Flashes Advance to First Championship Game Since 2006
Written by Demetri Manousos on March 15, 2024
In a rematch of the March 6 matchup, in which Ball State won 75-71, it was the Flashes who held the lead for the majority of the first quarter.
After going down 5-2 early, Kent State played excellent defense and grabbed multiple offensive rebounds to go on a 12-0 run in the final seven minutes of the quarter. The Cardinals shot just 13.3% in the opening period, whereas the Flashes made 33.3% of their shot attempts.
Ball State’s offense came to life early in the second, nailing two corner threes and already surpassing their point total from the first quarter.
Kent State pushed the lead to ten, but shots that weren’t falling for the Cardinals in the first quarter began to fall in the second. With 2:55 left in the first half, the Flashes’ lead was down to four.
They were able to bring the lead back up to nine at halftime, matching their lead from the end of the first quarter.
Ball State’s first half offense was unsustainable, as they knocked down five threes, but just four two-point shots to go along with one free throw.
Both teams had made five threes in the first half, but the difference was Kent State did not rely on it. They shot 62.5% from three-point range on five of eight shooting, but Ball State shot 33.3% with five makes on fifteen attempts.
Unless Kent State was to go ice cold in the second half, the Cardinals would not be able to count on their first half playstyle to come back.
Ball State also got dominated on the glass, getting outrebounded 27-12 in the first half and scoring no second-chance points while the Flashes scored ten.
The Cardinals did not change their gameplan, taking five shots in the first three minutes of the half, four of them being three-point shots, and making just one. Kent State took advantage, eventually stretching the lead to 14 with a little over five minutes to go in the third quarter.
Ball State did finally take more two-point shots, which helped them cut the lead to ten, but the Flashes again extended the lead before the end of the quarter, this time up to 13.
The Cardinals made a small push to begin the fourth quarter, going on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to eight, but the offense could not keep rolling, scoring just four points over the next five minutes.
The Flashes had their own offensive issues, going over four minutes without scoring. However, a quick 5-0 run to put them up 13 with 2:26 put the game away. Kent went on to win by a score of 65-50.
Ball State’s shot selection was a key contributor in their defeat, shooting more three-pointers than two pointers. The Cardinals shot 38.5% on their two-point attempts and a horrendous 26.7% on their three-point attempts, making for 32.1% in total.
When asked what changed from the March 6 defeat when they gave up 75 points and this matchup where they only gave up 50, head coach Todd Starkey said, “With a team as prolific in scoring as Ball State, you have to dig in every possession.”
The Flashes dominated in the paint and overpowered Ball State, outscoring the Cardinals 44-16 in the paint and outrebounding them 50-23. The Flashes also cashed in 21 second-chance points. Starkey noted that playing well in the interior was a point of emphasis entering the game.
Kent State will play in the MAC Championship March 16 at 11 a.m. against Buffalo, who they beat twice this season.
Photo courtesy: Yasmeen Matthews
