Box Score

The Malone University women's basketball team closed out the 2018 portion of the schedule with a 63-44 exhibition loss to the University of Akron, a member of NCAA Division I, Saturday afternoon on the road. The Pioneers managed to outscore the Zips in the second half, but a 20-point halftime deficit proved insurmountable.
 
Recap
As expected, points were hard to come by against Akron, who came in with the number one ranked scoring defense in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Pioneers made just three field goals in the first quarter and dug themselves into a 15-7 hole.
 
In the second quarter, Malone made only one field goal, a three-pointer by Chrissie Vaughan at the 3:24 mark, as the Zips extended their lead to 33-13 by halftime. Over the first 20 minutes, the Pioneers went just 4-of-25 (16%) from the field and 1-of-13 from the three-point line.
 
In the third quarter, Malone recovered from its ice-cold start, scoring on five of six possessions during an early three-minute span. A 10-0 run bookended by three-pointers from Paiten Strother and Madison Hunter brought the Pioneers to within 12 points at 37-25 with 4:51 left to play in the period.  The Zips halted the run, however, and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game.  
 
Game Highlights
-The Pioneer defense played well, limiting Akron to just 32.1% (23-of-71) shooting from the field and a 1-of-20 (5%) performance from three-point range.
-Malone, meanwhile, finished 15-of-53 (28.3%) from the floor and only 3-for-22 (13.6%) from beyond the arc. The 44 points tied the lowest total of the season.
-Akron held a dominating 57-35 advantage in rebounds, including a 20-3 edge in offensive boards.
-The Zips outscored the Pioneers 20-0 in second-chances and 36-22 in the paint.
-The Pioneers forced 10 turnovers, including nine in the second half when they outscored the Zips 31-30.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Freshman point guard Robin Campbell totaled a team-high 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
-Freshman Madison Hunter had one of her best games of the season, totaling nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
-Chrissie Vaughan added seven points and a game-high eight rebounds.
-Sydney Wentling chipped in with six points.
 
Akron Individual Highlights
-Point guard Shaunay Edmonds scored a game-high 14 points and tallied two steals.
-Kendall Miller collected nine points and two steals off the bench.
 
Up Next
Malone resumes G-MAC play this coming Wednesday, January 2nd when it hosts Cedarville.