A poor start on both sides of the ball led the Kent State women’s basketball team to falter 73-69 at Northern Illinois Wednesday.
After looking seemingly unstoppable during the team’s five-game win streak, the Flashes’ momentum simply gave out. Going on the road after the huge rivalry win against Akron gave the game a trap game-like feel, and the results showed it.
“Winning on the road in conference is tough, especially against some of these really hungry teams right now that are playing for a spot in the tournament,” coach Todd Starkey said. “We got caught by that a little bit, and we obviously didn’t play our best.”
This game was a stark difference from the team’s past few outings. The Flashes’ 69 points was their lowest total since the Ball State loss Jan. 15, and Northern Illinois’ 73 points ties the second-highest score the Flashes have given up all season.
During the winning streak, the Flashes averaged 77 points on offense while holding opponents to an average of 56 points per game.
“We had trouble shooting the ball early, and NIU played one of their better games of the year,” Starkey said. “They were hitting shots early, and we just struggled to find a rhythm throughout most of the game.”
The Flashes’ struggles mainly came in the opening half. The team scored 20 points in the first half while shooting 7-29 (24%) from the field and shot 2-12 (17%) from 3-point distance.
The Huskies started the game off much smoother. They jumped out to a 35-20 lead after the half by shooting 14-27 (52%) from the field and 5-7 (71%) from 3-point range.
“We just came out a little bit flat,” Starkey said. “Defensively, we weren’t as connected as we needed to be.”
The Flashes managed to make things interesting in the second half, as the offense began to pick up steam. The team scored 49 points in the final half after shooting 17-28 (61%) from the field and 8-13 (62%) from beyond the 3-point line.
This second half run culminated into a fantastic fourth quarter showing from the Flashes, where the team outscored Northern Illinois 28-15.
“We were pressing, so we were trying to speed people up and get extra possessions,” Starkey said. “We hit multiple threes, created some turnovers and were able to put on a little charge at the end.”
It was too little too late, though, as the Huskies did just enough to stave off the Flashes comeback and secure the win. With 25 seconds left and down by four points, the team missed two 3-pointers and a layup to end the game.
“We couldn’t quite do enough to get over the hump,” Starkey said.
Although the game went down to the wire, offensive efficiency was ultimately the deciding factor, especially from beyond the 3-point line. While both teams relatively made the same number of threes (Flashes made 10 compared to the Huskies’ 11) Northern Illinois missed just seven compared to 15 misses by the Flashes.
“Defensively, we weren’t at our best, but they also hit some really tough shots,” Starkey said. “Sometimes you run into a team that’s unconscious from the 3-point line.”
Several Flashes had inspiring performances despite the loss. Sophomore guard Mya Babbitt led the team with 17 points on 6-8 shooting.
Senior guard Jenna Batsch was also a contributor with 15 points and five rebounds. She also took home Mid-American Conference Player of the Week and Scholar Athlete of the Week honors after impressive performances against Eastern Michigan and Akron.
Across both those games, she combined for 58 points.
“She was really in a rhythm and did really well,” Starkey said. “It’s a great week for her, and she’s put together a great season.”
The last notable performance comes from junior guard Dionna Gray, who finished with 14 points and four assists.
Northern Illinois’ top performer was junior guard Alecia Doyle, who finished with 23 points on 8-13 shooting. Her backcourt mate, graduate student guard Chelby Koker, also put together a great game with 21 points and four steals.
With the loss, the Flashes drop to 15-8 overall and a conference record of 8-3. The team remains tied for second place in the MAC with Toledo and Buffalo.
Northern Illinois moves to 10-12 overall with a conference record of 4-7. The win pushes them to ninth place in the MAC.
The Flashes will look to get back in the win column at Troy on Saturday in the Sun Belt Challenge. The team will likely enter a very challenging environment, as Troy is unbeaten at home. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.
“This game is thrown in the middle of conference play, so it’s a little bit of a curveball,” Starkey said. “Our travel is also really difficult this week, so we’re just trying to make it through all that and navigate the game the way we need to.”
John Engoglia is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].