The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
5-2
Butler
7-1
Butler Pulls Away With 63-47 Win After First Half Battle With Akron
December 08 | Women's Basketball
Follow Coach Jackson on Twitter
Purchase 2018-19 Akron Women's Basketball Season Tickets
Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Video HighlightsÂ
AKRON, Ohio– Despite a solid defensive effort and a big day from freshman forward Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio), the Akron women's basketball team dropped a 63-47 decision to the Butler Bulldogs in a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Butler used a 21-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull away for the road win.
Defense was the order of the day for the Zips and Bulldogs (7-1) as both teams played aggressively on the perimeter and forced each other into a combined 32 turnovers. Akron (5-2)Â Â shot 35-percent (19-of-55) from the field while shooting a season-low 24-percent from the floor (6-for-25) from distance.Â
Neitzel stepped up and delivered for the Akron offense making a career-best three three-pointers on her way to a team-high nine points and three rebounds. Sophomore guard Kynnedy Azubike (Columbus, Ohio) added eight points for the Zips and junior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) had another big day on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds to pace her team.Â
Akron delivered lock-down defense of its own on Butler's two top scorers, redshirt senior guard Whitney Jennings and senior forward Tori Shackle early in the game. Jennings entered the game averaging a team-high 14.7 points and Schickel came into the contest averaging nearly a double-double at 13.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. In the first half, the Zips limited the duo to six points on 2-of-6 shooting. Â
As a team, Butler was successful in the interior against the Zips scoring 38 points in the paint and a 43.9-percent clip but struggled from outside the arc with a 27.3-percent clip from long range (6-of-22). They also held Butler below its season scoring average of 72.9 points per game.
Schickel was able to settle in after intermission, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Kristen Spoylar led all scorers with 20 points. Â
Made field goals were especially difficult to come by in the first half for each team, as the Zips shot 28.5 percent (8-of-28) with the Bulldogs only slightly better, converting 10 of their 29 shots (34.4 percent). With the two teams shooting a combined 7-of-26 from 3-point range and attempting a combined two free throws before intermission, points were at a premium. There were only 18 points scored in the second period, which saw each team tally just nine points.
Butler headed to the locker room with a 25-19 edge, but after leading by as many as 10 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs were unable to fully seize control of the game before the break.
The second half belonged to the Bulldogs as they outscored Akron, 38-28, despite the Zips winning the fourth quarter, 16-to-14. Even after outscoring Butler in the final period of play, the deficit was too large to overcome.Â
Akron will return to action after an eight-day break when it hosts Canisius at 2 p.m. on Dec. 16. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
