The University of Akron Athletics
Zips Wrap Up Regular Season at Ohio
February 27 | Women's Basketball
Game 28
Akron (10-17, 3-12 MAC) at Ohio (16-11, 9-6
MAC)
February 28, 2007 • 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Convocation Center- Athens, Ohio
Television: None
Radio: 1350 AM/www.GoZips.com. Bill Morgan has
the call.
Records: Akron is 10-17 on the season, 3-12 in
MAC play after a 65-59 loss to Buffalo on Saturday. Ohio is 16-11
overall, 9-6 MAC after a 70-67 win at nationally-ranked Bowling
Green on Saturday.
Coaches:
Jodi Kest is in her first
season at Akron with a career record of 237-170. She picked up her
first win at Akron on Nov. 18 vs. Binghamton, and her first MAC win
on Feb. 3 vs. Eastern Michigan. Sylvia Crawley is 16-11 in her
first season at Ohio.
Series: Ohio leads the series, 28-9. The Bobcats defeated Akron, 66-55 in their first meeting on Jan. 16.
Akron Wraps Up Regular Season at Ohio...
The Zips close out the 2006-07 regular season on the road as they
travel to face the Ohio Bobcats Wednesday night.
About Akron...
The Zips found themselves down early and never bounced back in a
65-59 loss to Buffalo on Saturday. With the loss, the Zips can
finish no better than sixth in the MAC East Division and will face
the No. 3 team from the West Division in the first round of the MAC
Tournament on March 4 at 3 p.m. The game will be played at Quicken
Loans Arena in Cleveland.
After seeing four different players score in double digits in the
win over Miami, Akron saw two players combine for 43 of its 59
points, with zero points coming from the Akron bench.
Sophomore
Niki McCoy fell one point
shy of matching her career mark with 27 points. While McCoy
struggled from the field, making just 6 of 18 shots (33 percent),
she was a perfect 14-for-14 at the free throw line. In fact, as a
team the Zips made good on all 20 free throw attempts.
Freshman
Sarah Tokodi was the only
other Zips player to reach double digits, finishing with 16 points.
She was 6-of-11 from the field, and also had a team-high three
assists.
Akron sorely missed the presence of freshman
Riana Miller, who missed
the game due to illness. The Zips' three other starters combined
for just 16 points, with no offensive help from the bench.
Akron currently ranks 12th in the league in scoring offense (59.9
ppg) and are 11th in field goal percentage (.400). Defensively the
Zips rank sixth in scoring defense (67.2 ppg allowed) and seventh
in field goal percentage defense (.411).
For the year the Zips are averaging 34.9 rebounds per game. They
have recorded 308 assists for an average of 11.4 per game.
Individually, sophomore
Niki McCoy is tied for 6th
in the MAC in scoring (16.1 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
Freshman
Riana Miller is sixth in
the league in blocked shots with an average of 1.08 per game.
Freshman
Sarah Tokodi ranks 10th in
assists (3.93 per game) and is 16th in scoring at 12.3 ppg.
About Ohio...
The Ohio Bobcats are coming off arguably the biggest win in school
history after defeating No. 16 Bowling Green, 70-67 on the road.
The win snapped BG's 29-game home win streak and 18-game overall
win streak.
The Bobcats shut down the Falcons' offense in the second half,
allowing just 24 points as BGSU shot just 27 percent (8-30) from
the field. Meanwhile, Ohio shot 57 percent for the game, including
50 percent (11-22) in the deciding second half.
Domenica Silva led OU with 18 points and 10 rebounds, one of four
Ohio players to score in double figures. Silva is averaging 12.3
ppg on the season. Lauren Kohn, who had 17 points in the win, is
the team leader at 16.1 ppg.
On the year the Bobcats rank ninth in the MAC in scoring (68.1
ppg) and fifth in scoring defense (64.9). They are among the
leaders in free throw percentage, ranking second at .756, and lead
the league in field goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting
just 39 percent against OU.
