Kent State University
5-21, 3-12MAC
University of Akron
20-6, 10-5MAC
Kent State Loses Heartbreaker Versus Akron
2/25/2015 9:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio – Another Kent State-Akron PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge lived up to its billing Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center, as both teams battled back and forth before the Zips were able to pull away with a last-second 54-53 victory.
The Golden Flashes took an early lead, 7-2, but the Zips were able to work their way back in to the game to make it a back-and-forth end to the first half. Neither team was able to shoot more than 30% in the opening twenty minutes as Akron had a narrow 21-20 lead at the break.
Down by one, 33-32, Kent State took the lead back at the 11:05 mark of the second half when Larissa Lurken was fouled and made both her shots to take a one-point advantage.
A defensive stop on the other end gave the ball back to the Flashes as Jordan Korinek did work in the paint to grow the home team's lead to 36-33.
Shortly after, Naddiyah Cross sunk a jumper then she immediately forced a turnover in the backcourt to keep Kent State up by three. But Akron quickly answered to get back in front 41-40 with seven minutes remaining in the game.
Out of the media timeout, Cross was big again with a three from the corner, but the Zips were quick to reply to stay ahead by two. Cross then went to the line where she made it a one-point game. The Flashes went back in front with five minutes to play on a jumper by Melanee Stubbs.
Shots were sunk at both ends of the court leading into the final media break, where Akron led 52-48 with 3:17 left to play. After being perfect at the line all game, the Zips found a bad time to miss at the charity stripe as the lead diminished to one with 48.2 seconds to go.
Akron inbounded and missed a shot to set Kent State up for the victory. A foul off the ball put Lurken back at the line with 14.8 seconds to go. Her first tied the game - the second put Kent State in front 53-52.
With 4.8 to go, Sina King drove to the basket, made the shot and got the foul to give the Zips the lead back. A long toss down the court to look for another Golden Flashes' shot landed in the hands of the Zips as the buzzer sounded to end the game.
Kent State shot 43% in the second half to make one more field goal than Akron on eight fewer attempts on the night. Akron was able to control rebounds 46-37, including 17 on the offensive side of the floor for nine second chance points.
Lurken led in scoring with 11 points while Stubbs netted ten. Mikell Chinn led the team in rebounds with seven while totaling a career-high 11 assists.
The Golden Flashes head out for their last road game of the conference season on Saturday when they play Miami at 1 p.m. They close out the regular season next Wednesday and Saturday hosting Ohio and Buffalo, respectively.
