Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Basketball Falls to Kent State, 71-53
1/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT – Kent State used a 27-5 run to break open the game and earn a 71-53 victory over Central Michigan University women’s basketball in Rose Arena on Tuesday night.
The run spanned over the final four minutes of the first half and the first six minutes of the second frame and turned a tied game, 18-18, into a 22-point KSU lead, 45-23. The Golden Flashes’ (9-9, 5-2 Mid-American Conference) lead would never fall below 15 as they closed out the win.
CMU (9-11, 1-6 MAC) could never get things going offensively, shooting just 35 percent from the field and committing a season-high 25 turnovers. The 53 points is the squad’s third-lowest total of the season after scoring just 21 points in the first half.
Sharonda Hurd was the only Chippewa in double figures with 12 point while Candace Wilson had nine, and Latisha Luckett and Angel Chan tallied eight points. Hurd also matched Stacey Verhoff for the team-high in rebounds. Luckett and Britni Houghton shared team honors in assists with two and Ann Skufca had a game-high three blocks.
Kent State had four players reach double digits in scoring. La’kia Stewart led the squad with game highs in points (16) and rebounds (9). Mallorie Griffith and Kristin Peoples both added 14 tallies while Jamilah Humes had 10. Stewart also dished out a game-high five assists and Peoples had a game-best five steals.
Kent State won the rebounding battle, 37-34, and also finished with more assists (12-8), steals (13-11) and blocks (3-2) while committing fewer turnovers (19-25). The Golden Flash tallied a better field goal percentage (.419-.353) and CMU was better at the free throw line going 13-for-15 (.867) to KSU’s 15-for-18 (.833). Both teams went 4-for-12 (.333) from three-point range.
The Maroon and Gold jumped out to an early 9-6 lead after the first nine minutes of the games. KSU took its first lead of the game with a 8-0 run over the next three minutes but CMU quickly tied it up after back-to-back buckets.
The two squads would trade baskets over the next couple minutes before the Golden Flashes took control of the contest in the closing minutes of the half. With the score tied at 18 and 4:37 to go in the half, Kent State ran off a 15-3 streak in the final minutes of the half. Included in that was a 9-0 run to end the half with KSU’s Jamilah Humes grabbing a steal and burying a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Kent State remained hot with a 12-2 flurry to star the half. That gave KSU a 45-23 lead with 14:23 to play in the game. CMU did rally to cut the lead down to 15 on two occasions but both times the Golden Flashes answered with a run that quickly took their advantage back above 20.
The Chippewas return to action on Saturday, Jan. 27, when they travel to Miami. The game will be televised by ESPNU and is set to begin at noon.
