The Chippewa defense held Kent State scoreless for the game's final six minutes and 10 seconds, while the backcourt tandem of sophomore Molly Davis and senior Micaela Kelly led a 13-0 run to break the tie and put away the Golden Flashes.

As a result, the Chippewas knocked off the Golden Flashes 84-71 Saturday in Mid-American Conference women's basketball in McGuirk Arena.

"That was a really good win for us," coach Heather Oesterle said. "Kent State's a really good team, a really balanced team."

Impact moments

Kelly and Davis opened the game with 3-pointers, setting the tone for a red-hot first half from the field. Kent State (7-5, 6-3 MAC) kept pace early, tying the game at eight apiece with a layup from Lexi Jackson. After that, it was all CMU (13-6, 11-4 MAC) for the remainder of the first half.

The duo of Kelly and Davis accounted for all of the Chippewas' 19 first quarter points and 41 of the team's 47 in the first half. Early on, Kent State hedged the on-ball screens and took away opportunities to drive out of the pick-and-roll. Yet, Davis and Kelly responded by creating more opportunities out of isolation looks.

"We know each other really well, on and off the court," Davis said. "So obviously that helps a lot. We're always looking for our teammates when they're open and today we were just taking what the defense was giving us."

Thanks to Davis and Kelly's efforts, along with buckets from sophomore wing Annika Weekes, junior forward Jahari Smith and freshman forward Rachel Loobie, the Chippewas led Kent State 47-32 at halftime.

The Golden Flashes opened the second half by promptly cutting that 15-point lead to six. The Chippewas went cold from the field, starting just 3-for-12 from the field in the third quarter. Kent State continued to cut into the lead despite numerous attempts by Kelly and Davis to stop the bleeding.

On the heels of a third quarter in which the Golden Flashes outscored CMU 29-17 and shot nearly 70 percent from the floor, Kent State cut its deficit to three, 64-61, heading into the fourth.

Kent State tied the game with 6:10 remaining on Claire Kelly's 3-pointer, but Kelly answered with a triple and a floater to put her team back up five. The defense locked in, holding the Golden Flashes scoreless for the remainder of the game while the offense's 13-0 run sealed the deal.

Impact players

Kelly led all scorers with 35 while Davis finished with 32. Smith had a double-double, scoring 11 while grabbing 11 boards. Weekes finished with four points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Kyra Bussell, who had missed the previous two games with an injury, returned to the starting lineup but was held scoreless in 16 minutes.

"I think there's a mutual respect for how competitive those two are," Oesterle said of Kelly and Davis. "Those two just want, and will do anything for our team, to win."

The Golden Flashes were led by Katie Shumate's 17 points. Kelly added 14 while Nila Blackford had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Key stats

The Chippewas shot 50 percent (29-58) from the floor while Kent State finished at 36 percent (24-67). The Golden Flashes shot 2-for-20 in the final quarter. The Chippewas allowed Kent State to grab 21 offensive rebounds. Kent State committed 12 turnovers while CMU had just six.

Up next

CMU goes on the road to play Bowling Green at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Stroh Center. The Falcons are currently in first place with an 11-3 conference record. It is the two teams' first and only meeting of the season. Last year, the Chippewas won their only meeting with the Falcons, 82-75, in McGuirk Arena.

Standings (As of publication)

Team -- MAC, Overall

Bowling Green -- 11-3, 15-4

Buffalo -- 8-3, 11-5

Northern Illinois -- 8-3, 10-6

Kent State -- 6-3, 7-5

Central Michigan -- 11-4, 13-6

Ohio -- 9-5, 11-6

Eastern Michigan -- 6-4, 9-6

Ball State -- 7-6, 9-8

Toledo -- 4-9, 8-9

Akron -- 2-11, 5-11