guard Corrione Cardwell (12.5 points). Field-goal percentage: 42.5. Steals: 2.3 (fifth).
  • 5-5 freshman guard Jenna Annecchiarico (9.2 points). Has top assist/turnover rate in MAC at 2.15.
  • 6-5 sophomore forward Autumn Hudson (6.7 points). Rebounds: 6.5 with at least 10 rebounds in last three games.

Kent State

IN THE MAC: Seventh at 5-5, one game behind Northern Illinois and Toledo, one game ahead of Akron, and three-and-a-half games behind league-leader Ohio.

RPI: 85. Schedule strength: 67. Road record: 4-7.

LAST GAME: Lost at second-place Buffalo 75-66 Saturday.

KEY TEAM STATS (conference games only)

  • 67.3 points a game (seventh in MAC). Opponents average 66.5 (third).
  • Field goal percentage: 37.9 (12th). Field goal defense: 40.4 (third).
  • Three-point percentage: 34.4 (fourth). Three-point baskets per game: 7.3 (sixth). Three-point defense: 32.2 (fifth).
  • Rebounding margin: Even (sixth). Turnover margin: Plus-1.40  (fourth)
  • Blocked shots: 4.20 (first). Steals: 8.90 (second).

KEY PLAYER STATS

  • 5-7 redshirt junior guard Megan Carter: 17.3 points, eighth in MAC. Field-goal percentage: 41.3 (ninth). Free-throw percentage: 74.1  (sixth).
  • 5-4 freshman point guard Asiah Dingle: 13.0 points (19th). Free-throw percentage: 80.0 (third) . Steals: 2.2 (sixth). Scored career-high 29 points in first game against EMU.
  • 6-0 junior guard Ali Poole: 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds.
  • 6-2 freshman forward Lindsay Thall: 9.6 points. Three-point percentage: 45.0. Blocked shots: 2.1 (first). Rebounds: 5.7.
  • 5-9 senior guard Alexa Golden: 9.4 points. Steals: 3.3 (first). Assists: 3.2 (15th). Blocks: 0.9 (13th). Rebounds: 6.2 (17th).

THE BOTTOM LINE: All the numbers point to Kent being favored. The question is whether they can play that way on the road.

To follow the game

The game starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Alumni Arena at the University of Buffalo. It’s about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Kent. Here are directions from the Eastern website. General admission tickets are $5. Average Buffalo attendance is 1,856, fifth in the MAC.

Audio starts at about 6:45 p.m. on Golden Flash iHeart Radio. David Wilson is the announcer.

Video is through ESPN Plus, which costs $4.99 a month. The service covers about 50 percent of KSU men’s and women’s basketball games (the rest are broadcast elsewhere). You can watch it through your cable or satellite company or the ESPN app. Here’s a link to the ESPN broadcast, which will guide you through a purchase.

Live statistics are available through the Eastern Michigan website.

Links

Preview from Kent State women’s website, including links to statistics, roster and more.

Detailed media notes from Kent State.

Preview from Eastern Michigan website, including links.

Media notes from Eastern Michigan.

MAC statistics

MAC standings