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Kent State women's basketball hosts Buffalo as Mid-American Conference play begins

The game: Kent State vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m. Wednesday at the M.A.C. Center.

TV: ESPN+

Corynne Hauser.
Corynne Hauser.

Records: Kent State is 8-3 after a 72-69 overtime win over Coppin State on Saturday. Buffalo (5-4, 0-0) has won four consecutive games, including a 58-49 decision at St. Bonaventure on Thursday.

The coaches: Todd Starkey is 108-80 in his seventh season at Kent State and 273-174 overall. Becky Burke is her first season at Buffalo after compiling a career record of 113-55 in six seasons at Embry-Riddle, Charleston (W. Va.) and USC-Upstate. Burke was a member of Louisville’s national runner-up team in 2009.

Series history: Kent State leads 30-23 and is 17-8 vs. the Bulls at the M.A.C. Center. But Buffalo has won the last meetings, including 82-64 in Kent on Feb. 26, 2022.

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Kent State lineup: Projected starters are 5-11 Sr. Katie Shumate (12.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game); 6-2 Gr. Lindsay Thall (12.1, 3.7, 1.3); 5-4 Jr. Casey Santoro (9.7, 2.5, 1.5); 5-7 Fr. Corynne Hauser (8.2, 2.4, 2.8); and 5-10 Gr. Hannah Young (5.6, 5.8, 0.8).

Buffalo lineup: Projected starters are 5-7 Gr. Zakiyah Winfield (15.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.6); 5-6 Gr. Re’Shawna Stone (11.3, 5.1, 3.6); 6-0 Soph. Emerita Mashaire (4.8, 2.2, 1.7); 5-8 Gr. Jazmine Young (12.7, 3.0, 1.9); and 6-3 Soph. Kayla Salmons (4.3, 3.8, 0.3).

Notes: All five Buffalo starters are transfers – Winfield and Stone from Div. II Glenville State, Mashaire from Cincinnati, Young from Tennessee State and Salmons from Idaho State. Young, though, is in her third season with the Bulls. … Kent State is third in the MAC in scoring (72.8) while Buffalo is first in scoring defense (58.2). The Flashes are third (59.2) in scoring defense and the Bulls are 11th in scoring offense (60.7). … KSU is second in the conference with 8.6 3-pointers per game; Buffalo is No. 2 in 3-point shooting defense (.286). … Winfield (35.7) and Stone (34.6) are one-two in the MAC in minutes played per game. … Winfield’s 11.3 rebounds per game is 10th best in Division I.

Next: Kent State makes its first conference road trip of the season Saturday, at Ohio, with a 1 p.m. tipoff.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kent State Golden Flashes women's basketball plays Buffalo Bulls