OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University women’s basketball team played Akron even throughout the first half, but a 17-0 run to begin the second half allowed the Zips to pull away and take a 65-47 victory on Saturday in Millett Hall. The RedHawks fall to 3-13 overall and 0-5 in the Mid-American Conference. Akron improves to 14-2 overall and 4-1 in the MAC.
Miami held the high-scoring Zips to 15 points under their 80 points per game scoring average, and played them to a 31-all tie at the half. The defense held strong again in the second half after Akron had its opening run, limiting the Zips to only 34 points. However, the RedHawks shot was cold the entire second half and they were able to finish with only 16 in the period.
Junior forward Jessica Rupright had a strong day for Miami finishing with a career-high 16 points. She was 7-for-11 from the field and also brought in two rebounds and two steals in only 14 minutes of action.
Rupright had a pair of layups and a three-point basket to lead the RedHawks to a 7-2 advantage to begin the contest. The pace quickened as a jumper from junior forward Hannah McCue and a three-pointer from freshman guard Baleigh Reid gave Miami a 12-6 lead. Despite a three-pointer from senior point guard Courtney Larson, Akron answered with a 10-3 run to take its first lead at 16-15 with 10:19 left in the half.
The Zips eventually pushed the advantage to five at 25-20 with 5:58 to go. Miami fought back as a pair of jumpers from freshman guard Kayla Brown pulled it to within three at 29-26. Larson found freshman guard Jazz Smith in the corner for a three-pointer that tied the score at 29. After Akron hit a bucket, a layup from freshman forward Molly McDonagh sent the game into the half with the score tied at 31.
Miami shot 37.5 percent (12-for-32) for the period and was led by Rupright with eight points.
Akron came out on fire in the second half, scoring six quick points and forcing an early RedHawk timeout. The break did not stop the Zips’ momentum as they eventually made it a 17-0 run taking a 48-31 lead with 13:18 remaining in the half.
Miami did not give up as Reid stopped the scoring drought with a jumper at the 12:58 mark. Rupright hit three straight layups as the ‘Hawks got as close as 11 at 53-42 with 8:32 to go. However, their shots stopped falling as Akron followed with a 9-0 run over the next three and a half minutes to put the game away. Brown would hit a three-pointer, while Rupright hit one last jumper, but the Zips held on for the 65-47 win.
In addition to Rupright’s 16 points, Brown had eight and Reid had seven. McCue had a team-high nine rebounds to go along with four points, three assists and one steal in 30 minutes of action. Miami outrebounded the Zips, 40-37. Akron was led by Anita Brown with 17 points and eight rebounds.
The RedHawks return to the road on Wednesday when they travel to Eastern Michigan for a 7 p.m. tip. Tim Bray has the call and it can be heard live on Miami All-Access for those who have a subscription.
