The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
7-20,4-10MAC
Kent State
13-13,7-7MAC
Akron Falls 80-61 to Kent State
February 21 | Women's Basketball
BOXSCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY | RACHEL TECCA CEREMONY PHOTO GALLERY | RACHEL TECCA CEREMONY VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME COMMENTS
AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's basketball team was unable to overcome a second-quarter scoring run by rival Kent State as the Golden Flashes rallied to post an 80-61 triumph over the Zips on Saturday (Feb. 21) at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Akron honored one of its own in pregame ceremonies as the No. 32 jersey of All-American Rachel Tecca (2009-14) was raised to the rafters.
The Zips had two players score in double figures, led by junior Keiryn McGuff (Dublin, Ohio), who had 14 points. Sophomore Izzy Callaway (Copley, Ohio) added 14 points and four assists from the bench and sophomore Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) added nine points and two blocks.
The Akron offense was very productive from three point land, knocking down nine threes on 23 attempts. Callaway was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining four treys in the contest.
Akron forced 13 Kent State turnovers turning those takeaways into 11 points on the other end of the floor. Sophomore Liz Murphy (Yackandandah, Australia) led the way individually with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-9, Akron went on a 5-0 run with 5:05 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Callaway, to take a 14-11 lead. Kent State then responded to tie things up at 19-19 heading into the second quarter. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 19 points.
The Golden Flashes outscored the Zips in the second quarter, 26-9, and entered halftime leading 45-28.
Kent State increased its lead after halftime, building a 66-39 advantage before Akron went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from McGuff, to trim its deficit to 66-45 at the third-quarter buzzer. Akron took advantage of three Kent State turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of takeaways.
Kent State widened its lead in the fourth, constructing an 80-56 advantage before Akron went on a 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 80-61 with 40 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Akron took advantage of seven Kent State turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Akron lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» The Zips shared the ball well, recording 12 assists.
» The Akron bench made an impact by scoring 22 points to its scoring output.
» The Akron defense forced 13 turnovers.
» McGuff and Callaway led the Zips with 14 points each.
» Akron got five rebounds from both Clark and McGuff.
Up Next
Akron travels to Muncie, Ind., to battle league-leading Ball State in a 6:30 p.m. tilt on Wednesday (Feb. 25).
32 Rachel Tecca Forever in the 🫙 Rafters‼️ #GoZips🦘 pic.twitter.com/FrASfTImqC
— Akron Zips Women's Basketball (@ZipsWBB) February 21, 2026
