Women's Basketball Falls at the Hands of Akron

Postgame Audio.

AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team fell at the hands of the University of Akron in its second Mid-American Conference contest of the season Saturday, Jan. 10. Despite the loss, the Eagles (7-6, 0-2 MAC) kept the Zips (12-2, 2-1 MAC) to its third-lowest point total of the season in the 65-48 setback.

EMU shot just 29.7 percent from the floor, making 19 of its 64 shots, while the bench secured 21 of the Eagles' 48 points. Junior Sera Ozelci (Ankara, Turkey-TED Ankara College (Odessa)) saw a career day on the hardwood with 11 points, including three treys off the bench, while Shannise Heady (Hazel Crest, Ill.-Hillcrest (Seton Hall)) added 10 points as a reserve as well. Senior Brianna Puni (St. Charles, Mo.-Incarnate Word (Illinois State)) was the lone starter to notch doube-digit scoring with 10 points, while Rachel Kehoe (St. Clair, Mich.-St. Clair (St. Clair C.C.)) pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. Although the Eagles struggled offensively, they saw a bright spot on the boards, out-rebounding the Zips 42-32.

Akron used 48 percent shooting from the floor (24-of-50) and eight three-pointers to propel it to its second conference win of the season. UA's Hannah Plybon dropped a career-high 25 points on the afternoon, including six three pointers, while Sina King was the only other Zip to notch double-digits with 15 points. The Eagles held Akron's leading scorer Anita Brown to her lowest point total of the season with eight after the junior guard came into the contest averaging over 20 points per game.

Akron got off to the hot start over EMU, knocking down its first three, long range jumpers of the contest and capitalizing on a fastbreak layup to take a quick 11-5 lead over the Green and White. The Zips continued to be sharp shooters from the outside with Plynon sinking two-straight from beyond the arc in a 30-second span to extend the UA lead to double-digits.

Plybon's hot hand plagued Eastern once again as the guard notched eight-straight points, including two more treys, which allowed Akron to take a 30-11 advantage over EMU with 6:48 remaining in the first half.

A driving jump shot from Cha Sweeney (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) followed by a defensive board and a trailing three-point make from Ozelci cut the Eagle deficit to 14 with just under two minutes to play, but Akron answered back with four points of its own to take a comfortable 36-18 advantage into the locker room at the half.

The Green and White struggled offensively in the first half, making just seven of its 31 shots for 22.6 percent. Puni and Heady led the EMU scoring effort with four points apiece. Despite the struggles on the offensive side of the ball, EMU out-rebounded Akron 22-19, including 10 offensive boards, while forcing the Zips into eight turnovers.

Plybon propelled the UA offense with 17 first half points, including an impressive five three-pointers on seven attempts, while King added seven points to Akron's point tally. The Zips shot 42.9 percent from the floor (12-for-28), while sinking seven shots from beyond the arc on nine attempts (77.8 percent).

The Akron offense did not let up in the second half, taking an 26-point lead with King and Plybon contributing 12 of the Zips first 21 points of the half with 11:34 left to play in the contest.

The Eagles' offensive struggles continued into the second half, despite numerous second chances in the paint. Puni's work from the block notched four points for the Green and White before KaBria Walker (Toledo, Ohio-Rogers) checked into the contest for the first time and made an easy layup from the right side of the floor with 6:14 left to play.

Ozelci found her third three of the contest with 3:56 left to secure a career-high 11 points for the Eagles as EMU trailed 62-44 heading into the final four minutes of action. Nonetheless, the Green and White were unable to gain any momentum following the bucket, falling 65-48.

Eastern Michigan will be back in action Wednesday, Jan. 14, when it returns to the friendly confines of the EMU Convocation Center for a 7 p.m. tip against Mid-American Conference foe Ohio University.

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Team Stats

Sera Ozelci

Shannise Heady

Brianna Puni

Janay Morton

Players Mentioned

Shannise Heady

Rachel Kehoe

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

KaBria Walker

Players Mentioned

Shannise Heady

Rachel Kehoe

Sera Ozelci

Brianna Puni

Cha Sweeney

KaBria Walker

Eastern Michigan Athletics