Akron Clips Cardinals And Cruises To 91-61 Win Over Ball State

Wednesday, February 13

Akron, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

14-8, 5-6MAC

Ball State

7-16, 2-9MAC

Ball State

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Akron Clips Cardinals And Cruises To 91-61 Win Over Ball State

February 13 | Women's Basketball

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AKRON, Ohio -- Suffocating defense, strong interior play and the red-hot shooting of their starting backcourt powered the Akron women's basketball team to a 91-61 Mid-American Conference home win over Ball State at James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday night.

It was a night to accomplish accolades for two members of the Zips squad including redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) and head coach Melissa Jackson. Sefcik connected on her second three-pointer of the night at the 3:26 mark of the second quarter, but that triple meant so much more. The Zips shooting guard knocked down the 200^thmade three-point field goal of her career, which has only been accomplished by three Zips in program history. The win for Akron also signified coach Jackson's 14^thwin in her season debut as head coach, that now stands as the most wins by an Akron head coach in their first season at the helm of the program.

Scoring came easy for the Zips against the Cardinals as six Akron players ended the night in double figures in the point column. Sefcik lit up the Cardinals to the tune of 24 points, making eight of her 10 shots from the field, including 4-for-6 from long range, in an efficient offensive display. Junior guard Alyssa Clay added 16 points off the bench for Akron and knocked down a trio of triples. Backcourt mate, junior guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.), added 11 points

Junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) was dominant on the glass, hauling in a game- and career-high-tying 16 rebounds, including three on the offensive end to create second chances for herself and her team. With 10 points, she recorded her third double-double of the season, matching junior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westifeld, Ind.) (11 points, eight rebounds) for the team's season lead in that category. Junior Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) rounded out the double-figure scoring Zips notching 10 points to go along with a game-high six assists.

As a unit, the Zips shot a very efficient 52.3-percent from the floor (34-for-65), knocked down 10 three-pointers, and went 13-for-19 from the free throw line. Akron dominated in the interior as the Zips scored 40 points inside the paint, notched 11 points off 12 Ball State turnovers, and collected 15 points on second-chance opportunities. The Zips starting give made up for 66 of the teams 91 total points.

Turning in one of their best defensive performances of the season, the Zips (14-8, 5-6 MAC) slowed the Ball State offense to a crawl in the first period, holding the Cardinals (7-16, 2-9 MAC) to three points on 10-percent (1-of-10) shooting and forcing five turnovers on their way to building a 20-3 lead. It was the second time this season Akron limited an opposing team to three points in a quarter with the three-point third quarter the Zips limited North Carolina A&T to in the first game of the season and was the lowest-scoring quarter in any game this season for Ball State.

Akron's defense forced Ball State into missing its final nine shots of the period and the Cardinals went 7:19 without a point, a span that bridged the first and second quarters. Even after the Cardinals found an offensive rhythm in the second quarter, the Zips were able to head to the locker room at the half with a 37-23 edge as Sefcik (12 points) and Edmonds (10 points) nearly outscored the visitors on their own.

In holding Ball Sate to 29-percent shooting for the half, Akron set itself up well to claim its second win in as many games during a three-game homestand that has seen the Zips put themselves in good position for a top-eight seed in the upcoming MAC women's basketball tournament. The 30-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for Akron, topping the 85-65 win the Zips scored over Oakland on Nov. 17 and improved the team's home record to 8-2 this season. The contest also marked the first time Akron defeated a conference opponent by 30+ since the 2012-13 season when Akron defeated Kent State by +35 (93-58).

The 91-point outing also represented the highest point total of the season for Akron.

The Zips close out a three-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 16, as Akron welcomes Miami to town. Akron and the RedHawks are scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off inside James A. Rhodes Arena. The contest between Akron and Miami represents the 'Akron for Nakon' in conjunction with the Zips annual breast cancer awareness day.