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University of Akron
Ohio
Ohio edges Akron, 72-60, in battle of top-two teams in MAC's East Division
January 28 | Women's Basketball
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ATHENS, Ohio - A 9-2 second-half run enabled Ohio (16-3, 7-1 MAC) to break open a 37-all tie en route to registering a 72-60 victory past Akron (15-4, 5-3 MAC) in Mid-American Conference women's basketball action on Wednesday.
Senior Sina King (Waterford, Ohio) playing in front of a large contingent of family and friends poured in a game-high 27 points, while pulling down six rebounds.
Joining her in double figures in scoring for the Zips was junior Anita Brown (Warren, Ohio) and sophomore Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Quiera Lampkins paced four Bobcats scoring in double figures with 18 points.
Akron connected on 39 percent of its shots from the field, while limiting Ohio's high-octane offense to a 36.1 percent shooting mark.
The Zips outrebounded the Bobcats, 47-36, including 34-27 on the defensive glass, led by a team-high eight rebounds from freshman Kerri McMahan (Novi, Mich.). She also distributed a game-high seven assists.
Ohio forced Akron into 21 turnovers, but was unable to capitalize on those miscues posting only an 18-15 advantage in points off of turnovers.
The Bobcats garnered a 20-2 difference in bench scoring.
The two sides exchanged the game's initial two baskets before the Bobcats surged to a 21-6 lead at the 15:10 mark on the strength of a 19-4 run. In the scoring spurt Ohio connected on five three-pointers.
The Zips slowly began their journey back towards chipping away at the Bobcats' lead with a pair of triples from Plybon and a jumper by King to cut the margin to 26-14 with 9:06 left in the half.
After Ohio stretched the lead to its largest margin at 15 at the 5:35 mark, 32-17, the Bobcats finished the half missing their final seven attempts from the floor. During that span, the Zips closed the stanza on a 6-0 run sparked by baskets from Plybon, King and Brown to enter the intermission trailing Ohio, 32-23.
King and Plybon led Akron in first-half scoring with nine and eight points, respectively. Lampkins paced Ohio with 10 points.
Akron connected at a 34.6 percent clip in the first 20 minutes, while the Bobcats made 35.3 percent of their attempts.
The Zips came out firing to behind the second half as a 14-5 run capped by a lay-up from Brown at the 16:05 mark tied the game at 37.
Ohio answered with a 9-2 run over the next 3:17 to regain the lead, 46-39, after a jumper by Kiyanna Black at the 12:48 mark.
Akron brought the deficit to three, 48-45, on a pair of free throws by King with 11:10 left in the contest.
The Bobcats followed with a 12-3 run to stretch their lead to 60-48 with 7:48 remaining.
Ohio led by as many as 17 points down the stretch and scored its final 12 points at the charity stripe to claim a 72-60 victory.
Akron returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 31, as the Zips host Kent State in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. Game time at James A. Rhodes Arena is set for 2 p.m.
