Zips Fall to Buffalo on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, March 2

Akron, Ohio

7:00 PM

University of Akron

15-10,12-7MAC

Buffalo

21-8,15-4MAC

Buffalo

Akron

March 02 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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BOXSCORE (PDF) | Postgame Press Conference

AKRON, Ohio- In a battle featuring two of the top three teams in the Mid-American Conference, the Akron Zips dropped a 86-60 decision to the visiting Buffalo Bulls Wednesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The two sides played a back-and-forth first half, with the Zips pulling within two (34-32) late in the first half on a 3-pointer by junior guard Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) before Buffalo stretched out to a 38-33 halftime edge. The Bulls then used a 27-point third quarter to expand their lead to 14 and held on for the win in the closing stanza.

The Zips led in the opening minutes of the game but were unable to retake the lead over the final three quarters despite multiple rallies.

Redshirt senior forward Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W Va.) paced the Zips (15-10, 12-7 Mid-American Conference) with a team-high 23 points – her 19th straight game in double figures and 12th straight with 20 points or more – and added four rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) was the only other Zip in double figures with 11 points to go with a team-best seven rebounds.

Rebounding was a strong suit for Akron all night long as a team effort on the glass helped the hosts battle the Bulls to a 32-all standstill on the glass. Five different Akron players grabbed three or more rebounds, helping the Zips to a 15-10 margin in offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points.

Turnovers were the biggest stumbling block in the defeat as 26 miscues allowed the Bulls (21-8, 15-4 MAC) to hold the Akron offense in check and convert those turnovers into 29 points on the other end. Combined with 59.7-percent shooting, that was enough to propel the visitors to the win.

A balanced scoring effort led Buffalo on offense as junior guard Dyaisha Fair had 25 points to lead all scorers, with senior forward Adebola Adeyeye contributing 17.

Akron will close out the regular season with a home tilt against the Miami RedHawks in a 2 p.m. contest on March 5 for Senior Day. Action from James A. Rhodes Arena tips off at 2 p.m. and can be heard on WHLO 640-AM and seen on ESPN+.