Head coach Sylvia Crawley is in her first season at Ohio. She is
assisted by Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, Geoff Lanier and Angelita
Forté.
Series Business...
- This is the 38th meeting between the two schools with Ohio
holding a 28-9 advantage.
- The Bobcats won the first meeting this season, 66-55 in
Akron.
- Akron's last win over Ohio came on Feb. 3, 2000. The Zips were
83-71 winners at Rhodes Arena.
- The Zips are 4-23 in Mid-American Conference games vs. Ohio.
- Akron has never won at Ohio in Mid-American Conference play.
Last Time These Two Teams Met...
In search of its first conference win of the season, the
University of Akron women's basketball team fell short, losing to
Ohio University 66-55 on Jan. 16 at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Bobcats (9-8, 2-3 MAC) took advantage of 22 Akron turnovers,
converting them in 25 points. Ohio also exploited the Zips inside
as it deposited 24 points in the paint.
"I thought the kids worked hard in the first half, but it was the
same story with 22 turnovers resulting in 25 points for Ohio," said
head coach
Jodi Kest. "You could see
from beginning to end, though, that the team never gave up."
The Zips had three players record double-digits, but it wasn't
enough as they have now dropped five-straight games.
Senior
Jessie Crooks
(Independence, Ohio/Independence HS) led Akron with 14 points and
sophomore
Niki McCoy (Sylvania,
Ohio/Northwest HS) added 12 of her own. Freshman
Sarah Tokodi (Marietta,
Ohio/Parkersburg Catholic HS) also chipped in 11 points, seven
coming in the second half.
Mandy Holzer (Jordan,
Minn./Jordan High School) tied her career high with 10
rebounds.
OU also had three players score in double-figures with Lauren Kohn
leading the way with 21 points. Domenica Silver tallied a
career-high 13 rebounds to go along with 15 points to earn her
second double-double of the season. Junior Quintana Ward also added
11 points to contribute to the Bobcats' offensive attack.
UA built any early 13-4 edge when McCoy leaked out in front of the
OU defense to score two of her eight first-half points, but the
Bobcats went on a 12-0 run to take a 16-13 lead with 8:29 left in
the half.
Rachel Frederick extended the Bobcats' advantage to five, 24-19,
with 2:46 left in the first session, but Crooks hit two triples
over the final 2:15 to keep the Zips close as they went into the
locker room down 28-24.
Akron (7-10, 0-5 MAC) started the second half on a 6-1 run to take
30-29 lead with 17 minutes left in the game. Holzer later tied the
score at 34 when she converted inside at the 13:47 mark, but OU
responded with an 11-4 run over the next five and half minutes to
increase its lead to 45-38.
Ohio pushed the score out to 53-40 with 2:44 left on the clock and
never looked back to seal its second MAC win of the season.
Last Time Out...
Sophomore
Niki McCoy (Sylvania,
Ohio/Northview HS) scored 27 points, but it wasn't enough as the
University of Akron women's basketball team fell to Buffalo 65-59
in a hard-fought Mid-American Conference match-up on Saturday
afternoon at Rhodes Arena.
Despite being a perfect 20-of-20 at the free-throw line, Akron was
unable to translate that success from the floor - connecting on
just 34 percent (18-of-53) of its attempts, including just 3-of-17
tries from behind the arc.
"I am disappointed with the loss," head coach
Jodi Kest said. "I felt
like we got outworked today, but give Buffalo credit because they
came ready to play. I liked how we were able to fight back in the
second half, but feel we should have played that way from the
beginning."
McCoy did most of her damage at the line as she nailed 14 freebies
on the afternoon. Freshman
Sarah Tokodi (Marietta,
Ohio/Parkersburg Catholic HS) helped bolster the UA offense with 16
points on 6-of-11 shooting, while
Lauren Stephenson
(Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Pickerington HS) grabbed a career-high nine
rebounds.
