The Kent State women’s basketball team is scheduled to play a pair of Mid-American Conference games on the road this week, beginning at Central Michigan at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Golden Flashes (11-7, 4-2 MAC) moved back into a tie for second in the conference standings with an impressive 80-50 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday. Kent State shot 90% in the fourth quarter and outscored the Broncos 45-19 combined during the even periods. Senior Jenna Batsch led all scorers with 19 points and shared the team lead with six assists. Sophomore Janae Tyler had a season-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Senior Bridget Dunn grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Flashes post a plus-23 advantage on the glass.
Preseason All-MAC First Team selection Jenna Batsch (15.0 ppg, 4.4 apg) is the only player in the conference averaging at least 15 points, four assists and one steal per game. Bridget Dunn (8.5 ppg) ranks third in the nation in defensive rebounding (9.0 drpg) and 18th overall in rebounds per game (10.5). Mya Babbitt (12.6 ppg) leads the MAC with 46 three-pointers and has made 39.7% of attempts from beyond the arc. Riley Rismiller, a transfer from Dayton, has made an immediate impact with averages of 9.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Dionna Gray averages 8.6 points and 4.8 assists per game while leading Kent State to a 9-4 record in games played this season.
Scouting Central Michigan
The Chippewas (7-10, 3-3 MAC) are coming off wins against Akron and Eastern Michigan that evened their record during conference play. Central Michigan is the best offensive rebounding team in the MAC and ranks 15th nationally in offensive boards per game (15.6).
Guard Madi Morson is the top freshman scorer in the conference at 13.8 points per game. Guard Jess Lawson adds 10.4 points per game and ranks third in the MAC in rebounding (8.4 rpg). Forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (8.3 ppg) is averaging 11.8 points per game to start conference play.
Series History
• Kent State is 35-32 all-time vs. Central Michigan.
• The Golden Flashes have won four straight in the series for the first time since an eight-game winning streak form 1997-02.
• Prior to this, the Chippewas had won 10 straight with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points.
• Kent State has a 13-20 all-time record in Mount Pleasant and looks to win three straight for the first time in 24 years.
• The Flashes are 4-5 vs. Central Michigan under head coach Todd Starkey.
Broadcast Info
Adam Jaksa, Riley Edwards and Kristina Fusco will call the action on ESPN+, while Dane Richardson will have the call on the Kent State Radio Network.
Next Up for Kent State
The Golden Flashes will visit Miami on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow the Golden Flashes on X, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
