Dunn’s Stellar Double-Double Falls Short Against Dominant Cardinals

KENT, Ohio — Senior Bridget Dunn accumulated 13 points and 15 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season, guiding Kent State in a 66-57 loss to top-ranked Ball State on Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center.

Although shooting merely 30% from the field and being minus-10 in turnovers, the Golden Flashes (10-7, 3-2 MAC) had a chance to equalize with less than six minutes left. Nevertheless, the Cardinals managed a crucial steal that led to a fast-break layup and finished on a 13-7 run to maintain their unbeaten status in Mid-American Conference play.

A duo of three-pointers by sophomore Mya Babbitt and another from freshman Journey Hildebrand enabled Kent State to start the game with an 11-4 advantage. The Flashes failed to make their last four attempts in the first quarter and committed a couple of turnovers during a late run that allowed the visiting team to take the lead 16-12 after the initial 10 minutes of play.

Having trailed by as much as eight in the second quarter, Kent State leveled the score 31-31 with Babbitt’s third three-pointer of the evening with 1:06 remaining. The Cardinals responded with a pair of free throws to take a 33-31 lead at halftime.

Following a third quarter where they shot just 3-for-17, the Flashes found themselves down by 13 points entering the final quarter.

A three-pointer from Dunn and a four-point play by senior Jenna Batsch cut the deficit to six with just under nine minutes remaining. After the Cardinals added two free throws, Dunn replied with another three-pointer, and sophomore Janae Tyler scored inside to narrow it to 53-50 at the 6:13 mark. Kent State got another defensive stop, but a poor pass was intercepted by the visitors for their first field goal of the period, shifting momentum back in their favor.

The Flashes will welcome Western Michigan for the annual We Back Pat game on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the M.A.C. Center. The tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

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