Western Michigan Pulls Away In Fourth Quarter As Akron Suffers 76-60 Setback

Saturday, February 3

Kalamazoo, MI

2 PM

University of Akron

7-15, 1-10MAC

Western Michigan University

13-10, 6-5MAC

AKR

Western Michigan

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Western Michigan Pulls Away In Fourth Quarter As Akron Suffers 76-60 Setback

February 03 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Follow Akron Women's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Follow Coach Kest on Twitter
Purchase 2017-18 Akron Women's Basketball Season Tickets

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- At the halftime break, the University of Akron women's basketball team trailed Western Michigan by just three points (27-26), but Western Michigan shot 61-percent from the floor in the second half to pull away as the Zips suffered a 76-60 setback in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Saturday afternoon.

For the Zips (7-15, 1-10 MAC), sophomore point guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) scored a team-high 16 points while posting five assists on the afternoon and sophomore shooting guard Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) chipped in 13 points and shot 3-for-6 from long distance. As a unit, Akron shot 42.6-percent (23-of-54) from the field and 26.7-percent from beyond the arc.

Four Broncos players scored in double-figures, including Marley Hill with a game-high 27 points. As a team, WMU shot 49.2-percent from the floor and 33.3-percent from long range.

Akron and Western Michigan exchanged buckets to get the scoring started from beyond the arc. Najee Smith scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer for the Broncos that was then answered back by Clay with a triple from the right side of the arc. WMU would then score seven of the next nine total points to claim a 10-5 lead with 4:30 to play in the first quarter.

After four quick points out of the media timeout by layups from sophomore Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) and freshman Destiny Perkins (Indianapolis, Ind.), the Broncos countered closing out the first quarter outscoring Akron, 10-4, in the final 3:46 to extend its lead to 20-13.

The Zips continued their hot play in the second quarter this season and outscored Western Michigan, 19-15, to cut into the WMU lead, 35-32, at halftime.

A 13-7 run by Akron, which included six unanswered points leading up to the media timeout brought the Zips back within one point, 27-26, with 4:37 to play in the period. Edmonds scored the first four points of the quarter and assisted on the next seven points finding her teammates, senior Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) and sophomore Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.), for open looks.

The Broncos however outscored Akron, 8-6, from that point on to close out the first half. Clay kept Akron within striking distance and buried a pair of three-pointers.

Despite the three-point deficit, Akron shot an efficient 51.9-percent from the floor and 40-percent from long range in the first 20 minutes of play, while also assisting on eight of its 14 made baskets.

The second half began with a back-and-forth battle between the Zips and Broncos and WMU slightly edging Akron, 9-7, in the first five minutes of the quarter and extend its lead to 44-39.

The third quarter closed after a 12-5 run by Western Michigan, including 10 unanswered points in a three-minute span (5:16-1:56). As time was expiring, Reinoehl drove to the lane and scored as time ran out with a floater to keep the game within 10 points, 54-44, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

The fourth quarter belonged to Western Michigan outscoring Akron 22-16 to pull away with the contest, as the Broncos lead never dropped below nine points en route to the win.

Akron is back at home at the friendly confines of James A. Rhodes Arena when Northern Illinois visits Akron, Ohio on Wednesday, February 7th. The Zips and Huskies are scheduled for 7 p.m.