Toledo women fall to Akron Zips 82-62

University of Toledo women’s basketball head coach Tricia Cullop made it clear after the Rockets’ Thursday night 82-62 loss to Akron that she was not happy with her team’s performance.

She actually made it abundantly clear.

“Our team in the first half did not play with [the] passion, desire, competitiveness, and pride that we’ve come accustom to seeing here,” Cullop said. “I was extremely disappointed in that. We have got to find five kids who want to come out and play with passion.”

Passion wasn’t the only thing Toledo went without during the course of the game.

The Rockets never saw a lead against the Zips, and the 20-point defeat was the largest differential in a final score this season for UT.

Toledo shot only 31 percent from the field and only 11.5 percent from three-point land, while also allowing the Akron shooters wide-open lanes all night long.

“Me personally first half I was not there for my team,” said junior forward Inma Zanoguera. “I got to get better at that as an upperclassmen and a team captain. I hope everyone on our team has ownership and wants to [play] their heart out so we can win games moving forward.”

Zanoguera had only two points to three personal fouls in the first half. She finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds, and those three fouls.

“I think Inma is a great leader,” Cullop said when told what Zanoguera had said about herself. “I’ll be honest, I think it is my fault. I started five people and not all five were ready to go. I should have changed the lineup from Ohio.

“She is a great leader for saying that, but I disagree. She always plays with passion and desire, always. She’s not the problem.”

Cullop said after the game that she wasn’t sure exactly what the plan for change is moving forward -only that there will be change.

In her eyes, this can never happen again.

“I don’t care if it was the first game of the season, it’s not acceptable,” Cullop said. “I don’t care what’s before it or what’s after it, in my opinion none of our team should ever play like that.”

Akron took advantage of UT’s defensive woes, putting up 31-of-66 from the field (47 percent) and 8-of-24 from beyond the arc (46 percent) in the first half.

Zips guard Hanna Luburgh scored 23 points for her team, while also grabbing six boards. She was just one of four Akron players to score in double digits against the Rockets.

Akron started the game off on a 10-2 run, forcing Cullop to call an early timeout and try and settle her team down.  

But there didn’t seem to be any way to slow the Zips down, and Akron took a comfortable 48-26 lead into the locker room at the half.

Toledo received second-half help from some of the younger players on the squad, particularly freshmen forwards Janice Monakana and Sophie Reecher.

“Janice looks very deserving of a starting position right now,” Cullop said. “And Sophie played hard, I didn’t have any fault in how hard she played.”

Monakana gave her team ten points and pulled down nine boards in just 20 minutes of play, while Reecher finished with four points and two rebounds during just nine minutes on the court.

But Akron’s shooting stopped any momentum that the Rockets were attempting to create. Toledo never came within 17 points of the Zips.

“Unfortunately, two games in a row we have played two first halves that I hoped I would never see again,” Cullop said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t learn our lesson, but again the biggest thing, if you ask me what we need to fix, is maybe start a different lineup, maybe play different kids, and find five kids that want to play the game with passion, and desire, and pride.”           

Cullop also added that none of this was sugarcoated when she talked to her players after the loss.

“I told them to look at the score and understand that doesn’t happen here,” she said. “We need to play with more pride.”

Toledo returns to Savage Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2 to host archrival Bowling Green. Tip-off is set for noon, and the game will be shown live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, ESPN3, ESPN Full Court, and BCSN.