The women went to 4-0 in the MAC and won their fifth straight game, 70-61 over Ball State (2-3 MAC, 4-5 overall).
The victory leaves Kent State alone in second place in the MAC, a half game behind Central Michigan (5-0, 7-2), which beat Buffalo (4-1, 7-3) 79-63 in Buffalo. Bowling Green (4-1, 8-2) lost at home to to Northern Illinois (2-2, 4-5).
The Flashes are 5-2 overall.
Nila Blackford had her fourth double-double in four MAC games with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Junior Hannah Young and freshman Casey Santoro each had 12 off the bench. Young also had seven rebounds as the Flashes beat Ball State on the boards 43-33.
Santoro took over at point guard halfway through the second quarter when Mariah hurt her knee in a collision with a BSU player. Kent State outscored Ball State 49-39 when Santoro was running the team. Modkins' injury doesn't seem to be serious; the BSU player left the M.A.C.C. on crutches.
Fran Recchia got her first win as acting head coach. Todd Starkey missed the game — his first in 21 years of coaching — after he tested positive for COVID-19 early in the week.
Full story, including quotes from Recchia and Blackford, is on the blog at
https://wbbFlashes.com.