CLEVELAND — Kent State is just a mere step away from "dancing" for the first time in more than two decades.
The Golden Flashes are headed to the Mid-American Conference women's basketball championship game following a 65-50 win over second-seeded Ball State in Friday's league tournament semifinals. Bridget Dunn and Katie Shumate each had double-doubles for KSU, which won its first MAC semifinal game since 2006.
RELATED: Everything you need to know about the 2024 MAC men's and women's basketball tournaments in Cleveland
Down 5-2 in the opening minutes, the No. 3 seed Flashes (20-10) opened up a 12-0 run to end the first quarter and never trailed again. Dunn finished the afternoon with 16 points and 13 rebounds on 6 of 7 shooting (including three 3-pointers), while first-team All-MAC selection Shumate scored 12 with 14 boards. Freshman standout Janae Tyler also added 16 off the bench.
The Cardinals (28-5) entered the game as the favorite after beating Kent State twice this season, but struggled all game by shooting just 32.1% of the field. Ally Becky led BSU with 13 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Once a perennial March Madness contender, KSU's program fell into a state of disrepair during the 2010s, and has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. However, Todd Starkey has slowly rebuilt the team during his eight-year tenure, achieving seven winning records during that span.
Kent State will battle 4-seed Buffalo in the title game after the Bulls upset No. 1 Toledo (the defending champion) in overtime Friday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.