CLEVELAND — Akron's Mid-American Conference tournament run is off to a swimming start.
The Zips comfortably dispatched Bowling Green Wednesday evening in the quarterfinals of the women's bracket, winning by a final of 81-67. It was their first win in the conference tourney since 2015, and earned them a date in Friday's semifinals.
It wasn't always smooth going, as third-seeded Akron (17-10) trailed by three after the first quarter and late in the third. But after Rachel Martindale hit a 3 to tie it and Strongsville native Reagan Bass nailed a go-ahead jumper, the Zips never trailed again, out-scoring the Falcons 38-21 the rest of the way. MAC Player of the Year Jordyn Dawson was the star of the show, putting up game-highs of 22 points, seven rebounds, and six steals.
Amy Velasco led BGSU (15-15) with 19 points and five boards. The sixth-seeded Falcons fought hard but couldn't hold late on defense, as the Zips shot 52% from the field.
Akron will next face No. 2 seed Buffalo Friday afternoon in the semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for roughly 12:30 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
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