Forward Heather Turner led Buffalo with 15 points, while Stephanie
Bennett and Jamie Schiebner added 10 points apiece. The Bull's
bench bunch also outscored the Zips' backup unit 13-0.
Akron (10-17, 3-12 MAC) entered the second half down 11, but were
able to cut the deficit to 40-35 on a Tokodi triple at the 9:11
mark. Moments later McCoy made it a 42-39 game as she spun baseline
and converted off of the glass inside.
The Bulls (10-17, 5-10 MAC) pushed the lead back out to 48-41 with
5:16 remaining, but the Zips didn't go away quietly as Tokodi
deposited a pair of charity tosses to make the score 49-47 with
3:29 on the clock.
With 44 seconds remaining Tokodi cashed in a three-point play-
getting the Zips within three at 58-55, but the Bulls broke the
ensuing full-court pressure as Turner was left alone for an easy
lay-up. Turner then stepped up to the line and made both free
throws to make it a 62-55 count to put the game away. Buffalo
finished the game 15-of-19 (78.0 percent) from the line.
In the first half UB took advantage of cold shooting from the Zips
to build an 18-8 edge with just over seven minutes left in the
opening half. Akron never got things going offensively - hitting
just 25 percent (6-of-24) of its shots as it went into the locker
room down 29-18.
On the flip side the Bulls connected on 48 percent (12-of-25) of
their shots in the first 20 minutes of play - including a 3-for-7
from three-point land. Buffalo also benefited from 16 points in the
paint, due in large part to Turner who dropped in 10 points on
5-of-6 shooting.
No Room For Error...
Needing every last point against Buffalo on Feb. 24, the Zips
didn't give anything away at the free throw line as they were a
perfect 20-for-20. Leading the charge was sophomore
Niki McCoy who tied her
career high with 14 free throws.
Career Night...
Several Zips put up career numbers in Akron's 77-75 win over Miami
on Feb. 21. Senior
Jessie Crooks set a new
mark with 28 points, going 10 of 15 from the field, including 5 of
10 from three-point range. Despite not being a point guard by
trade, freshman
Sarah Tokodi matched her
career mark with eight assists and the Zips tallied a season-best
20 assists as a team. Also matching her career high in assists was
sophomore
Niki McCoy. McCoy dished
the ball seven times, while turning it over just once.
Batting a Thousand...
Senior
Jessie Crooks reached a
basketball milestone on Feb. 17 at Kent State, recording her
1,000th career point. In 111 games played, Crooks has recorded
1,040 points, which ranks eighth on Akron's career list. She is
just the ninth player in school history to score 1,000 career
points.
Record Setting...
Willingness to drive to the basket has paid off for sophomore
Niki McCoy as she has
broken the school record for free throws and free throw attempts in
the season. Entering the game at Ohio, McCoy has attempted 201
freebies, breaking the old mark of 160 set by Casey O'Connor in
1979-80. Her 166 made free throws tops the old mark of 108, also
set by O'Connor that same season. Her current average of .826 is
first in the single-season annals.
Climbing the Charts...
With 435 points scored this season, sophomore
Niki McCoy currently ranks
sixth on the Zips' single-season scoring charts. In 54 career
games, McCoy has tallied 735 points.
Perfection...
Senior
Jessie Crooks was literally
unstoppable from the field in the first half of Akron's 77-75 win
over Miami on Feb. 21. Over the first 20 minutes, Crooks was 6 of 6
from the field, including 4-for-4 on three point attempts. The
story was no different at the free throw line where she made both
of her attempts and led Akron with 18 points at the break. She
finished the game with a career-best 28 points.
Two In-A-Row...
Entering this season, Akron had defeated Toledo just five times in
38 meetings since the two teams started playing each other in
1974-75. That number now stands at six after a 63-62 win over the
Rockets on Feb. 11. But even more impressive is the fact that Akron
has now won two straight against the Rockets.
