Box Score
KENT, Ohio – The Gannon women's basketball team out-scored NCAA Division I Kent State 35-22 during the second half and upset the Golden Flashes 70-61 Sunday afternoon in an exhibition contest.
Trailing 46-40 with less than 14 minutes to play, Gannon produced what turned out to be the decisive run. The Lady Knights scored 14 consecutive points during the span of six minutes and six seconds.
Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) ignited the run with a lay-up.
Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) followed with back-to-back triples to give Gannon a 48-46 lead.
The Gannon lead ballooned to eight after a basket and a free throw from
Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) combined with a three-pointer from
Kelsey McCoy (Sylvania, Ohio/Sylvania Northview). The bomb from behind the arc gave the Lady Knights a 54-46 advantage with 9:17 to play.
Another McCoy three-pointer at the 4:13 mark gave Gannon a 63-52 lead, representing its biggest lead of the afternoon. Kent State pulled within 65-59, before the Lady Knights iced the victory by making 7-of-8 free throws during the final 66 seconds.
Kent State initially took control by opening the game with a 13-4 blitz. The Golden Flashed led by as many as 11 points (17-6) with 12:17 showing on the first-half clock. Gannon responded with its first signs of offensive life, netting nine straight points to pull within 17-15 on
Mollie Sebald's (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) three-pointer at the 9:28 mark.
Doriyon Glass (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) scored the first seven points of the run.
Gannon held its only lead of the first half after Batts drilled a three-pointer with 5:23 left, giving the Lady Knights a brief 27-26 edge. The two teams found themselves deadlocked at 35, before Kent State scored the last two baskets of the first half to assume a 39-35 halftime advantage.
Batts led all players with 18 points, hitting 7-of-13 shots overall and four three-pointers. She also recorded five steals. Glass followed with 17 points after converting 5-of-7 shots and making all six free throw attempts.
Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn./E.O. Smith) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 markers to go along with six assists.
Gannon shot 43.1 percent (22-51) from the field, 39.3 percent (11-28) from three-point range and 78.9 percent (15-19) from the free throw line.
Diamon Beckford headlined the Kent State attack with 18 points. Tamzin Barroilhet added 12 points. The Golden Flashes shot 45.2 percent (19-42) from the floor, 18.2 percent (2-11) from behind the arc and 77.8 percent (21-27) from the charity stripe.
Gannon concludes its preseason exhibition schedule Saturday, November 3 at the University of Buffalo. Game time against another NCAA Division I opponent is scheduled for 5 p.m.
