The University of Akron Athletics
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Akron Falls Short Against Binghamton in Double Overtime, 95-94
November 20 | Women's Basketball
BOXSCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY | POSTGAME COMMENTS
AKRON, Ohio -Â The University of Akron women's basketball team fell to Binghamton, 95-94, in two overtimes at James A. Rhodes Arena on Thursday (Nov. 20)
The Zips had four players score in double figures, led by sophomore Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio), who had her second career double-double with a 19-point and 14-rebound performance. Freshman Shaena Brew (Rialto, Calif.) tacked on a career-high 14 points and seven assists, junior Keiryn McGuff (Dublin, Ohio) added 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and senior Natalie Johnson's (Waldorf, Md.) chipped in 13 points.
Led by McGuff's four offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 14 boards that resulted in 17 second-chance points.
Akron forced 25 Binghamton turnovers turning those takeaways into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Freshman Monique Mitchell (South Bend, Ohio) led the way individually with one steal.
How It Happened
Akron started out the scoring by going on a 9-0 run, culminating in a bucket from McGuff, to take an early lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter. The Zips entered the quarter break with a 20-12 advantage. Akron did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 20 points close to the basket.
Akron kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 9:37 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 26-12. The Bearcats cut into that lead, but the Zips still enjoyed a 38-29 advantage heading into halftime. Akron dominated in the paint, scoring 10 of its 18 points close to the basket.
Tied at 46-46 Akron went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Mitchell, to grab a 52-46 lead with two seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Akron knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 14 total points.
The Bearcats proceeded to tie things up at 63-63 before Akron went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Johnson's jumper, to seize a 68-63 lead with 1:59 to go in the fourth. The Bearcats then fought back to even things up at 75-75 and send the game to overtime. Akron got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 13 of its 23 total points.
Akron kept it close before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Johnson's layup, to seize a 90-85 lead with 3:55 to go in the period. Binghamton then asserted control, outscoring the Zips 10-4 the rest of the way to hand Akron the 95-94 loss.
Game Notes
» Ni'Rah Clark notched a double-double for the Zips with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
» Akron found success from three point land, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Zips held the Bearcats to only 39.5 percent shooting from the field.
» The Akron bench came alive by adding 32 points to its scoring output.
» The Akron defense forced 25 turnovers.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
Up Next
Akron hosts Xavier in a 6 p.m. game on Monday (Nov. 24) at James A. Rhodes Arena.