The Zips got a very large monkey off their collective backs on
Feb. 8, 2006 with a 69-66 win at Toledo. The victory snapped a
30-game losing streak to the Rockets that dated back to the 1980-81
season. It also marked Akron's first win on the road in the series
since the 1975-76 season. Prior to the win at Toledo in 2006, Akron
had never defeated the Rockets in a Mid-American Conference
game.
Three In-A-Row...
With victories over Eastern Michigan (Feb. 3), Toledo (Feb. 11)
and Miami (Feb. 21), Akron won three in-a-row at home. It was the
first time Akron had won three straight at home in league play
since the 1999-00 season when the Zips also recorded a three-game
home win streak.
Toeing the Line...
Niki McCoy has become a
fixture at the free throw line, ranking second in the MAC in free
throws made (166) and attempted (201). Her .826 free throw
percentage ranks sixth in the MAC.
Career Night...
Toledo-area native
Niki McCoy put on a show
for the visiting Rockets on Feb. 11, recording a career-high 28
points in the Zips' 63-62 win. McCoy was a blistering 10 of 13 from
the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point land and 6 of 7 from
the charity stripe. It was McCoy's three-point play with a layup
and a free throw that gave Akron a 61-60 lead with 49 seconds left
as Akron held on for the win.
Bench Play...
In a one-point game, every play makes a difference and the Zips
bench played a large role in the 63-62 win over Toledo on Feb. 11.
Playing 31 minutes, senior
Jessie Crooks finished with
16 points, shooting 50 percent (6-12) overall, 66 percent (2-3)
from three-point range. Crooks hit a pair of free throws with 11
seconds remaining that proved to be the difference in the win. Also
coming in off the bench, freshman
Riana Miller contributed
nine points and a pair of rebounds. Overall, Akron's bench
accounted for 29 points compared to 12 for Toledo.
Seeing Double...
Niki McCoy recorded her
second-straight double double and her sixth of the season with 16
points and 10 rebounds at Central Michigan on Feb. 7. In
Mid-American Conference play she is averaging 17.4 points per game
(4th in MAC) and 6.6 rebounds per game (14th in MAC).
Slow Start, Strong Finish...
Central Michigan held freshman
Sarah Tokodi to zero points
in the first half of the game on Feb. 7. However, entering the game
with a 12.7 ppg scoring average, she would not be denied, going
6-of-7 from the field for 13 points in the second half. She also
finished with six rebounds and five assists.
Spotlight is On...
Sophomore
Niki McCoy put on a show
for a national TV audience, scoring a then-career-high 27 points in
the Zips win over Eastern Michigan on Feb 3. The game was broadcast
as part of the MAC Game of the Week package. In 38 minutes of
action, McCoy was 9-of-17 from the field and recorded her fifth
double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
Niki McCoy Two-Time MAC
Player of the Week...
Niki McCoy was named the
Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, the
league office announced Monday, Feb. 5. It was the second player of
the week honor for McCoy this season.
The Zips picked up their first MAC win of the season on Feb. 3
with a 69-53 triumph over Eastern Michigan at Rhodes Arena. McCoy
led the way for Akron, finishing with a career-high 27 points and
10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
McCoy had 11 points in the first half as the two teams entered the
break tied at 31, adding another 16 in the second half as the Zips
opened with a 16-6 run. She finished the game 9-of-17 from the
field (53 percent) and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe (.888). Her
10 rebounds was also a team high, going along with a blocked shot
and a steal in 38 minutes of action.
McCoy's first honor of the season came on Dec. 26. She had a
season-high 21 points in the Zips' 71-54 win over St. Francis on
Dec. 19. In the first half of play, McCoy accounted for 15 of
Akron's 27 points as the Zips took a 27-22 halftime lead. She
finished the game 8-for-8 from the free throw line and 6-of-15 from
the field while also adding four rebounds, two blocked shots, and
three steals in 39 minutes of play.
Solid Half...
