Bridget Dunn (15) had a career-high 12 rebounds and Jenna Batsch 13 points in Kent State’s 76-49 loss to Florida State Sunday. (Photo from KSU X feed.)
Kent State women’s basketball team led 14-11 after the first quarter but missed a ton of layups the rest of the game and fell to No. 15 Florida State 76-49 Sunday.
The Flashes are 4-3 on the season, with two of the losses coming to top-15 teams. Florida State is 6-2.
“It was definitely a winnable game for us,” coach Todd Starkey said. “But we have to make shots. I can’t remember a game I’ve coached where we missed so many layups. Some were contested, but we had open looks and uncontested layups we missed. You have to make those to be in the game.
“We were just off as far as finishing shots. Then I thought that we let missed shots affect us at the defensive end of the floor throughout the third and fourth quarter.”
Kent State made 10-of-30 layups and shot 24.7% overall for the game. Florida State made 16 of its 37 layups and shot 37% overall. FSU scored 17 points on fast breaks and 36 in the paint, more indication of chances near the basket.
Bridget Dunn, KSU’s 6-3 junior forward, had a career-high 12 rebounds. Her previous high had been 10, recorded early this season against Xavier. Her total of 12 is also the best among any KSU player this season.
“She’s really changed her game — changed her mindset on rebounding,” Starkey said. “I told her in the locker room that she was definitely one of the bright spots of our game— 12 rebounds against a tough, athletic Florida State team.”
The Flashes outrebounded FSU as a team 53-51. It was the first time since March 2022 that Kent State had 50 rebounds against a Division I school.
Dunn also had nine points on three 3-point baskets. Her 14 three-pointers this season are double any other player on the team.
Jenna Batsch led Kent State with 13 points while Corynne Hauser had 10. Katie Shumate had nine rebounds.
Kent State took a 14-11 lead out of the first quarter, but Florida State ended the second quarter on a 10-0 and led throughout the second half.
The game was the third of three for the Flashes against Power 5 opponents. Kent played defending national champion LSU evenly for just over a half before losing 109-79, beat Missouri 67-64 and lost to Florida State.
What do the Flashes take from those games?
“We can play with anybody when we’re playing well,” Starkey said. “We have to be more consistent. If we are, there isn’t a team on the rest of our schedule that we can’t beat.”
Florida State put five players in double figures, led by NaNiya Latson, last year’s national freshman of the year. She scored 15.
Kent State has a week off, then plays at Duquesne next Sunday.