TotalCast Stats
Flashes Advances to Fifth Straight Championship Game with 96-94
Double-Overtime Victory
CLEVELAND (March 3, 2000) -- Top-seeded Kent State University came back from a 12-point
deficit in the second half and a seven-point margin in the first
overtime to hold off upset-minded Eastern Michigan University 96-94 in
double overtime in a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal March 3
at Public Hall.
MAC Player of the Year Dawn Zerman (Fremont, Ohio/Ross) hit 3-of-4
free-throw attempts in the final nine seconds and then picked the pocket
of Jessica Henry (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) with one second to play to
seal the win. Zerman, who also was named the league's Defensive Player
of the Year, saved the day for the Golden Flashes (24-5) in the first
overtime, taking a charge on EMU sophomore Stephanie Smiley (Holt,
Mich./Holt) near the basket with two seconds left and the game tied
82-82.
The Golden Flashes, who extended their winning streak to nine, had to
fight their way back virtually the entire game against the high-flying
Eagles (16-14). Eastern Michigan led by as many as 12 points at 52-40
at the 11:16 mark of the second half and held a 75-67 lead with 1:31
left in the game. But Kent was not finished. Zerman hit two free
throws to cut the lead to 75-73 with 16 seconds left and then drove for
a layup off a Carrie Nance (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich) steal just four
seconds later.
Eastern Michigan had one more shot, but sophomore Kris Kachaturoff's
(Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) turnaround in the lane bounced around the rim
before falling off as time expired.
Zerman scored eight of her team-high 22 points in the second half, and
also finished with nine rebounds and eight assists. Junior center Julie
Studer (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) had 21 points, including six in the
extra periods, and pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds.
"This was a game that anyone could have won," said Kent Head Coach Bob
Lindsay. "At the end, it just came down to making the plays and that is
an ability our team has had all year. We know how to find a way to
win."
In the first overtime, Eastern Michigan scored the first seven points to
go up 82-75 at the 3:26 mark, but Kent responded again. Alana Bader's
(Kennan, Wis./Phillips) three-pointer jumpstarted the Flashes and
redshirt freshman Amanda Wolke's (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore) layup with 53
seconds left capped a 7-0 run to tie the score at 82-82 and force the
second overtime.
Kachaturoff (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) nearly carried the Eagles into
their first MAC Tournament championship game with a career-high 25
points and eight rebounds off the bench. Junior Kristy Maska (Britton,
Mich./Britton Macon) had 22 points and senior Amy Crickard (Sarnia,
Ontario/St. Patrick's) added 16.
The Golden Flashes, who have won 21 of their last 22 games since Dec.
11, tied the school record with their 24th victory and now advance to
the tournament title game for the fifth straight time. Kent will face
the winner of the Western Michigan University-University of Toledo game
for the MAC's automatic NCAA Tournament berth Saturday at 5:45 p.m. The
Golden Flashes have faced Toledo in each of the last four championship
games.