Despite losing 11 minutes to foul trouble, Katie Shumate scored 26 points, one off her career high. She made 8-of-11 field goals. (File photo from Kent State Athletics.)
Kent State got 23 second-half points from Katie Shumate and big help from bench players Janae Tyler and Dionna Gray to help it beat Bowling Green 82-74 on the road Saturday.
The win moves Kent State to its best Mid-American Conference season start since 2000-01 and keeps KSU in a tie for second in the MAC with Toledo with a 7-1 record.
Toledo held off Buffalo 67-63 on Saturday night.
Overall Kent State is 13-5 and plays at first-place Ball State (8-0 MAC, 18-2 overall) at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN+.
Bowling Green lost its third-straight game to fall to 4-4 and a fourth-place tie. The Falcons have struggled since losing leading scorer Lexi Fleming to a knee injury before Christmas.
Shumate made 8-of-11 shots, including 2-of-3 from 3-point distance, and 8-of-8 free throws for the game. She scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Shumate sat out 15 minutes of the first half with foul trouble.
“She was frustrated with having to sit and watch,” coach Todd Starkey said. “She really wanted to win, and when she gets focused like she was in the second half, she’s as good as there is in the league.”
Shumate’s foul trouble and other injuries gave major playing time to Gray and Tyler.
Gray, KSU’s backup point guard, and starting point Corynne Hauser played multiple minutes together with Shumate on the bench. Gray was the playmaker much of the time as Hauser’s knee was bumped and injured.
“It’s great to be able to have her come off the bench and play big minutes for us and make some great plays,” Starkey said.
Gray had six assists against one turnover and scored seven points, including a 3-point basket.
Tyler, a freshman, scored 14 points and had six rebounds in 21 minutes, making 6-of-9 shots. She finished the game after starting post player Mikala Morris was injured in the fourth quarter.
“We needed her in big minutes down the stretch,” Starkey said, “and she had a couple of tough catches and finishes late.”
Much of Tyler and Morris’s work came against Erika Porter, a BG transfer from Baylor.
“For Janae to go back and forth with her was really good,” Starkey said. “Janae continues to learn and get better game by game. It’s fun to watch.”
Jenna Batsch scored 16 points and is averaging 17.2 over her last five games.
Bridget Dunn grabbed eight rebounds and is averaging 7.6 over the same five games.
Biggest statistical advantage was Kent State’s 40-27 margin in rebounding and 14-4 margin on the offensive boards. The Flashes led 16-6 on second-chance points.
The victory was Starkey’s 300th in his career at Kent State and Division II Lenoir-Ryne in North Carolina. It was his 135th win at Kent State, which ties him for second among women’s coaches with Laurel Wartluft. First place is Bob Lindsay’s 418 over 23 seasons.
A locker room celebration made Starkey slow to his postgame phone interview.
“I had to get the silly string out of my hair,” he said.