When Kent State and Toledo played in back December, the Flashes had a better record against better opposition than UT.
When the two teams meet again in the second round of the WNIT on Monday, Toledo will carry a 27-5 record and a regular-season Mid-American Conference championship against the Flashes, who are 19-11.
The game starts at 7 p.m. at Toledo’s Savage Arena. It will be streamed on ESPN3 and on the Golden Flashes Radio Network. Here are directions to the arena, which is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Kent. Tickets are $15 for reserved seats and $10 for general admission.
The fortunes of both teams changed in the fourth quarter of that game in December. Kent State, which went into the game 8-1 and ranked 13th in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, led 45-43 going into the last 10 minutes.
But Toledo, then 7-3, outscored the Flashes 26-15 in the fourth quarter and won 69-60. The Rockets then went 19-1 in conference play and finished with the best regular-season record by a MAC team since Bowling Green went 16-0 in 2005-06. The Rockets were upset by fifth-seeded Ball State in the league tournament and ended up in the WNIT after, as usual, the MAC got only one bid to the NCAA Tournament. Toledo ended the season ranked 10th in the Mid-Major Top 25.
After December’s game against Toledo, Kent State was wildly inconsistent for the rest of the season. The Flashes lost six of their first eight MAC games, all by fewer than 10 points, then won six in a row, then went 2-4 to end the regular season. KSU finished in a four-way tie for sixth place in the MAC at 10-10 and missed the league tournament because of conference tiebreaker rules.
In the first round of the WNIT, Kent State beat Youngstown State 68-59, and Toledo beat Houston Baptist 61-51.
KSU and Toledo are the last two MAC teams alive in the postseason. On Saturday, Buffalo (25-9) lost to Tennessee (24-8) 80-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Bowling Green (16-16) lost to St. Mary’s (17-15) 76-67 in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational. Akron, Ball State and Ohio lost in the first round of the WNIT.
The winner of the Toledo-Kent State game will play the winner of Monday’s game between Marquette (22-10) and Purdue (17-14), day and site to be determined.
The matchup
Kent State is 19-11 and tied for sixth in the MAC with a 10-10 record. The Flashes are 7-6 in road games, have gone 6-5 over their last 10 games and have a NET ranking of 102. (The NET is a ranking system used by the NCAA. Key factors are a team’s record, its strength of schedule and offensive and defensive rankings based on points per possession. Road wins and victories over higher-ranked teams are emphasized.)
Toledo‘s record is 27-5. It won the MAC with a 19-1 record, has gone 9-1 in its last 10 games and has a home record of 13-1. The Rockets’ NET ranking of 65.
Coaches: Kent State’s Todd Starkey is 101-76 in six years at KSU and 264-171 in his 14-year coaching career. He was MAC coach of the year in 2017. Toledo’s Tricia Cullop is 294-157 in 14 years at UT and 417-283 in 22 years of coaching. She earned her fourth MAC coach of the year award this season.
Series history: Toledo leads 43-35 and has a 21-13 record at home. Toledo beat Kent State 69-60 on Dec. 29 in the teams’ only meeting this season. KSU had won three straight and six-of-seven games against the Rockets before that.
KEY TEAM STATISTICS
- Points per game: Kent State 68.6, Toledo 71.6.
- Opponents’ points per game: Kent State 61.3, Toledo 60.1.
- Field-goal percentage: Kent State 41.2, Toledo 43.2.
- Opponents field-goal percentage: Kent State 38.9, Toledo 37.0.
- 3-point percentage: Kent State 34.6, Toledo 31.3.
- 3-point baskets per game: Kent State 8.1, Toledo 6.7. Kent State set a record of 244 three-point baskets in a season when it made eight against Youngstown State.
- Opponents 3-point percentage: Kent State 30.9, Toledo 29.6.
- Rebounding margin: Kent State +6.1, Toledo +6.9.
- Turnover margin: Kent State -1.0, Toledo +0.1.
PROBABLE KENT STATE STARTERS
- 5-11 junior guard Katie Shumate: 12.1 points per game, .433 shooting percentage, .371 3-point percentage.
- 6-2 senior forward Lindsey Thall: 11.5 points, .427 shooting percentage, .388 3-point percentage, 5.3 rebounds per game. She has 215 three-point baskets in her career, a Kent State record.
- 6-2 junior forward Nila Blackford: 10.5 points, .459 shooting percentage, 8.9 rebounds.
- 5-10 senior guard Hannah Young: 6.8 points, .475 shooting percentage, .490 3-point percentage, 5.7 rebounds.
- 5-1 senior guard Mariah Modkins: 3.2 points, 1.4 assists.
KEY KSU RESERVES
- 5-4 sophomore guard Casey Santoro: 10.2 points per game, .372 shooting percentage, .377 3-point percentage, 3.1 assists.
- 6-3 freshman Bridget Dunn: 9.3 points per game, .463 shooting percentage, .381 3-point percentage, 3.9 rebounds.
- 5-8 junior guard Clare Kelly: 4.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals.
PROBABLE TOLEDO STARTERS
- 5-10 junior guard Quinesha Lockettitz: 17.3 points, .392 shooting percentage, 5.6 rebounds. 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals. All-MAC first team.
- 5-7 redshirt junior guard Sophia Wiard 12.6 points, .455 shooting percentage, .378 3-point percentage, 4.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds. All-MAC second team.
- 6-2 freshman forward Jessuca Cook: 8.6 points, .505 shooting percentage, 5.9 rebounds. MAC all-freshman team.
- 5-10 sophomore wing Sammi Mikonowicz: 7.8 points, .404 shooting percentage, 7.6 rebounds.
- 5-9 sophomore guard Khera Goss: 7.1 points, .471 shooting percentage.
KEY TOLEDO RESERVES