Things to know about Kent State’s Monday matchup with Buffalo:
- The game is rescheduled from a Jan. 9 game postponed by COVID-19 and starts at 5 p.m. in Buffalo. It will be streamed on ESPN3 and the Golden Flashes Radio Network, with live statistics available during the game on the Buffalo website.
- Buffalo comes into the game at 9-4 and 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference. Kent State is 10-5 and 2-4 in the MAC.
- Buffalo has had three games in a row postponed because of COVID-19 problems on the team. The Bulls haven’t played since Jan. 5 and are likely to be rusty and recovering from illness.
- Kent State will be playing its third game in six days. It will be interesting to see the effects of Buffalo’s layoff and Kent’s schedule.
- Buffalo ran up big scoring numbers in its three MAC wins — 92-75 over Central Michigan, 88-83 at Miami and 82-66 at Bowling Green.
- Until its 83-58 win over Eastern Michigan Saturday, Kent State had struggled to score in league play, averaging fewer than 60 points. But the Flashes have allowed the third fewest points in the MAC.
- Kent State’s game against Eastern was reminiscent of its 8-1 non-conference season, which included wins over UCLA and Penn State. Key to Monday’s game is whether the Flashes can maintaian that.
- Buffalo has the country’s fourth leading scorer in junior guard Dyaisha Fair, who averages 23.6 points a game. She scored 40 against Bowling Green.
- Fifth-year forward Summer Hemphill, who missed the better part of three seasons with a knee injury, is at full strength and is averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
- Kent State has five players who average at least 9.4 points per game and a sixth who averages 7.8. The Flashes have outrebounded their opponents in every game this season except one, which was a 43-43 tie.
- After Monday’s game, Kent State is scheduled to be off for nine days. Buffalo, on the other hand, will play five games in 11 days to make up for its postponements.