Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Akron
EMU Women Fall to Akron in MAC Quarterfinal
3/10/2010 9:45:26 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles held to season-tying low of 46 points
Box score.
Photo Gallery.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team saw its hopes of advancing in the 2010 Mid-American Conference Tournament dashed by a hot-shooting Akron team here Wednesday, March 10, night in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The No. 4 seeded Zips shot 49.1 percent from the field, hitting 27-of-55 field goals while holding the Eagles to just 18-of-57 field goals for 31.6 percent on the way to a 72-46 win over the No. 4 seed Eagles.The Zips also held a comfortable 43-32 rebounding edge
And the Eagles' offensive output of 46 points tied the lowest of the season. Eastern had 46 in a 64-46 loss at Temple, Nov. 24.
Akron, now 18-12 on the year, advances to a semifinal game Thursday, March 12, against No. 1 seed Bowling Green. Eastern leaves the tournament with a 22-8 overall record.
Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) led the Eagles with 17 points, all in the first half
Kara Murphy led the Zips with 19 points while Ayla Guzzardo and Rachel Tecca added 13 each. Kyle Baumgartner scored nine points with a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Eagles were primed and ready from the opening tip, scoring on a Lindsey Mahone (Corpus Christi, Texas-Mary Carroll) layup with just five seconds off the clock.
After building the lead to 10-8 at the 16:19 mark, the Zips went on a 9-2 run to take a 17-12 lead after the first eight minutes.
Eastern came back to go on top 18-17 midway through the first stanza but Akron would once again answer the call and go up by four, 24-20, on two straight baskets from Tecca.
The Zips would boost their margin to eight, 28-20, before James fired up a triple to make it 28-23 with 4:22 remaining in the first half.
Akron would run its advantage to 10, 38-28, at the half. The Zips hit 15-of-34 field goals (44.1 percent) and 4-of-8 threes (50 percent) in the first half while holding the Eagles to 37.5 percent on 12-of-32 attempts and just 2-of-7 three-point attempts.
James led the Eagles with 17 first-half points while Guzzardo paced the Zips with 13.
Akron came out to start the second half like it ended the first, racing to a 17-point lead, 47-30, with 16:19 left.
The Zips kept adding to that lead, going up 20, 55-35, with 9:55 left and built it to 28, 72-44, with 30.7 before settling for the 72-46 final.
