Edmonds Career-High 33 Points and Zips 61 Second Half Points Hands Akron An 83-73 Win Over Bowling Green

Wednesday, February 27

Bowling Green, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

16-10

Bowling Green

8-18

Akron

Bowling Green

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Edmonds Career-High 33 Points and Zips 61 Second Half Points Hands Akron An 83-73 Win Over Bowling Green

February 27 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio– After scoring just 22 first-half points and trailing 24-22 at the halftime intermission, the Akron women's basketball team scored 61 second-half points powered by a career-night from junior point guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who dropped a career-best 33 points to lead the Zips to an 83-73 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday night.

With the win, Akron improved to 16-10 overall and 7-8 inside the Mid-American Conference while the Falcons fell to 8-18 (1-14 MAC). The Zips swept Bowling Green in the season series for just the third time in program history and the first time since 2016. The Akron team also became the just eighth team in Akron program history to win at least 16 games in a season and the seventh Zips squad to do so in the Division I era.

Despite shooting just 38.8-percent from the floor in for the contest, Akron shot lights out in the second half going 18-for-32 (56.2-percent), including 6-for-12 from long range, and 19-for-25 from the charity stripe. For the contest, Akron ended the game connecting on a season-high 24 free throws on 30 attempts, tallied a season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter, and 61 in the second half.

Behind Edmonds in the scoring column were three more Zips who notched double-figures in the game. Junior guard Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) turned in an all-around performance scoring 19 points, dropped four assists, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded four steals in the win. Redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) hit her scoring average notching 18 points along with six rebounds and four steals, while junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) chipped in 12 points, reeled in a team-high eight rebounds, grabbed three steals, and tallied a pair of assists.

The Akron offense did a phenomenal job of taking care of the ball and turned the ball over a season-low four times in the contest. On the other side of the ball, the Zips defense hounded the Falcons and forced 21 turnovers, including 16 steals which led to 20 points on the other end of the floor.

The first half was a battle of #3 as Edmonds for the Zips and Andrea Cecil for Bowling Green duked it out in the first 20 minutes of the contest. Edmonds scored a team-high 11 points, grabbed two rebounds, and two steals for Akron. Cecil, who also scored a team-high 11 points, added three rebounds and an assist.

With 5:23 remaining, the Zips and Falcons had scored a combined four field goals and the score stood 4-4. For a two minutes span, neither team could buy a bucket (7:24-5:25) going a combined 0-for-4 with each team turning the ball over once.

Bowling Green broke the scoring drought with an 8-0 run to claim a 12-4 lead. In that time frame (7:25-0.45), Akron was held without a field goal, but a pair of free throws from junior Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) stopped Falcon's spurt.

The Zips did find a light at the end of the tunnel in the final 45 seconds of the period scoring five straight and bring the deficit down to just three points, 14-11.

Akron grasped its first lead of the contest at the 7:40 mark of the second quarter. The Zips quickly outscored the Falcons 6-2 in the opening minutes from Vari and Edmonds.

Bowling Green would not let Akron hold on to the lead for very long as 17 seconds later, the Falcons swiftly scored six straight and regained the lead, 22-17.

Another cold spell took over the Zips offense going over five minutes without a field goal. While the Zips offense struggled, Akron stepped up on defense to keep Akron within striking distance.

At the end of the first half, Akron trailed 24-22.

The Zips left the first half of the game in the locker room and turned its focus to the final 20 minutes.

Akron outscored Bowling Green 24-20 in the third quarter to take a 46-44 lead.

Katie Hempfling single-handedly kept the Falcons in the ball game and the third quarter looked more like Akron versus Hempfling.

While Hempfling went 6-for-6 from the floor for 14 points, Akron countered with 11 points from Edmonds, seven from Sefcik, four from Harmon, and a pair from Vari. The Zips defense forced six turnovers that turned into seven points.

With the game still close despite the Zips success in the third, Akron turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter.

In the first 3:30 of the period, Akron used an 11-3 run to extend its lead to +8 (49-57). Edmonds continued to pour in the points scoring seven of the Zips 11 points in the time span.

Bowling Green would not go away easily and countered with an 11-4 run of their own to cut the Akron lead to just one (61-60). Harmon ended the Falcons run with a triple from the top of the arc.

Not only did Harmon's triple end a BG offensive run but it ignited the Akron offense en route to a 22-7 run to close out the contest.

The Zips made 10 straight free throws in the final 41 seconds to secure the victory.

Akron returns home for its final two home contests of the 2018-19 regular season with three games remaining in the campaign. The Zips welcome in Ohio to James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, March 2, at 5 p.m. The Akron women's basketball is game two of the final Akron Zips basketball doubleheader of the season.