Shooting pains

After shooting an efficient 46.6 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from behind the arc in Thursday's win over Miami, the women's basketball team traveled northeast to take on Akron (14-7, 5-3 Mid-American Conference).

The Bulls (7-14, 5-3 MAC) came into the game tied for first place in the MAC East but saw their shooting numbers fall drastically in the second game of their Ohio road trip, as they suffered a 75-57 defeat at the hands of the Zips.

The story of the game was the difference in shot making, as the Bulls could only cash in on 32.8 percent of their field goal attempts and only four of their 17 attempts from three-point range.

"We were taking the shots but unfortunately they weren't finding the hole," said head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "Offensively, we really struggled today."

The Bulls' guards struggled in the loss, as they shot a combined 5 for 28 on the day.

Akron was able to find an offensive rhythm on the other end of the floor. The Zips hit 42.6 percent of their attempts from the field and nine 3-pointers, seven of which came in the first half.

One shot summed up the opening 20 minutes of play, as Akron junior Kacie Cassell hit a three-ball at the buzzer to send the Zips into the locker room with a 37-34 lead.

"Sometimes they're going to make some tough shots, shots that are contested but still go in," Legette-Jack said. "We just need to stick to our defense."

The Bulls were dominated in the second half and were outscored 38-23. Akron also held a significant edge in the second half in the rebound department, grabbing 28 rebounds to the Bulls' 18.

For the first time since Dec. 2011, two Bulls players finished with double-doubles in the same game. Sophomore forward Kristen Sharkey recorded the fourth double-double of her season, as she led the team in scoring with 14 points and added 11 rebounds.

Sophomore center Christa Baccas notched her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"I really liked the play of our post players today," Legette-Jack said. "They did a good job of commanding the ball and making things happen."

Junior forward Cherridy Thornton also put up double-digit scoring numbers on Saturday. Thornton put 12 points on the board in the first half but was only able to follow up with one point in the final 20 minutes.

Four Akron players put up double-digit point totals and junior Sina King wreaked havoc on the Bulls defense, finishing with a game-high 20 points.

"We're going to break this game down and just try to keep the focus on us," Legette-Jack said. "When you worry about the opponent, you lose track of what you can do. We're going to come back to Buffalo, figure out how we can get better and go from there."

The Bulls return home to Alumni Arena on Thursday night as they play host to MAC East opponent Bowling Green (13-7, 4-3 MAC). Fans are encouraged to wear pink for Thursday's contest as the team will be taking part in its annual breast cancer awareness event titled "Play 4 Kay." Tip off is at 7 p.m.

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