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Flashes travel to Akron Wednesday for 2nd-to-last regular-season game

By on Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The game

Kent State (9-7 MAC, 16-11 overall) at Akron (7-9, 16-11) at 7 p.m. Wednesday

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Teams are jockeying for seeds in MAC Tournament, which starts Monday. Kent is tied for sixth with Northern Illinois, a game behind fifth-place Toledo. Depending on results of the last two games, Kent State could get a fifth, sixth or seventh seed. Akron is pretty much locked into eighth, though a perfect combination of events might move it up. It’s not likely. Both teams should get a home game Monday in the first-round of the tournament.

About Akron

IN THE MAC: Eighth at 7-9, two games ahead of Eastern Michigan land two games behind Kent State and NIU.

(I use full league standings because seedings are determined solely on the conference record.)

RPI: 141 of 351 teams. Schedule strength: 145. Home record: 8-4. Lost to Kent State 73-58 in Kent Feb. 2. Has won two of three, including 70-59 home win over fourth-place Buffalo. Beat Kent State 75-60 in Akron last season.

LAST GAME: Lost to second-place Ohio 81-71 at Akron. Kent beat Ohio 67-58 in Kent 10 days ago.

KEY TEAM STATS (conference statistics only)

  • Scores 69.4 points a game, fourth in MAC. Opponents score 72.3 (10th).
  • Field goal percentage: 41.3 (fifth). Field goal defense: 42.3 (eighth).
  • Three-point percentage: 35.7 (second). Three-point baskets per game: 8.3 (third). Three-point defense: 36.8 (last).
  • Rebounding margin: Minus-4.9 (11th). Turnover margin: Plus-0.31 (sixth).

KEY PLAYERS

  • 5-10 redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (15.0 points per game, 13th in MAC).  Field goal percent: 41.2, (10th). Three-point percentage: 35.7. Three-pointers per game: 3.1 (seventh).
  • 5-4 junior guard Shaunay Edmonds (12.6 points). Three-point percentage: 32.1. Assists: 2.9, Steals 1.6.
  • 6-2 junior forward Haleight Reinoehlt (10.4 points).  Rebounds: 8.5.
  • 6-1 junior forward Caitlin Vari (10.1 points.) Field goal percentage: 59.0. Rebounds: 7.4. Blocked shots: 1.3.

Kent State

IN THE MAC: Tied for sixth with Northern Illinois at 6-5, one game behind Toledo, two games ahead of Akron.

RPI: 90. Schedule strength: 85. Road record: 6-8. Beat Akron 73-58 Feb. 2.

LAST GAME: Lost at Bowling Green 62-49 Saturday.

KEY TEAM STATS (conference games only)

  • 67.3 points a game (eighth in MAC). Opponents average 65.4  (third).
  • Field goal percentage: 37.1 (last). Field goal defense: 40.3 (fourth).
  • Three-point percentage: 34.0 (fourth). Three-point baskets per game: 7.5 (sixth). Three-point defense: 32.9 (seventh).
  • Rebounding margin: Plus-0.9 (fifth). Turnover margin: Plus-2.0 (fourth)
  • Blocked shots: 3.88 (first). Steals: 8.38 (third).

KEY PLAYER STATS

  • 5-7 redshirt junior guard Megan Carter: 16.5 points, 10th in MAC. Field-goal percentage: 41.1 (10th). Three-point percentage: 39.6. Free-throw percentage: 72.4  (12th).
  • 5-4 freshman point guard Asiah Dingle: 13.0 points (19th). Free-throw percentage: 75.6 (eighth). Steals: 2.1 (seventh).
  • 6-0 junior guard Ali Poole: 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds.
  • 6-2 freshman forward Lindsay Thall: 10.6 points. Three-point percentage: 48.6 (first). Three-pointers per game: 2.2 (11th). Blocked shots: 1.7 (second). Rebounds: 5.3.
  • 5-9 senior guard Alexa Golden: 9.1 points. Three-point percentage: 33.8. Steals: 3.3 (first). Assists: 2.7 (20th). Blocks: 0.7 (13th). Rebounds: 6.3 (18th).

THE BOTTOM LINE: Flashes have better league record and substantially better RPI. They’re also coming off their worst game of season at BG. Can they rebound?

To follow the game

The game starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron. It’s about a 20-minute drive. Directions from the UA website. All tickets are $6. Average Akron attendance is 598, 10th 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+, which costs $4.99 a month. The network will broadcast all of the MAC tournament games except the finals for women and semifinals and finals for me. 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 Akron website.

Links

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

Akron website, including links.

MAC conference game statistics, including link to full-season stats.

MAC standings

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