Early Lead Helps Zips Defeat Eastern Kentucky, 62-45.

Wednesday, November 22

Akron, Ohio

7 pm

University of Akron

2-2

Eastern Kentucky University

2-2

Eastern Kentucky

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Early Lead Helps Zips Defeat Eastern Kentucky, 62-45.

November 22 | Women's Basketball

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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's basketball team jumped out to a 20-point lead at the halftime break and never looked back as the Zips defeated Eastern Kentucky, 62-45, on Wednesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

With the win, Akron moves to 2-2 (.500) on the year, while Eastern Kentucky falls to 2-2. Head coach Jodi Kest earned her 398th career victory and is now two wins away from 400 career wins as a head coach.

As a team, the Zips shot 35.4 percent from the floor, including a game-high 41.2 percent in the first quarter, which led to an early Akron lead. From distance, the Zips shot 6-for-20 from long range for 30.0 percent clip.

A pair of Zips scored in double-figures, as senior Greta Bury (Lakewood, Ohio) led the way with a team-high 14 points, while redshirt junior Megan Sefick (Austintown, Ohio) added 10 points. The Akron forward went 6-of-8 from the floor and hit a pair of free throws to total 14 points, while the Zips guard nailed all three of her field goals from long range.

The Zips shared the wealth on the offensive side of the ball as 11 of the 12 players to step on the court scored at least one point. Akron ruled over the Colonels in bench points with the Zips reserves outscoring EKU's, 29-5.

Akron moved the ball around well en route to recording 13 assists in the contest, as well as winning the battle of the boards, 47-41. Sophomore Halieigh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Zips, her season-best performance on the glass.

For the Colonels, A'Queen Hayes scored a game-high 16 points, while Shay Solomon pitched in 14 points. The Akron defense allowed just six of the 10 EKU players to score in the contest. With a stout defensive effort by the Zips, the Colonels shot 31.7 percent from the field and just 11.1 percent (1-of-9) from the three-point line.

Akron came out of the gates running the floor and scored six quick points. Edmonds pushed the ball up the floor, Burry sprinted down the far side of the court, and Edmonds threw two pinpoint passes to the senior for back-to-back easy lay-ins. In the Zips third possession, Edmonds again took off down the court and hit a quick jumper from the elbow to take a 6-0 lead and force an EKU timeout.

Along with aggressive offensive play, the Zips defense was lockdown. The Colonels did not score their first basket until the 4:20 mark. Prior to their first bucket, EKU shot 0-for-8 and turned the ball over twice.

The Zips offense went cold after claiming an early lead until freshman Kynnedy Azubike (Columbus, Ohio) broke the five-minute scoring drought followed by an aggressive drive and jumper by freshman Destiny Perkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) to give Akron a 10-5 lead.

Akron closed out the quarter with a three-pointer by Sefcik in the far corner and an aggressive drive to the hoop by Perkins for a lay-up with five seconds to play in the quarter.

The first two and a half minutes of the second quarter were a back-and-forth battle between the Zips and Colonels with each team scoring three baskets.

Akron held a 26-14 lead with 5:36 to play in the first half. From that point on, the Zips went on 10-2 run to close out the first half of play. Reinoehl got the run started by grabbing two offensive rebounds in one possession and finishing with a lay-up and Burry ended the run with a three-point play after getting fouled, making the basket, and hitting a free throw.

The Zips continued to find the bottom of the net in the first six minutes of the second half and extended their lead to 25 points when senior guard Lauren Hung (Waterford, Mich.) nailed her second three-pointer of the contest from the corner. Akron's 25 point lead was the largest of the night and the Zips largest lead of any game this season.

Despite the big lead, Eastern Kentucky would not go away and cut back into the Akron lead with a 12-4 run to end the third quarter and trailed 53-36 heading into the final period of the contest.

The Zips offense picked back up in the fourth quarter going on an 8-2 run to bump their lead back to plus-23 (61-38) after freshman Sarah Leyendecker (Lawrenceburg,Ind.) scored her first bucket of the game with 5:23 to play.

In the final four minutes of the contest, Eastern Kentucky scored seven of the final nine points, but the lead was too big to overcome leaving the Zips victorious at the final buzzer.

After a five-day break, the Zips return to action at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 28, for their fifth-annual Education Day at 10:30 a.m.