Huge Fourth Quarter And Reinoehl's Career Day Leads Akron To 88-72 Win Over Denver

Friday, December 20

Puerto Rico

Noon (11 AM Eastern Time)

University of Akron

6-4

Denver

6-6

Akron

Denver

Huge Fourth Quarter And Reinoehl's Career Day Leads Akron To 88-72 Win Over Denver

December 20 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Follow Akron Women's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Follow Coach Jackson on Twitter
Purchase 2019-20 Akron Women's Basketball Season Tickets

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– The Akron women's basketball team scored 34 points and shot 91.7-percent in the fourth quarter alone and four Zips scored in double figures as UA ran away late with the contest en route to an 88-72 victory over Denver on day one of the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic.

Heading into the final 10 minutes of play, the Zips led by just one point (54-53) and the momentum of the game was in favor of the Pioneers after Denver cut a double-digit deficit to just one through three quarters (54-53).

The Zips flipped a switch and completely took over the contest in the ensuing 10 minutes. Akron scored a season-high 34 points in a single quarter, went 11-for-12 from the floor, 1-for-1 from long range, and 9-for-14 from the free-throw line. Senior Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) exploded in the fourth quarter scoring 14 points, while junior Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W. Va.) scored nine of her 11 points in the period and senior Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) tallied six points, two steals, and an assist.

In the contest, Reinoehl turned in a career day as the senior captain scored a career-high 26 points, shot 10-for-26 from the floor, grabbed three rebounds, posted four assists, and two steals. Edmonds went on to score 19 points, grab four boards, dished out three assists, and ripped three steals. Senior captain Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) also broke a career record reeling in 17 rebounds while also posting a season-high 15 points which included 10 points in the second quarter alone. Dawson rounded out the four Zips in double digits and finished the contest with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

As a unit, Akron shot 54-percent from the floor (34-for-63), the second-best field goal percentage on the season, along with 9-for-20 from long range (45-percent). The Zips set a season-high in 50 points in the paint and 34 points off turnovers while tying season-high numbers in points scored (88) and assists (21).

An exciting back and forth game between the Zips and Pioneers tipped-off the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic. Akron edged Denver, 14-13, in the first five and a half minutes of the contest. The duo Edmonds and Reinoehl scored a combined nine points and shot 5-for-9.

Akron came out of the gates running the floor in transition scoring seven points on fastbreaks and eight points off three Denver turnovers.

However, just one field goal and four turnovers for Akron in the final 4:15 of the quarter allowed the Pioneers to claim a 17-16 lead at the end first quarter.

Out of the break, Akron raced out to a 13-4 scoring run in the first five minutes of the second quarter. The Zips dominated inside the paint as Vari scored six quick points and as a team tallied, 10 points in the interior.

In that time span, Akron forced six turnovers, scored six points off the DU mistakes, went 6-for-8 from the floor, and 1-for-1 from distance.

The Zips continued to shoot the ball well throughout the quarter and closed out the period outscoring Denver, 15-12. UA tallied 10 more points in the paint and an additional five points off Pioneer turnovers.

Akron led by as many points as +12 in the quarter and held a lead for 11 minutes and 23 seconds in the first half.

Quarter number three was the weak link in the contest for Akron scoring just 10 points, shot 21.1-percent from the floor, and allowed Denver to turn a 12-point lead into a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

However, the Zips overcame a tough third quarter, took control of the game, and ran away with the win.

Akron returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 20, for day two of the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic as the Zips take on Morgan State at 12 p.m. (11 a.m. Eastern Time) inside Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.