Freshman Lexi Jackson (25) has played increasing minutes for Kent State in February. She had career highs with five points and five rebounds against Central Michigan. (Photo from KSU website.)
Kent State is at Northern Illinois this weekend for two back-to-back games.
The Flashes will play NIU at 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Times are Kent time; Illinois is an hour earlier.
It’s the first weekend Mid-American Conference series I can remember in 30 years of following Kent State. It’s happening because both of KSU’s scheduled games with Northern Illinois were postponed during the Flashes’ 25 days off in January. The layoff came because of a COVID-19 breakout on the team.
Saturday’s game is on ESPN+, which costs $5.99 a month. Sunday’s is streaming on ESPN3, which is free if you subscribe to ESPN on cable, satellite or app. Both games will be on internet radio on the Kent State Radio Network. Live statistics will be available on the NIU website.
Northern is the hottest team in the MAC. The Huskies have won five games in a row and nine of their last 10. They’re in second place in the conference at 9-3. Bowling Green is first with a 12-3 record. Kent State is in a three-way tie for sixth at 6-4.
NIU is playing only its second game in two weeks. The Huskies had games at Eastern Michigan and Ohio postponed because of COVID problems on the other teams.
Kent State, on the other hand, is playing its seventh and eighth games in 19 days as it makes up for some of the seven games postponed in January. The Flashes are 2-4 since their layoff and have lost three games in a row, including a 71-58 setback at 10th-place Western Michigan on Wednesday. In that game, the Flashes scored their lowest points since a 103-47 defeat at the hands of Ohio State in the season opener.
Before COVID hit, they were 4-0 and in first place in the MAC.
“It kind of feels like we’re feeling our way through a dark room, trying to find the light switch,” KSU coach Todd Starkey told Allen Moff of the Record-Courier. “Everything you do is passive because you don’t want to bump into anything, you don’t want to screw anything up. You don’t know what’s out there. We feel stuck, I think. But we’re going to keep working toward getting it right. That’s for sure.”
Northern is led by guard Chelby Koker, who is fifth in the MAC in scoring at 21.0 points per game. She leads the conference in free-throw percentage. Forward A’Jah David had 17 points and 19 rebounds in NIU’s 76-63 win at Buffalo Wednesday.
As a team, the Huskies average 76.1 points a game and lead the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (39.1%, 3-point field-goal defense (28.6%) and rebounding margin (plus-8).
Kent State averages 69.8 points a game, is second in the league in 3-point percentage (36.5%) but last in 3-point defense (34.1%). The Flashes are second in rebounding with a plus-5.4 margin.)
Kent State forward Nila Blackford has nine double-doubles in 10 MAC games. She averages 15.7 points and 10.8 rebounds. Her rebounding average is third in the conference.
Junior forward Lindsey Thall has moved into third place all-time for Kent State in both 3-point shots made and blocked shots. She leads the MAC in blocks for the third year in a row.
Preview from Kent State website, including links to statistics, roster, schedule and more.
Preview from Northern Illinois website, with links.
Detailed media game notes from Kent State.