Update: Shumate leads Golden Flashes past Chippewas

Kent State’s women’s basketball team opened a busy month of February by defeating Central Michigan 68-57 Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center.

Playing their first of four games in eight days following a stretch of three games in 18 days, the Golden Flashes (11-7, 3-6 Mid-American Conference) seized control in the second quarter and kept it the rest of the way to defeat the Chippewas (4-16, 2-9) and snap a two-game winning streak.

Junior guard Katie Shumate tied her season high with 21 points and tacked on five rebounds to pace the Flashes. Junior forward Nila Blackford notched her third double-double in the last four games with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while senior forward Lindsey Thall added 11 points and four assists.

Junior guard Molly Davis led Central Michigan with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, but committed nine of her team’s 21 turnovers that led to 25 KSU points.

Kent State led 17-15 at the first break, then pulled away with an 11-0 run in the second quarter. The Chippewas were held scoreless for 5:35 while the Flashes pushed their lead to 29-19, and they headed into the intermission on top 35-24.

Central Michigan was hanging around until back-to-back steals and layups by Blackford increased Kent State’s advantage to 50-35. The Flashes were never able to blow the game wide open, but their cushion stayed at nine points or more the rest of the way.

Kent State returns to action Saturday afternoon at Eastern Michigan (5-12, 2-8), the second of 10 scheduled February contests.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State defeated Central Michigan 68-57 on Wednesday