The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
12-10, 6-5MAC
Miami (Ohio)
9-12, 3-7MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 14 | 15 | 22 | 14 | 65 |
| Akron | 17 | 20 | 16 | 24 | 77 |
Plybon's 22 Second-Half Points Propel Akron Past Miami, 77-65
February 06 | Women's Basketball
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AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron junior Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) scored 22 of her career-best 26 points in the second half, including recording her 1,000th career point, to propel the Zips (12-10, 6-5 MAC) to a 77-65 victory past Miami University (9-12, 3-7 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 6, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Plybon became the second Akron player to surpass 1,000 career points as a Zip this season when she sank the second of two free throws with 46 seconds remaining in the contest.
Plybon connected on five three pointers on the afternoon en route to directing three Zips scoring in double figures with 26 points. Joining her were seniors DiAndra Gibson (Ravenna, Ohio) and Anita Brown (Warren, Ohio) with 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Leah Purvis led four RedHawks eclipsing the double-digit plateau in scoring with a team-high 19 points, while Molly McDonagh added a 10-point, 13-rebound performance.
Miami outrebounded Akron in the second half, 27-16, en route to owning an overall 45-35 advantage in rebounds for the game, including a 19-5 margin on the offensive glass. The RedHawks parlayed their offensive rebounds into an 18-3 advantage in second-chance points.
Brown pulled down a team-high eight rebounds for the Zips, while matching senior Megan Barilla (Fairview Park, Ohio) distributing a game-best five assists.
Akron assumed the early lead in the affair jumping out to a 5-0 advantage on a jumper and three pointer from Gibson.
The RedHawks battled back to take their only lead of the first half, 8-7, with a triple from Jazz Smith at the 5:38 mark.
The Zips twice pushed their margin in the opening quarter to four before a free throw from sophomore Alli Ball (St. Louis, Mo.) gave Akron a 17-14 lead after the first period.
Opening the second quarter on an 8-2 run, sparked by three pointers from Ball and redshirt freshman Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio), the Zips extended their lead to 25-16 at the 7:38 mark.
Miami fired back a salvo of its own rolling off a 11-4 scoring spurt to cut its deficit to two, 29-27, with a three pointer from Purvis with 3:15 left before halftime.
Brown and Plybon answered registering four points apiece over the final 2:14 to send the Zips into the intermission leading 37-29.
Akron shot 46.2 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, while limiting the RedHawks' attack to a 28.6 percent shooting mark.
Miami chipped away at the Zips' lead in the third quarter using a 14-5 run to retake the advantage, 48-47, on a free throw from Purvis at the 2:52 mark.
After exchanging baskets, Plybon nailed a triple with 53 seconds left in the stanza to send Akron into the final quarter holding a 53-51 lead.
The RedHawks had chances to inch closer to the Zips over the final 10 minutes, but Miami went just 1-for-7 at the free throw line, as compared to Akron, who made nine of its 14 fourth-quarter attempts.
Brown and Plybon each posted 10 fourth-quarter points to propel the Zips to the 77-65 triumph.
Saturday's game versus Miami served as the Zips' Play4Kay game in honor of the late North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who lost her long battle with breast cancer in 2009. The game helped raise awareness for the disease and the Kay Yow Foundation, which supports research, provides grants, and drives inspiration in the fight against women's cancers.
Akron returns to action traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich., for a 2 p.m. tilt next Saturday, Feb. 13.
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