After seeing her seven-game streak of a spot in the starting
lineup come to an end at Miami on Jan. 10, freshman
Riana Miller responded with
her best half of play to date, scoring 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting
from the field. Miller finished 7-of-11 on the night and was just
two points shy of tying her career high. She also added six
rebounds.
All-Around Effort...
Akron played one of its most complete game of the year in a 69-53
win over Eastern Michigan on Feb. 3. The Zips shot 46 percent
(26-56) from the field and held the Eagles to just 35 percent
(21-60). Akron also won the rebounding battle, 38-32, and turned
the ball over just 13 times, well below its average. The victory
marked
Jodi Kest's first
Mid-American Conference win at Akron.
No Thanks...
Freshman
Riana Miller wasn't about
to let Ball State score over her in the first half on Jan. 23,
posting a career-high five blocked shots in the first 20 minutes.
For the season Miller has 28 blocks, ranking sixth in the MAC with
an average of 1.08 per game.
One-Woman Show...
University of Akron freshman
Sarah Tokodi took matters
into her own hands vs. Kent State on Jan. 6, matching her career
high with 26 points in the 79-47 loss. Tokodi was responsible for
Akron's first 14 points, with no other UA player getting on the
scoreboard until
Niki McCoy's free throw
shot at 8:56. Tokodi was unstoppable in the opening minutes, going
7-for-7 before her first miss with :20 to play.
Tokodi was 9-of-14 (.643) from the field while the rest of the
team went a combined 4-of-37 (.135).
On the Assist...
Freshman
Sarah Tokodi had a career
afternoon handing off the ball on Jan. 20 at Northern Illinois
where she finished with eight assists. She matched that mark in the
Zips' 77-75 win over Miami on Feb. 21. For the season, Tokodi had
dished off the ball a team-high 106 times, an average of 3.8 per
game.
Career Best...
Sophomore
Lauren Stephenson also set
a new career mark on Feb. 21 with nine rebounds vs. Buffalo.
Passing the Boards...
Senior
Mandy Holzer tied her
career high with 10 rebounds vs. Ohio on Jan. 16. The Zips finished
the game with a 37-33 rebounding advantage. Holzer just narrowly
missed her first career double-double, finishing with seven
points.
What Happened?...
After five-straight games of nearly-perfect free throw shooting,
the Zips hit a stumbling block vs. Ball State on Jan. 23. In the
three games prior to the contest with the Cardinals, the Zips had
converted 56 of 65 attempts (86 percent). In the game vs. Ball
State, Akron hit just 13 of 20 attempts (65 percent). The only UA
player to hit all her attempts was
Riana Miller who was a
perfect 4-for-4.
Welcome Back, Crooks...
Coming off one of her worst performances in a blue and gold
uniform at Miami on Jan. 10 where she was 0-for-7 from the field
and finished with 0 points, senior forward
Jessie Crooks bounced back
three days later with a career afternoon. At Buffalo on Jan. 13,
Crooks had a then-career-high 26 points, going 8-of-15 from the
field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. From the three-point
arc, Crooks connected on 6 of 9 attempts. She also led the team
with seven rebounds.
She had her second-straight double-digit effort with 14 points vs.
Ohio on Jan. 16.
Hang On...
If looking for a reason for the Zips' 0-8 start in Mid-American
Conference play, one has to look no further than the turnover
column. In its first eight MAC games, the Zips gave away the ball
184 times, an average of 23.0 times per game. The 24 turnovers at
Buffalo on Jan. 13 resulted in 24 points. In contrast, Akron turned
16 Bulls miscues into just nine points. The Zips' season high of 29
turnovers came vs. Ball State (Jan. 23), resulting in 25 points for
the Cardinals. Against Ohio on Jan. 16, Akron gave up the ball 22
times which turned into 25 points for the Bobcats. The Zips cut
their turnover number to 17 at Northern Illinois on Jan. 20, but
those 17 miscues still resulted in 24 points for the Huskies.
Make It Four...
