Seniors Ashley Evans and Amber Dunlap scored a combined 35 points for the Flashes Sunday, but the Zips’ Rachel Tecca and Hanna Luburgh combined for 50 points as the Flashes lost the second game of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge on senior night, 80-66.

The Flashes (6-21, 3-13 MAC) found themselves down by only two with 14 minutes to play. Akron then went on a 15-2 run that put the game out of reach for the Flashes.

Amber Dunlap led the Flashes in scoring with 19 points; Ashley Evans followed with 16 points and both seniors shot 50 percent from the field for the game.

“It was a fitting senior-day performance for those two,” Kent State head coach Danielle O’Banion said in an interview with Kentstatesports.com. “I was happy to see them play the way they did in their last game in the M.A.C. Center. That’s the way senior days are supposed to go, except that we have to close out one of these with a win.”

Junior forward Montia Johnson put forth a near double-double performance by scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Senior center CiCi Shannon also scored 10 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and finished with three blocks.

Senior forward Rachel Tecca finished the game as the Zips’ leading scorer; she scored 29 points on 10 of 18 from the field. Senior guard Hanna Luburgh followed by scoring 21 points. Tecca and Luburgh are the top two scorers in the league, averaging 23.1 and 22.4 points per conference game respectively.

Although both teams ended up taking exactly 62 shots from the field, the Zips were able to out-rebound the Flashes, 45-29. Both teams also committed 16 turnovers for the game.

Akron scored a large chunk of their points in transition, outscoring the Flashes in fast break points, 24-2. The Zips were also able to outscore the Flashes in the paint, 38-34.  

The Zips (19-8, 13-3 MAC) were held to 38 percent shooting from the field in the first half of play. Kent State shot it at 41 percent going into the halftime locker room, and trailed the Zips, 33-27.

The second half was a different story as the Zips finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field.

It was the 12th consecutive victory for the Zips, putting them in second place in the MAC East, behind Bowling Green.

The Flashes only have two games remaining in the season, and will play at the Ohio Bobcats on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Contact Taylor Rosen at [email protected].