The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
St. Francis (Pa.)
St. Francis (Pa.) Outlasts Akron in Overtime, 80-79
November 22 | Women's Basketball
Box Score (PDF)
AKRON, Ohio – With two free throws in the final seconds, St. Francis (Pa.) took down The University of Akron women's basketball team in overtime, 80-79, to earn its first win of the season and first ever in nine meetings with the Zips. Akron falls to 1-3 on the season and has now dropped two in a row, while St. Francis improves to 1-3.
UA overcame a four-point deficit with two minutes to play in regulation to send it to extra time in a back-and-forth game that saw 14 tie scores and 11 lead changes. After trailing by two, Akron took a one-point lead with seven seconds to play in OT, but a late foul gave the Red Flash a trip to the line, and Alli Williams made both shots to win the game for SFU.
Junior forward Rachel Tecca accounted for the game-tying points at the end of regulation and also the go-ahead lay-up and free throw late in overtime, finishing with 19 points on 5-of-11 from the floor and 9-of-13 from the line. She also added a game-high nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Junior guard Taylor Ruper contributed 14 points, including three 3-pointers, while senior Ti'eshia Stubbs turned in career-highs with 13 points and eight boards. Sophomore Sina King also reached double digits with 10 points.
Akron opened the game with two 3-pointers, but four minutes into the half, the score was knotted at 8-8 after a Red Flash triple. Both teams struggled shooting the ball early, going a combined 5-for-18 in the first five minutes. St. Francis took the lead with a lay-up and pulled ahead 14-9 with 14:07 left in the period.
The Zips managed to end SFU's 6-0 run, but the deficit remained at seven with 11:31 to play in the half. After Tecca's first bucket of the night, Akron trailed 18-14 midway through the period. SFU knocked down a 3 to extend its lead, but Ruper answered with her second 3-pointer of the game to keep UA close. The Red Flash added a jumper next time down the floor, and with 7:16 on the clock, St. Francis owned a 23-18 advantage.
With back-to-back lay-ups, Stubbs brought the Zips back to within one with just over five minutes until the break. For the first time in almost 10 minutes, Akron was able to tie the score at 23 with a free throw from Tecca after climbing out of a seven-point hole.
St. Francis broke the tie with two free throws, but Stubbs added consecutive buckets again to give UA a 27-25 lead. It did not last long, however, as the Red Flash regained the advantage with a pair of free throws and a jumper. With time winding down, Kacie Cassell nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner to send Akron into the locker room down 30-31.
Tecca started the second half with two free throws, but St. Francis countered with a 3-pointer to regain the lead. On the ensuing possession, Tecca put in a lay-up to tie the contest at 34, but again the Red Flash converted a triple to stay in front. Hanna Luburgh narrowed the deficit with her second field goal of the night, and Sina King recorded a three-point play to put the Zips ahead 39-37 with 16:37 to play.
With Akron's fifth triple of the game, King extended UA's lead to 42-38 just a minute later. The Red Flash bounced back to draw within one, but Ruper knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game to add to the lead. After a pair of free throws, St. Francis trailed by two with 14:10 to go. The Zips added a free throw, but SFU nailed a triple from the corner to even the score at 48 with less than 13 minutes on the clock.
Already in the double bonus, UA converted a pair of free throws to lead 53-50, but St. Francis scored an easy lay-up to keep pace. With two more free throws by Tecca and a jumper by King, the Zips pushed their lead to 61-55 midway through the half. The Red Flash battled back, however, and converted a three-point play followed by a jumper to pull within one, 61-60.
With 6:37 remaining, the game was again tied at 64 until a fast-break lay-up gave SFU the narrow lead. A pair of free throws by Ruper evened it at 66, but St. Francis netted its eighth 3-pointer of the night to retake the advantage with five minutes to play.
Scoring her first points of the game, Carly Young banked in a lay-up to pull the Zips within one, but the Red Flash answered with a basket to go up by three. Akron's Ruper then nailed a long jumper, but St. Francis continued its hot shooting with a 3 next time down the floor, leaving the score 74-70, SFU, with 1:58 to play.
In the final minutes, the Zips forced a turnover and fed the ball to Tecca, who made good on the lay-up to make it 74-72 with 45 seconds left. Tecca then nabbed a steal to give possession back to Akron, and UA called a timeout with 13.8 seconds on the clock. Off a pass from Cassell, Tecca drove down the lane and drew the foul, sending her to the line for two with eight seconds left. She calmly drilled both to tie it at 74, making it SFU's ball with 8.2 to go. Driving to the basket, St. Francis committed an offensive foul, and the clock expired to send the game to overtime.
The Red Flash got on the board first in the extra period with two free throws, but Stubbs answered with a basket for UA off an in-bounds play. SFU then hit a lay-up on its next possession and went up 78-76 with 3:26 to go. Akron failed to score on consecutive times down the floor, but St. Francis was unable to extend its lead.
With 18 seconds to play, Akron had the ball and called a timeout, still down by two. After several missed shots, Tecca put in a lay-up and drew the foul to tie it. She then drained the free throw to give UA a 79-78 lead with nine seconds left. The Zips committed a foul on the other end, however, sending SFU to the line for one-and-one, and the Red Flash made both for an 80-79 lead with 4.4 seconds to go. The Zips were unable to get the ball down the floor, giving St. Francis the victory.
Over the holiday, the Zips will head west for the Seattle University Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 25 and 26. Akron will play Loyola-Chicago on Friday at 9 p.m. ET and either San Francisco or host Seattle on Saturday night.
