Reinoehl and Vari Lead Akron To Dominant Victory Over Buffalo, 70-59

Saturday, February 23

Akron, Ohio

5 PM

University of Akron

15-10, 6-8MAC

Buffalo

17-8, 9-5MAC

Buffalo

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Reinoehl and Vari Lead Akron To Dominant Victory Over Buffalo, 70-59

February 23 | Women's Basketball

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AKRON, Ohio– In arguably one of their best all-around efforts of the season, the Akron women's basketball team dominated visiting Buffalo 70-59 in a Saturday evening Mid-American Conference contest at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Once again, Akron was powered by its interior duo of junior forwards Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) and Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio), who combined for 34 points and 27 rebounds. Reinoehl had her team-best fifth double-double of the season with a career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Vari tallied her fourth double-double of the campaign with 11 points and 14 rebounds, including seven offensive caroms. Junior guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 14 points and redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) contributed eight points for the Zips in the win.

In addition to scoring, Edmonds coupled with junior Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) combined to dish out 12 of the Zips 17 team assists on the evening. On the glass, Akron pulled down 42 rebounds including 26 defensive and 19 offensive boards.

With the win, Akron ended a six-game skid against Buffalo dating back to 2016 and became the eighth team in Akron program history to win at least 15 games and the sixth Zips squad to do so in the Division I era.

It was a stark reversal of the teams' first matchup last month in Buffalo, won by the Bulls (17-8, 9-5 MAC). This time around, the Akron defense was more than up to the challenge, forcing 21 turnovers and holding the visitors to a paltry 28.1-percent shooting from the field. The Bulls could convert only two 3-pointers as the MAC's third-ranked scoring attack was held 17.9 points below its season average.

Cierra Dillard, the MAC's leading scorer at 25.0 points per game, was hounded by a slew of Zips players into 3-of-22 shooting and managed 23 points on the day, but was the only Buffalo player to reach double figures in the game.

The shooting woes began early, as the two teams combined to miss their first 15 shots from the field. Numerous shots rattled in and out, leaving both sides frustrated offensively in the early going.

When the Zips (15-10, 6-8 MAC) did break through, their first three field goal makes were three-pointers as Sefcik drained a pair, sandwiched around a triple from the left wing by Reinoehl as the hosts took their first lead of the game at 9-7 late in the first quarter. It was a two-point lead the Zips maintained heading into the second quarter after limiting the Bulls to nine first-quarter points, the seventh time this season the Bulls have been held to single digits in a quarter.

The dominant Akron defense continued throughout the first half as the Zips forced the Bulls into 18.2-percent (6-of-33) shooting and took a 25-20 edge into the locker room. Reinoehl's 10 points and six rebounds were both tops for either team in the half as the junior forward notched her 13th consecutive game with five or more rebounds.

Akron won the third quarter over the Bulls, 18-14, to grow its lead to +9 heading into the final period of play. The Zips used a 6-2 scoring run in the final 3:13 of the quarter courtesy of a pair of free throws from Reinoehl, Sefcik, and a jumper by Sefcik.

The Zips extended its lead to a game-high +16 differential (53-37) with 8:21 left in the game after a 10-3 offensive spurt to start the final stanza.

From that point on, Akron's lead never fell below 11 points as the Zips closed out the victory.

Akron heads out on the road for its next game as a Feb. 27 tilt against MAC East Division foe Bowling Green awaits. Tip time for the Zips and Falcons is set for 7 p.m.