Women’s Basketball Rallies for a 69-64 Victory at Kent State

Box score.

KENT, Ohio – The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team outscored Kent State University 20-11 over the final 7:10 of the second half to capture a 69-64 victory Saturday afternoon here at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. The victory marked the Eagles’ first victory in Kent, Ohio since a 75-54 triumph, Jan. 6, 1990, and just the third in the program’s 31-year history.

With the victory EMU is 10-7 and 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference while Kent State drops to 8-9 (4-2 MAC). Saturday was just the second loss the Golden Flashes have suffered in their last 26 games at the M.A.C. Center, along with snapping Kent State’s 10-game home winning streak.

Freshman Alyssa Pittman was the star of the game for the Eagles, finishing with 26 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including six three-pointers. Senior Sarah VanMetre finished with 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks while junior Patrice McKinney turned in 13 points. Freshman Kelly Watts grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds along with nine points.

Three Golden Flashes reached double figures in points led by Kristen Peoples with 17 points. La’kia Stewart finished with 13 points and Jamilah Humes added 10.

In a game that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties, the Eagles used clutch shooting and were able to cut down on turnovers to rally from a one-point halftime deficit. Both sides had trouble holding onto the rock, as EMU committed 24 miscues while KSU finished with 20, that lead to 19 points for each side.

Out of the gate both sides were evenly matched with the contest knotted at 7-7 after four minutes of action. However, the place would slow considerably as turnovers were plaguing each side, with the teams combining for 14 miscues (EMU 7, KSU 7) with still 11 minutes left in the period.

Neither side was able score for more than three minutes until the Golden Flashes would used a quick 6-2 run capped off by a Tiffany LaFleur jumper in the lane to take a 15-14 edge. Eastern’s scoring troubles continued until VanMetre drained a long-distance three-pointer with 6:09 to once again tie at 17. VanMetre’s bucket started the momentum swing to the Eagles’ favor, holding the Flashes without a score for nearly three minutes while stringing together seven points of their own to make it 21-17 with 4:13 showing on the clock.

KSU and EMU would exchange scores and turnovers with the Golden Flashes taking a slim 28-27 lead into the locker room. Kent State’s La’kia Stewart led all scorers with nine while EMU was paced by VanMetre and Kelly Watts with seven. Controlling the ball remained a challenge for the entire period with a total of 26 turnovers (EMU 15, KSU 11) occurring during the first 20 minutes.

Eastern would come out of the intermission firing, rolling off the first six points of the stanza to take a 33-28 lead with two minutes gone. Kent State would answer with five points of its own before the offense went silent as EMU would roll off five consecutive points from Pittman to take its biggest lead of the game at five, 38-33, with 16:11 showing.

Kent State would respond to retake control at 41-40 via a runner in the lane by Jamilah Humes, but EMU would regain the lead off a long-range triple by VanMetre. KSU would come back with a 5-0 run but that was promptly answered by back-to-back threes by Pittman forcing KSU to burn a timeout with 8:54 to go in the game. Adjustments during the huddle would key a 7-0 Golden Flash run over the next two minutes allowing KSU to hold a four point margin, 53-49, with 7:11 left.

The Green and White would respond with a 8-1 run of their own capped by an easy lay-up by McKinney. All of the Eagles’ points came without leading scoring VanMetre on the floor as she suffered an appearance hand injury at the 5:07 mark and didn’t return to the floor for more than two minutes.

Pittman’s sixth trey of the afternoon and a McKinney lay-up and free throw gave the Eagles a seven point edge, 63-56, with 2:05 remaining. A pair of free throws by Stewart pulled the Flashes closer and then the fouling began to send EMU to the free throw line. VanMetre was able to make the front end of the one-and-one situation but missed the second which was rebounded by McKinney to keep the clock rolling.

Another foul sent Pittman to the line who was able to make both before Peoples was able to race down the floor for the contest jumper to make it 66-60 with 33 seconds still to play. VanMetre was once again fouled and made both tosses to expand the margin back to eight, 68-60. Peoples sank two free throws for Kent State, but Pittman made one-of-two to keep it a three possession game. The Flashes added a late score but it would be too little as Eastern captured the 69-64 victory.

Eastern returns to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Wednesday night, Jan. 24, to host the University at Buffalo. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Women’s Basketball Rallies for a 69-64 Victory at Kent State

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