Kent lines up and beats YSU women
Trending
YOUNGSTOWN -- Kent State made its last nine free throws as the Golden Flashes pulled away from Youngstown State Tuesday at the Beeghly Center, 55-44.
Sarah Cash had a layup with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't convert the free throw on the potential 3-point play. Cash finished with 10 points.
YSU trailed 40-36 after that bucket, but didn't score again until Alison Smolinski's steal and layup with 1:36 left.
Naddiyah Cross's four free throws helped seal KSU's win as the Golden Flashes improved to 2-0.
Indiya Benjamin started the second half with a floater and a 3-pointer to give the Penguins a 25-18 lead with about 8 minutes left in the third quarter. Benjamin scored her 1,000th-career point on a jumper with 10 seconds left.
"It's nice. Happy I was able to do that," she said.
After Benjamin's points early in the third quarter, KSU dominated with an 18-2 run to take a 36-27 lead on an Ali Poole layup about 6 minutes later.
"We were taking a lot of quick baskets and they weren't falling for us," said Benjamin, who had a team-high 12 points. "It led to transition for them."
Smolinski finally got her team back on track as she hit a 3-pointer at the third-quarter horn, and YSU trailed, 38-32, heading into the fourth quarter.
YSU shot 4 of 16 from the floor in the third quarter and 5 of 25 from 3.
"We didn't have any firepower," YSU coach John Barnes said. "If you don't make shots, it's hard to win."
In the first half, the Penguins held a half-court defensive clinic in the first quarter as YSU led 11-2 and held KSU to 12.5 percent shooting from the floor.
The Golden Flashes then returned to form, but not before YSU went up 14-4 with 8 minutes left before halftime as freshman Anne Secrest made a 3-point play.
From that point, KSU went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 14-11 on McKenna Stephens' 3 with 6:39 left in the quarter. Stephens had 16 points, while Alexa Golden added 17 and Jordan Korinek had 10.
Both teams struggled to keep possession as YSU had 15 turnovers and the Golden Flashes had 12.
Benjamin had a 3-pointer for the Penguins with 9 seconds left before the break for a 20-18 lead, which YSU took into the locker room.
Cross missed two free throws with 2.2 seconds left as the Golden Flashes, who were 1 of 5 from the foul line in the half, couldn't tie the game up.
"We have to take care of the ball, instead of being up two, we could be up 12 if we take care of it," Barnes said of his team being up two at halftime.
Saturday, YSU plays at Loyola-Chicago, starting at 2 p.m.