Women’s basketball drops eighth straight road game at Kent State


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Junior guard Molly Davis shoots a three-pointer, Jan. 13 in McGuirk Arena.

Without sharpshooting freshman Tiana Timpe, Central Michigan (4-16, 2-9) women’s basketball went to Kent, Ohio on Wednesday looking to snap its seven-game road losing streak. 

While they found success in the paint throughout, the Chippewas committed 21 turnovers allowing Kent State (11-7, 3-6) to secure a 68-57 win in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. 

Although Timpe wasn’t available for CMU, senior guard Kalle Martinez returned to the team after exiting with a concussion against Bowling Green State on Jan. 19. 

The Golden Flashes won the opening tip and took control of the paint. Looking for an answer, the Chippewas turned to junior forward Anika Weekes, who recorded six points and two rebounds in the first quarter. 

CMU’s five first-quarter turnovers allowed the Golden Flashes to push its lead to five as ticked away. Then with a minute left, junior guard Molly Davis made her presence felt for the Chippewas, adding five quick points, bringing the score to 17-15. 

When the second began, CMU looked like it was in control as it grabbed its first lead of the game with 8:51 remaining in the quarter. However, the Chippewas struggled to break through the 19-point mark, and Kent State took advantage. 

The Golden Flashes strung together an 11-0 run, holding CMU scoreless for over six minutes. Martinez ended the drought for the Chippewas, but they would only record one more basket in the quarter as Kent State took an 11 point lead into the break. 

Although both teams struggled coming out of halftime, the Golden Flashes continued to extend their lead. Then Davis took over the Chippewas offense, netting seven points in the third. 

Davis' spark caused a chain reaction as the Chippewas immediately stepped up on defense. 

Weekes stepped in front of a pass, quickly found freshman guard Karrington Gordon, who created space at the rim with a euro step and dropped in a layup to cut Kent State’s lead to eight. However, the Golden Flashes never missed a beat.

CMU managed to cut the lead to single digits down the stretch in the fourth, but Kent State kept its foot on the gas and locked up its third Mid-American Conference win. 

Kent State’s Katie Shumate led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the floor and grabbing five rebounds. Nila Blackford recorded a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

Davis led the Chippewas with 20 points while tacking on six rebounds and four assists. Smith finished close behind with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting in addition to grabbing five rebounds. 

Weekes recorded six points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

After finishing the first quarter with a seven-rebound advantage, CMU won the rebound battle 31-30. However, Kent State recorded 25 points off turnovers in the game. 

Kent State entered the game with three players in the Top-25 for three-pointers per game in the MAC. They shot 5-for-16 from deep against CMU. 

The Chippewas return to McGuirk Arena at 1 p.m. Saturday to take on Buffalo.

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