This is the fourth-straight season that Akron opened Mid-American
Conference play with four losses. In 2005-06, Akron did not pick up
its first MAC win until game 10 (at Toledo). In 2004-05, the first
win came in game five (vs. Buffalo). In 2003-04, it came in the
ninth MAC game of the season (vs. Northern Illinois). The Zips
matched that mark this season with their first conference victory
coming in game nine vs. Eastern Michigan (Feb. 3).
Back on Track...
After a dismal three games at the free throw line where the Zips
had just 34 makes on 60 attempts (.566), their shooting touch
seemed to return at Miami on Jan. 10. Against the RedHawks, Akron
went to the line 25 times, converting 22 (.880).
Niki McCoy took a
season-high 14 free throw shots, making 13.
Sarah Tokodi was 9-of-10.
For the season the Zips are 391-of-547 (.715) and rank seventh in
the league.
Snapped...
Akron's loss to Bowling Green on Jan. 3 snapped a six-game win
streak. It was the program's longest win streak since the 1995-96
season. The Zips are now 3-12 in MAC openers.
Good, Bad or Ugly?...
Depends on your point of view. Akron shot 46 percent (5-11) from
the three-point line in the first half of its 69-42 win over
Niagara on Dec. 29. The ugly part? Akron shot an identical 46
percent (5-11) from the free throw line in the half.
Single Digits...
The combination of Akron's defensive effort and a poor shooting
performance by Duquesne resulted in just nine first-half points for
the Dukes on Dec. 5 as the Zips took a 23-9 lead into the
lockerroom. It was six points more of the NCAA record of three
points allowed, set by Florida State in 2003.
Double Digits...
Akron's 17-point margin of victory in the win over St. Francis was
its largest since an 88-63 win over Bowling Green on Feb. 10, 2001
(+25). That is until the Zips came away with a 27-point win over
Niagara on Dec. 29 (69-42), making it the largest margin of victory
since a 39-point win over Canisius (80-41) on Feb. 20, 1988.
Akron's 16-point win over Eastern Michigan on Feb. 3 was its
largest margin of victory in a MAC game since that Bowling Green
contest in 2001.
Defensive Effort...
Akron's defense played a huge role in its 69-42 win over Niagara
on Dec. 29. Entering the game the Purple Eagles were averaging more
than 65 points per game. The Zips limited them to just 18 points in
the first half on 6-of-28 shooting. The 42 total points was the
second-fewest scored by Niagara on the season (41 vs.
Duquesne).
Fantastic Frosh...
Freshman guard
Sarah Tokodi has made an
immediate impact in her first season at Akron. The converted
shooting guard is playing the point for the Zips, averaging 12.3
points per game, including 24 points at Florida Atlantic on Nov.
17. She had 15 points in her first career start at Saint Louis on
Nov. 10. In Akron's home opener on Nov. 22 vs. Valparaiso, Tokodi
led the team with 19 points, along with four assists.
Against Dayton, Tokodi matched her career best with seven rebounds
in the first half and went on to set a new mark with nine for the
game. She also topped her old assist season high with six against
the Flyers. She matched that mark in the win over Youngstown State
on Dec. 16, while also adding a season best six steals.
That number was again broken with a new season high of eight
assists at Northern Illinois on Jan. 20, where she also added 17
points. She recorded eight assists again in a win over Miami on
Feb. 21.
It was her basket with :02 remaining that gave Akron a 61-59 win
at Cleveland State on Dec. 10.
In the 69-42 win over Niagara on Dec. 29 she exploded for 26
points on 11-of-15 shooting. Tokodi had 15 of her 26 points in the
first half where she was 6-of-7 from the field. She also had six
assists while pulling down four rebounds.
She made a statement in the MAC by matching her career mark with
26 points vs. Kent State on Jan. 6. Tokodi was responsible for 17
of Akron's 24 first-half points, including the first 14 of the
game. She finished 9-of-14 from the field. She followed that with a
20-point performance at Miami on Jan. 10.
Tokodi was named to the all-tournament team at the FAU Tip-Off
Classic after averaging 17.0 ppg over the two games.
