Janae Tyler scored 16 points, equaling her career high against Division I teams, and made 7-of-10 shots. (Photo by David Dermer for Kent State Athletics.)
Freshman forward Janae Tyler says she’s grown more confident as her first year progresses.
The word coach Todd Starkey uses is “comfortable.”
Whatever term you use, the 6-foot forward is heading toward the end of an excellent first year of college basketball.
Tyler helped lead Kent State to a 73-51 victory over Akron Saturday, pushing the Flashes’ Mid-American Conference record to 11-3 and overall record to 16-8. KSU remains in third place in MAC, two games behind Toledo. The Rockets (13-1 MAC, 21-4 overall) pounded second-place Ball State (12-2, 23-4) 70-48 on Saturday.
Akron is 4-10 and in 10th place in the conference and is 9-16 overall.
“I knew coming in I would have a lot to adjust to from high school to college basketball,” Tyler said, “but I’m definitely a lot more confident offensively and defensively.”
Tyler scored 16 points in KSU’s win over Akron, equaling her season-high against a Division I team. (She had 22 against Division II Lake Erie College.) She is fourth in scoring among the Flashes at 9.2 points per game, though she is averaging only about 15 minutes per game. Her 3.8 rebounding average also places her fourth.
“I think she’s understanding the college game better,” Starkey said. “Her level of comfort with game plans and scouts and knowing her teammates has just continued to grow. That’s what you’re seeing now.”
Senior guard Katie Shumate said Tyler and graduate student transfer Mikala Morris have changed the team’s identity
“It’s valuable to have someone of her size, aggressiveness and overall IQ for the game,” Shumate said. “She’s able to guard and play in the post, something we haven’t had in the past. I feel the difference every game.”
Tyler made seven of her 10 shots, leading the Flashes to a 53.1% shooting percentage, their highest of the season against a Division I school.
“Our execution was excellent,” Starkey said. “If you 50-50-90 game like we did today (shooting percentages from the floor, 3-point distance and the free-throw line), you’re gonna win a lot of basketball games.”
Kent’s defense was also outstanding, the coach said.
“To hold them to 21 points in the second half was phenomenal,” Starkey said.
Tyler helped the defense hold Reagan Bass, the MAC’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, to eight points and six rebounds. That’s about half of her average totals.
“It’s definitely very exciting to match up with someone like that,” Tyler said. “I think it just boosts my confidence and how much of a difference I can be.”
The game was Kent State’s first since it lost 79-77 at Ohio on Wednesday. It was KSU’s first defeat by a team with a below-.500 record this season.
“It was just letting it hurt a little bit,” Shumate said, “then working on that moving forward and understanding that we don’t want to feel that way again.”
Shumate led Kent State with 18 points, and Jenna Batsch had 12. Bridget Dunn led with seven rebounds as the Flashes outrebounded Akron 36-25. Point guard Dionna Gray had seven points, five assists and three steals.
Attendance was announced at 2,080, highest of the season in the M.A.C. Center.
“We felt the energy,” Starkey said. “When we went on runs, the crowd was responding, and that’s great for our players. It does give them juice.”
NEXT: At Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. The game is on ESPN+.
The Flashes travel to EMU, a team they beat 66-57 in Kent in January. Eastern is in last place in the MAC at 2-12 and is 6-19 overall. The Eagles scored only 16 points in the first half against Miami Saturday and lost 48-37.