Zips Hold on For Season Finale Win Over Miami, Akron Earns Three Seed in MAC Tournament

Saturday, March 5

Akron, Ohio

2:00 PM

University of Akron

16-10,13-7MAC

Miami

8-21,4-16MAC

Miami (OH)

Akron

Zips Hold on For Season Finale Win Over Miami, Akron Earns Three Seed in MAC Tournament

March 05 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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Boxscore (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio- The Akron Zips honored their four seniors and claimed a thrilling, come-from-behind win Saturday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena, besting the visiting Miami RedHawks 73-72.

With the Zips (16-10, 13-7 Mid-American Conference) trailing by two in the closing moments, junior guard Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Ohio) drained a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:20 remaining to stake her team to a 71-70 lead. Two big free throws by redshirt sophomore guard Layne Ferrell ( Franklin, Ohio) provided the winning margin as Akron survived a missed Miami field goal attempt at the buzzer.

Redshirt senior forward Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W Va.) led all scorers with 26 points and tallied six rebounds and five assists in the final home game of her storied Akron career. She and fellow seniors Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) and Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) were honored prior to the game.

Miami used a 15-1 run midway through the third quarter to claim a 49-45 lead, but Dawson powered a potent Akron rebuttal with a conventional three-point play to pull her team within one and added a layup moments later to cap a 7-0 burst that created a 52-49 Akron lead.

Akron's seniors powered a strong start as Dawson (12 points), Neitzel (eight) and Miller (six) combined for 26 of the Zips' points before the break. Behind 61.5-percent shooting in the first half, the hosts built an eight-point (40-32) edge at intermission despite nine turnovers.

That margin matched the largest of the half and thanks to its senior-led surge at the outset of the contest, Akron trailed just once (2-1) in the opening 20 minutes. Although the RedHawks (8-21, 4-16 MAC) made several runs throughout the first two periods thanks to Akron turnovers, the Zips were able to dig in and get defensive stops to protect their lead.

They held Miami to 36.4-percent shooting prior to halftime and complemented that defense with precision passing on offense, assisting on 12 of 16 made first-half shots.

Freshman guard Ivy Wolf led Miami with 22 points and sophomore guard Edyn Battle chipped in with 15 in the loss.

Up next for the third-seeded Zips is a MAC Tournament quarterfinal showdown against sixth-seeded Bowling Green on Wednesday, March 9 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. The game is the fourth and final one of the day and tips off 30 minutes after the conclusion of the day's third quarterfinal between No. 2 Buffalo and No. 7 Western Michigan.