MAC Leaders...
Freshman guard
Sarah Tokodi currently
ranks second among Mid-American Conference freshmen in scoring at
12.3 ppg. She is 16th overall.
New Highs...
Akron set new season marks for assists (20) in the win over Miami
on Feb. 21. Against Buffalo on Jan. 13 the Zips set a new
single-game season mark with nine three-point baskets. That ranks
tied for 10th on Akron's all-time single-game list. A season high
of nine blocked shots was accomplished at Central Michigan on Feb.
7.
And New Lows...
The Zips turned the ball over a season-high 29 times in a 71-49
loss to Ball State on Jan. 23. The Cardinals turned the 29 miscues
into 25 points.
Thanks, Santa...
The month of December was very kind to Akron as the Zips were a
perfect 6-0 during the holiday season.
Glad to See January End...
On the flip side, the Zips were not sad to see the month of
January come to an end as they were 0-8.
A Good February?...
Akron is 3-4 so far in the month of February.
Super Soph...
Sophomore
Niki McCoy has picked up
right where she left off after a MAC All-Freshman team season in
2005-06. McCoy is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game (t-6th
in the MAC), including her fourth career double-double with 14
points and 10 rebounds in an 55-44 win over Binghamton (Nov. 18).
With her second double-double of the season vs. Duquesne (Dec. 5),
McCoy tied her career mark with 12 rebounds to go along with 17
points.
Her third double-double of the year and sixth career mark came at
Miami on Jan. 10 when she had 24 points and matched her career high
with 12 rebounds.
She doubled up for the fourth time in 2006-07 vs. Ball State on
Jan. 23 with a team-best 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Her fifth double-double of the year came in Akron's 69-53 win over
Eastern Michigan. Against the Eagles McCoy had 27 points, along
with 10 rebounds. She added another double one game later with 16
points and 10 boards at Central Michigan on Feb. 7.
McCoy was key to Akron's 66-58 win at Youngstown State on Dec. 16,
scoring 16 of her 20 points in the second half, while also
finishing with nine rebounds. She topped that mark one game later
with 21 points in the victory over St. Francis on Dec. 19, 15 of
those coming in the first half.
At Northern Illinois on Jan. 20, McCoy led Akron with 21 points,
19 of which came in the second half in a valiant comeback attempt
by the Zips that just fell short in an 81-70 loss.
McCoy has scored in double figures in 19 of the last 22 games,
including a career-high 28 in a 63-62 win over Toledo on Feb. 11,
and 27 points vs. Buffalo on Feb. 24.
She holds the team's top rebounding spot with an average of 6.6
per game, including 10 in the win over Niagara on Dec. 29. She is
also averaging a team-high 35.1 minutes per game.
Third Time's a Charm...
Akron has given its fans their money's worth this year with four
of its games decided by one point. Akron was finally on the winning
end of one of those games vs. Lehigh on Dec. 3 as they held off a
late Mountain Hawks rally for a 62-61 win. The Zips also held on
for a 63-62 win over Toledo on Feb.11. In 27 games this year, Akron
has had 14 games decided by 11 points or fewer and is 6-8 in those
games.
It's Miller Time...
Freshman forward
Riana Miller was a force on
the inside for Akron in the game against Dayton (Nov. 26), posting
three blocks to go along with 10 points. Miller also added three
rebounds and a steal to her tally, all in the span of 18 minutes
played.
Against the physical, athletic Pittsburgh Panthers, Miller gave 22
solid minutes off the bench with 13 points. Miller was 5 of 7 from
the free throw line and also had four rebounds, an assist, a
blocked shot and two steals.
Proving she isn't a one-hit wonder, Miller had 14 points and seven
rebounds in the win over Lehigh (Dec. 3). Coming in off the bench,
Miller was 5-of-9 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 at the
charity stripe. She also added one block and leads the team with
26. That performance earned her a start against Duquesne (Dec. 5),
where she finished with eight points and six rebounds.
