The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
19-13
Buffalo
19-13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 22 | 19 | 18 | 29 | 88 |
| Akron | 19 | 27 | 16 | 25 | 87 |
Akron's MAC WBB Championship Run Halted by Buffalo, 88-87
March 11 | Women's Basketball
Follow Akron Women's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Follow Coach Kest on Twitter
Purchase Women's Basketball Individual Game Tickets Click Here
BOXSCORE | BOXSCORE (PDF) | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Four University of Akron women's basketball players scored in double figures, led by freshman Lilli Piper's (Norton, Ohio) career-high 24 points, but the Zips (19-13) fell in a heartbreaking 88-87 decision against Buffalo (19-13) in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon, March 11, at Quicken Loans Arena.
Following the setback against the Bulls, Akron must now wait out postseason selections on Monday evening, March 14, to see if its 2015-16 body of work earns the Zips a Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) berth.
The outcome of the contest came down to the final minute as the two teams combined to score 15 points over the final 60 seconds.
Trailing 80-72 with 1:17 remaining in regulation, Piper connected of her career-high fourth triple of the afternoon to inch the Zips to within five, 80-75.
Following a pair of Buffalo made free throws stretched the margin to 82-75, senior Anita Brown (Warren, Ohio) drained a three pointer at the 1:02 mark.
Ayoleka Sodade pushed the Bulls' lead back to six, 84-78, with two made free throws with 54 seconds left.
Akron kept firing back as Plybon's sixth three pointer of the game left the Zips down by three, 84-81, with 48 seconds left in the game.
The Bulls were able to come up with an offensive rebound on the next possession that led to a lay-up by Mariah Suchan with 20 seconds on the clock.
Brown hurried down the court to shoot a three ball and drew a foul that resulted in three good attempts and brought Akron back within two, 86-84, with seven seconds to play.
Sodade was fouled immediately and missed both free throw attempts. Unfortunately for Akron, the Zips were unable to snatch the rebound as Sodade corralled the offensive carom and found a stick-back bucket plus drew a foul with five seconds to go, to go up 88-84.
Sodade missed the free throw and Piper pulled down the rebound and threw an outlet pass to senior Megan Barilla (Fairview Park, Ohio), who found Plybon open for her seventh and final triple of the afternoon as time expired.
Akron shot 44.1 percent (30-for-68) from the field in the affair, including making a school-record 15 three pointers. Buffalo proved to be nearly as effective from the field shooting a very similar 43.7 percent (31-for-71).
Piper went 7-for-8 in the first quarter to score 18 of her 24 points. Brown and Plybon added 22 points apiece, while senior DiAndra Gibson (Ravenna, Ohio) rounded out the double digit scoring with 13 points.
Plybon's seven three-pointers represented a career-high mark and stands as the second-best single-game performance in program history.
Piper pulled down a team- and career-best nine rebounds for the Zips, while Brown grabbed seven rebounds off the glass. Barilla distributed a game-high nine assists for Akron.
The Bulls had five players score in double digits led by Joanna Smith's 18 points. Buffalo controlled the battle of the boards with a 51-37 edge. Akron held a 15-2 advantage in fast-break points, along with a slim 13-10 authority in points off turnovers.
Buffalo took an early 4-1 lead two minutes into the first period, but a three-pointer by Gibson at the 7:42 mark tied the game, 4-4. The Bulls then used four consecutive points to reclaim an 8-4 advantage, however, Akron came rolling back again after a layup by sophomore Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) and a three ball by Plybon.
Both teams traded three point baskets over the following two minutes until Buffalo went on a 8-1 run to hold a 22-19 control at the end of the first quarter.
Akron tied the score, 22-22, after a three-point play by Piper in the beginning of the second frame. The Zips went on a 13-4 run highlighted by two Gibson three pointers and five points from Piper to claim a 35-26 advantage with 5:24 left until intermission.
Piper continued her scoring frenzy as the freshman scored seven points over the next four minutes of the half. However, Buffalo held the Zips scoreless over the final minute and a half, while scoring six-straight points to trail 46-41 heading into the locker room.
Both teams got off to a sluggish start in the third period as the score stood tied, 56-56, with 3:09 on the clock. Akron outscored the Bulls, 6-3, over the next three minutes to boast a slim 62-59 lead going into the final quarter.
The opening minutes of the fourth frame was a back-and-forth affair until Buffalo captured its first lead since the first period, 70-69, at the 5:58 mark. The Bulls didn't relinquish the advantage en route to claiming the victory.
