Akron Downed By Ohio, 70-57, As Bobcats Take Control In Second Half

Wednesday, January 29

Athens, OH

7 PM

University of Akron

9-10,2-6MAC

Ohio

13-6,6-2MAC

Akron

Ohio

Akron Downed By Ohio, 70-57, As Bobcats Take Control In Second Half

January 29 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

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

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

ATHENS, Ohio– After a strong showing in the first half by the Akron women's basketball team and a 34-32 lead at halftime for the Zips, Ohio took control of the contest in the second half en route to defeating UA, 70-57, in Mid-American Conference action on Wednesday night in the Convocation Center.

It was a battle of two halves for the visiting Zips as Akron outscored Ohio 34-32 in the first half but was outscored 38-23 in the final 20 minutes of the contest.

UA was efficient in the first half and shot 41.4-percent from the floor, assisted on eight of its 12 field goals, and seven Zips etched their names into the scoring column. Senior Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) paced Akron tallying nine points which included two triples and three free throws. Senior Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.), junior Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W. Va.), and sophomore Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) all scored six points each and recorded a combined 11 rebounds and five assists.

Defensively, Akron held a high-powered Ohio offense to just 32 first-half points and a low 29-percent field goal percentage. The Zips held three of the top scorers inside the MAC to a combined 21 points including just five points for Erica Johnson, the reigning Freshman of the Year.

On the flip side, UA shot 9-for-26 in the second half, turned the ball over 15 times, allowed the Bobcats to shoot 12-for-27, score 13 points off turnovers, and eventually run away with the contest.

Clay turned in her best game of the 2019-20 campaign against the Bobcats as the Zips senior guard scored a season-high 18 points by way of five three-pointers and a trio of free throws. Reinoehl chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Miller ended the contest with eight points. Dawson led all players in rebounding pulling in 11 boards off the defensive glass while adding six points and four assists.

Akron came out of the gates efficient from the floor and rained three's from beyond the arc. Clay and Reinoehl scored nine early points from the perimeter with Clay knocking down her first two shots. The Zips success from distance coupled with a lay-in from Dawson, Harmon, and Vari handed UA a 15-9 advantage at the first media break (4:31).

Ohio closed the gap on the Zips in the final 4:42 of the period outscoring Akron, 7-3, that brought the Bobcats within two points at the end of the first quarter, 18-16.

A back-and-forth battle between Ohio and Akron ensued in the following period. The Zips shot 46.2-percent from the floor while UA's defense limited Ohio to just 3-for-15 shooting. However, the Bobcats missed just one free throw on 12 attempts (11-for-12) to keep the contest a two-point game, 34-32, into halftime.

Third-quarter advantage to the Bobcats as Ohio claimed a 10-point lead at the end of the period (52-42). The Zips were outscored 20-8 in the stanza, shot 3-for-11, scored just two points in the final 4:57 and turned the ball over seven times.

Despite a valiant effort by the Zips in the fourth quarter that included 6-of-15 shooting, three triples from Clay (nine points), and at one point cut the deficit back down to 10 points (62-52), the Bobcats pulled away with the contest for the win.

The Zips women's basketball team is back at home inside James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Feb. 1 when Akron hosts Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m. The contests between the Zips and Eagles is the final MAC West showdown at home for UA and its second to last cross-divisional match-up.