In the win over Youngstown State, Miller was a season-best 5-of-6
from the field for 10 points. She set a new season high with 16
points in the victory over St. Francis (Dec. 19), going 4-of-6 from
the field and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe.
At Miami on Jan. 10, Miller was unstoppable with 14 points,
hitting on 7-of-9 shot attempts. She has 12 first-half points on 5
of 9 shooting at Bowling Green on Feb. 14.
At Kent State on Feb. 17, Miller again showed her skills with 10
first-half points, hitting on 80 percent (4 of 5) of her shots.
Miller currently ranks sixth in the MAC in blocked shots with an
average of 1.08 per game.
They're Free? We'll Take Them...
After struggling at the charity stripe early in the season, Akron
found the right time to regain its shooting touch, going 20-of-22
against Lehigh in a 62-61 win on Dec. 3. Prior to the game vs. the
Mountain Hawks, the Zips were hitting the freebies at a .656
(84-128) clip. That number jumped to .693 (104-150) after the game
vs. the Mountain Hawks.
Akron went to the line a season-high 32 times in the win over St.
Francis (Dec. 19), converting 28 for an 87.5 percent average.
Hang On To The Ball...
The Zips lucked out in the win over Lehigh (Dec. 3), managing to
overcome a 21-turnover performance. Ball handling is an area that
has been emphasized by the coaching staff and it has shown so far
this season. Seven games into last season, the Zips had accumulated
145 turnovers. That number dropped to 117 in the first seven games
of 2006-07, including a season-low of 10 in the win over
Binghamton.
Did You Know?...
- Akron had its first six-game win streak since the 1995-96 season
(Dec. 3-Dec. 29).
- Akron has a three-game MAC home win streak for the first time
since the 1999-00 season.
- The Zips have reached double digits in the win column for the
first time since the 1999-00 season (11-17).
- The Zips have surpassed their 2005-06 season win total with 10
victories in 27 games so far this season.
- Akron set new seasons highs for field goal percentage (.522) and
steals (12) at Youngstown State.
- Akron is 3-1 in games tied at the half.
- Akron had a season-high nine blocked shots at Central Michigan on
Feb. 7, including a career mark of four by
Niki McCoy.
-
Niki McCoy has been Akron's
leading scorer in 17 of the last 23 games.
- McCoy has made 90 of her last 103 free throws dating back to the
Miami game on Jan. 10.
- Akron had seven nonconference victories, its most since the
1986-87 season (seven).
- Akron is 2-1 in its last three visits to Cleveland State.
- Akron's win over Duquesne was its first in three meetings.
- Akron did not have a three-point basket in the win over Duquesne
on Dec. 3, snapping a string of 125-straight games with a three.
The last time the Zips did not make a long-range bucket was on Feb.
6, 2002 vs. Central Michigan (0-4).
- The Zips win in game three this year is its earliest victory
since a season-opening 58-51 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov.
17, 2000.
- Freshman guard
Sarah Tokodi has scored in
double figures in 17 of 27 games this season.
- The Zips' 47 rebounds vs. Duquesne was a season high.
- Akron is 7-6 when winning the rebounding battle.
- The win over Lehigh on Dec. 3 snapped an 11-game home losing
streak.
- Akron has had at least two players score in double figures in 22
of 26 games this year.
-
Niki McCoy has nine career
double doubles; three in her freshman season and six so far this
year.
- Akron has been held under 50 points five times this year after
failing to meet the mark eight times in 2005-06.
- Both of Akron's victories in Mid-American Conference play last
season came on the road (at Toledo, at Miami).
- All three of Akron's MAC wins this season have come at home.
Close Calls...
The Zips found themselves on the wrong end of a pair of one-point
losses this year. A 50-49 loss to Valparaiso on Nov. 22 was
followed by a 58-57 loss to Dayton on Nov. 26. This year Akron is
5-5 in games decided by 10 or fewer points.
