Zips Extend MAC Win Streak to Four with Win Over Ball State

Saturday, January 15

Akron, Ohio

2:00 PM

University of Akron

7-4,4-1MAC

Ball State

9-6,2-3MAC

Ball St.

Akron

Zips Extend MAC Win Streak to Four with Win Over Ball State

January 15 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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Boxscore (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio- The Akron Zips women's basketball team utilized bombs away approach from long range and pinpoint passing to down the visiting Ball State Cardinals 83-76, winning their fourth straight game and continuing to rise in the Mid-American Conference standings.

The last time Akron won four-straight league games, was back in the 2014-15 season.

Akron nearly set a season high for 3-pointers made with 12, eclipsed only by the 13 it made in its opener against Slippery Rock, and shot 53.8 percent on threes.

Redshirt senior guard Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W Va.) – the only player ranked in the top five in the MAC for both scoring and rebounding – was once again an all-around force with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the win. Sophomore guard Annika Corcoran (Painesville, Ohio) had a season-high 13 points and made a team-best four triples. Add in an efficient 18-point effort from redshirt sophomore guard Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) and the Zips (7-4, 4-1 MAC) had more than enough firepower for a victory.

Neither side could break away from the other throughout the opening 20 minutes as the Zips and Cardinals (9-6, 2-3 MAC) were tied at the end of each of the first two quarters. The largest leads in the first half were six points for Ball State and three for Akron, but it was the Zips who mounted the last run of the opening stanza, besting the Cardinals 9-4 over the final 2:36 to knot the game at 40-all heading to the locker room.

A sudden, explosive 14-2 surge midway through the third quarter saw Dawson at her best, commencing the run with a driving layup, adding a physical and-1 and further fueling the run with a fast break dish to Corcoran for a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Akron ahead 55-48. By the time Ball State could stem the tide, the score was 69-54 in favor of the hosts.

The game quickly evolved into a shootout as two of the MAC's better defenses faced perimeter blitzes that saw the Zips and Cardinals combine to drain 10 of the first 20 3-pointers attempted on the afternoon. The Zips were especially lethal from long range, converting seven triple tries in the half.

Five different Zips made a three in the frame, with Corcoran and Dawson leading the way with two each. The key to Akron keeping pace with the Cardinals was the Zips' ability to force turnovers and block shots. With six forced turnovers and three blocked shots in the first two quarters, they did enough to stay even with the visitors, setting the stage for their late surge.

Graduate student guard Chyna Latimer led Ball State with 17 points, while freshman guard Ally Becki had 16.

Akron returns to the road on Jan. 19 for its next game, a 7 p.m. battle with the Buffalo Bulls. The broadcast can be seen on ESPN3 and heard on WHLO 640-AM.