Thrilling MAC Showdown: Women’s Hoops Takes on Top-Ranked Ball State This Wednesday!

The Kent State women’s basketball squad is set to return to the M.A.C. Center on Wednesday, January 15 for a significant Mid-American Conference encounter against first-place Ball State, which is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. The first 500 attendees will receive a “Everyone Watches Kent State Women’s Sports” t-shirt as part of the ‘Black Out’ initiative.

A flurry of three-point conversions in the early stages of the third quarter during Saturday’s away game at Ohio propelled the Golden Flashes (10-6, 3-1 MAC) to a 79-64 triumph after trailing at halftime for the first time this season. Kent State nailed five consecutive shots from beyond the arc, forming part of a 17-0 surge to commence the second half, and permitted its lead to fall below 10 for only 30 seconds throughout the final 17 minutes of play. The Flashes concluded the match with 16 three-pointers, equalizing the program record established against Ohio on December 11, 2020. Sophomore Mya Babbitt and freshman Journey Hildebrand spearheaded the record-breaking shooting with five three-pointers each. Senior Jenna Batsch led the team with 14 points and eight assists.

Preseason All-MAC First Team nominee Jenna Batsch (15.1 ppg, 4.3 apg) is the sole player in the conference averaging at least 15 points, four assists, and one steal per contest. Bridget Dunn (8.3 ppg) ranks fourth nationally in defensive rebounds (8.6 drpg) and 23rd in total rebounds per game (10.2). Mya Babbitt (12.3 ppg) leads the MAC with 42 three-pointers and has converted 40.8% of her attempts from beyond the arc. Dionna Gray averages 9.8 points and 4.7 assists per game while guiding Kent State to an 8-3 record in this season’s contests. Riley Rismiller, a transfer from Dayton, has made an immediate impact with averages of 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Scouting Ball State

The Cardinals (12-4, 4-0 MAC) are ranked No. 10 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 and have not lost since their defeat to No. 11 Ohio State on December 10. Ball State has secured victories in each game during its current six-game winning streak by at least 11 points and boasts an overall average victory margin of 30.2 points per game.

Leading the team with an average of 14.2 points per match, Ally Becki is the MAC leader in assists per game (5.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.33). Alex Richard adds 13.8 points per game on 55.7% shooting along with a team-high 6.1 rebounds per outing. Transfers Elise Stuck (11.0 ppg) and Lachelle Austin (10.1 ppg) also contribute as double-digit scorers.

Series History

• Kent State boasts an all-time record of 42-25 against Ball State.

• The Golden Flashes are 27-6 in all-time matchups within the M.A.C. Center and had a four-game home winning streak in this series cut short during the home finale last season (57-46).

• Kent State managed to keep the Cardinals under 65 points in six of the last 10 encounters.

• The Flashes have a 5-7 record against Ball State under head coach Todd Starkey.

Broadcast Info

Matt Kiraly and Jacki Windon will cover the action on ESPN+, while Dane Richardson will be providing commentary on ESPN Cleveland and the Kent State Radio Network.

Next Up for Kent State

The Golden Flashes will be back on the court at the M.A.C. Center for the annual We Back Pat game against Western Michigan on Saturday, January 18.