Offensive Struggles Lands Northern Illinois 86-61 Win Over Akron

Wednesday, February 7

Akron, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

7-16, 1-11MAC

Northern Illinois University

12-11, 4-8MAC

Northern Illinois

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Offensive Struggles Lands Northern Illinois 86-61 Win Over Akron

February 07 | Women's Basketball

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AKRON, Ohio -- A cold-shooting effort for Akron resulted in an 84-61 loss to the visiting Mid-American Conference West division opponent, Northern Illinois, in MAC women's basketball action Wednesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Freshman point guard Destiny Perkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the Zips with 16 points, including 10 points in the fourth quarter, while sophomore shooting guard Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 15, with nine points from long range.

Akron (7-16, 1-11 MAC) shot 34.7-percent (25-of-72) for the game, including just 9-of-39 (23-percent) in the first half while shooting a low 27.6 percent from beyond the arc.

However, the Zips could hardly miss in the fourth quarter hitting 13-of-19 attempts (68.4-percent) in the last 10 minutes. In the final stanza, Akron outscored NIU, 30-16, and trimmed the Huskies lead from plus-35 (68-33) to as little as plus-23 (77-54), before ultimately falling 84-61.

The off-the-mark shooting by Akron in the first half allowed the Huskies to build a 38-22 halftime lead as senior forward Kelly Smith (15 points) and junior guard Courtney Woods (14 points) found open looks in the first two quarters.

Woods ended up with a game-high 23 on the night, while Smith finished with 15.

As Akron struggled with its shooting, the Huskies were red hot, especially from long range. Northern Illinois was 11-of-20 beyond the arc and six different players made a 3-pointer in the win.

The 3-pointer was key in the third quarter as the Huskies (12-11, 4-8 MAC) made 5-of-8 and outscored the hosts 30-9 for the frame to take a 68-28 lead into the final stanza.

The Zips did a great job crashing the glass on the offensive end, where they grabbed 13 offensive caroms to extend possessions and give themselves extra looks at the basket.

Those looks were paramount in a game where Akron had one of its lowest shooting percentages of the season, but even with the additional shots, the offense couldn't find a good rhythm.

The Zips return to action and will to get back on a winning track on Saturday when they travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to take on MAC West rival, Eastern Michigan, at the Convocation Center. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN3.