The Kent State Golden Flashes stunned all when they decimated the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns by a respectable margin of 64-55 at the Cajundome arena on Sunday. While the Ragin’ Cajuns shot only 29.6% from the field, Kent potted 37.5% from the floor.
The Todd Starkey-coached team had an advantage in rebounding with a tally of 42-37. They also besotted 5-of-22 three-pointers along with a couple of threes. The KSU led during the first three quarters with the highest six-point lead in the first one.
Among the standout players was the forward Jenna Batsch who pocketed a career high of 15 points. Their guard Corynne Hauser and center Mikala Morris smashed 10 points each. Debutant Morris even contributed in the defense, rebounding 7 points. Another guard Katie Shumate grabbed the team’s highest rebounds of eight points. Overall, the Flashes with their determination and hard work emerged victorious in their season opener. A YT video was released enumerating the same.
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Kent: A Chance at Rebuilding
The key players to look for in the Flashes this year are – Batsch, Hauser, Morris, and Shumate. Batsch performed exceptionally well in the first match, basketing her career high of 15 points. Her stats do not justify her capabilities when looked for in the long run. She averages 2.9 points with 1.2 rebounds per match and 0.3 assists per contest. Her display has been decent, considering that she wasn’t given many chances since Batsch only plied her trade for an average of 11 minutes during her sophomore year and as a freshman, she was only given 7.8 minutes per match.
During this season that marks her junior year, Batsch has assumed an important position in the team that was evident in Sunday’s game. She played for 37 minutes in that game. How the senior player shapes her game this year will to a lot of extent decide how the Flashes progress in the tournament.
The other player that has garnered a lot of attention for the Kent is their guard Hauser. Hauser has played 33 games in her career and averages a respectable 9.0 points. She has 2.7 rebounds per match and 2.9 assists per contest. With the clashes hyping up, Hauser can become the alpha scorer for her team, considering she has a field goal percentage of 41.1% and three-pointer percentage of 31.8%.
Mikala Morris- Morris might be the end of Kent’s rebounding woes. The former Quinnipiac Bobcats forward Morris transferred to the Kent this year after spending four years with the Bobcats. The first player in Bobcats’ Div. I history to grab 300+ rebounds with 50+ blocks during her junior season can make for a formidable defense of the Flashes, propelling her team to great heights in this season. Since it will be Morris’s last NCAA season, the Flashes will have to position and use her services wisely.
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The Kent State guard Shumate will be spending her fifth and final year with her team before leaving the NCAA. She has been a core part of the team since her freshman year. The Flashes will have to utilize her properly if they want to leave an indelible mark this year. Overall, the five foot eleven inches guard has smashed an average of 12.3 points with 5.4 rebounds per match and 1.4 assists per game. Shumate will have to amp up her game to help her team give their best.
The Kent will be competing against the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers on Tuesday. While the Lady Tigers tally 2-1, the Kent has a score of 1-0. The nail-biting contest will be played at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. The Golden Flashes have played the Lady Tigers twice previously once in 1995 and the other time in 2003. The Tigers won the first game by a narrow margin of 78-75 whereas during the second game the Tigers dented the Flashes by a significant margin of 73-49.
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The LSU would be looking to take another humongous victory in their backyard. While the Kent will have to pull up their socks and have all guns blazing, if they want to win their first contest against the LSU.
