Youngstown -- Akron held the Youngstown State women's basketball team without a field goal for the final seven minutes to pull away and win 70-56 on Thursday evening at Beeghly Center.

YSU's Tieara Jones hit a jumper with 7:05 remaining to give the Penguins a 54-53 lead after they had trailed by as many as six early in the second period. Akron reclaimed the lead off with an in-bounds pass with 5:24 left, and Brandi Brown's free throw tied the score for the final time at 55-55 at the 4:53 mark.

Akron scored the next seven points to go up 62-55 with 2:57 remaining, and Jones' charity toss with 2:41 left accounted for YSU's final score. Akron scored the final eight points of the contest to increase the margin.

Jones scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 39 minutes. Kenya Middlebrooks scored all 14 of her points in the first 13 minutes of the second half.

Akron's Rachel Tecca led all players with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Akron outshot YSU 50 percent to 32 percent and outscored the Penguins by 10 from the free-throw line. YSU was 9-for-39 from 3-point range while Akron was 3-for-12.

Trailing by six early in the second half, YSU stayed within striking distance and took its first lead of the half when Macey Nortey hit a fast-break lay-up and an ensuing free throw with 10:15 remaining. Two Middlebrooks triples in the next minute-and-a-half put YSU up 52-51 with 7:32 to play.

Sina King made two free throws for Akron on its next possession, and Jones' jumper with 7:05 to play gave the Guins their final lead.

In the first half, Youngstown State was able to turn an eight-point deficit into a 25-25 tie before Akron scored the final six points of the period.

Neither team led by more than two until Taylor Ruper's trey sparked an 8-0 run for Akron that put the Zips ahead 18-10 with 11:39 to play. YSU picked up its defensive effort behind guard Maryum Jenkins, and a Bojana Dimitrov 3-pointer with 7:13 remaining cut the Guins' deficit to just 20-18.

Melissa Thompson hit a 3-pointer from straight away to tie the score at 25-25 with 1:26 left in the period, but Akron came away with four points its next time down the floor. Carly Young made the first of a one-and-one at the free throw line, and, after two offensive rebounds, Ruper buried a trey to put the Zips up 29-25 with a minute left. Hanna Luburgh completed Akron's 6-0 run with a jumper with 34 seconds left.

Akron outshot the Penguins 44 percent to 33 percent and attempted 10 more free throws than YSU in the period. Akron had 14 turnovers in the first period while Youngstown State had 12.

Dimitrov led all players with eight first-half points. Brown had seven points, but she also picked up her third foul on a drive with two minutes left. Tecca had seven points in the first half to lead Akron.

YSU scored six straight points to take its first lead of the second half when Macey Nortey hit a fast-break lay-up and a free throw with 10:15 remaining.

Youngstown State will play two games at the Hatter Holiday Classic next week. YSU will play Stetson, the tournament's host, on Monday at 1 p.m.