The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
13-8, 4-6MAC
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Western Michigan
8-12, 2-7MAC
Akron Goes Toe-to-Toe With Western Michigan Before Defeating Broncos, 69-62
February 09 | Women's Basketball
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AKRON, Ohio– Behind a three-headed offensive attack, a low turnover count and solid defense, the Akron women's basketball team battled its way to a 69-62 Mid-American Conference win over visiting Western Michigan on Saturday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.
With the win over Western Michigan, Akron improves to 13-8 overall and 4-6 inside Mid-American Conference play. The Zips completed Akron's first season sweep of Western Michigan since 2011 and became the 15th team in Akron program history to win at least 13 games and the 12th Zips squad to do so in the Division I era.
Junior guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the Zips with a season-high 24 points, while junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) notched a career-high 15 points and nine rebounds and junior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) recorded her third double-double of the season - all in Mid-American Conference play - finishing with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Akron's offense was efficient in the contest as the Zips turned in just seven turnovers, a season-low and the least amount of turnovers in a game by an Akron team since the 2015-16 season. The Zips recorded an assist on 12 of their 26 made field goals with junior Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) dropped a team-best five dimes.Â
The Zips, playing at home for the first time in two weeks and for just the fourth time this season in conference competition, found themselves in a pitched battle with the Broncos throughout the evening as there were 10 ties and 10 lead changes in the game.
Akron was able to pull away down the stretch after the Zips held the Broncos to two makes in their final nine field goal attempts of the game. Overall, the visitors shot 41-percent (25-of-61) from the field and made just 25-percent of their three-point attempts.
On a day when the Zips' leading scorer didn't record a shot attempt in the first quarter and didn't score a point in the first half, Akron used the 'Next man up' mantra as the rest of the offense picked up the slack as Vari (13 points), Edmonds (nine) and Reinoehl (eight) paced the Akron offense en route to a 35-32 halftime lead.
With six rebounds before the break, Reinoehl also led the Zips on the glass as well as spearheaded a defensive effort that limited the Broncos to 44.8-percent shooting before the break. Scoring was concentrated within the starting five for both teams early on, as the benches tallied just seven combined points in the opening half.
With the duo of Vari and Reinoehl leading the way, Akron muscled its way to a 34-22 edge over Western Michigan on points in the paint. Impressive rebounding coupled with Edmonds penetrating and creating offense with the dribble, the Zips were able to find a way to win against a Western Michigan team.Â
Akron returns to the court Feb. 13 when it hosts MAC West rival Ball State at 7 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN+. Â
