The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Hoops Closes Out 2008 in Lone Star State
December 27 | Women's Basketball
Guy V. Lewis Court (8,479) • Houston, Texas
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008 • 3 p.m. (EST)
The Opening Tip
Following a seven-day holiday break, the University of Akron
women's basketball team heads to Texas for the first of two games
in the Lone Star State to close out the calendar year.
The Zips will face off against the Houston Cougars Sunday afternoon
at 3 p.m. (EST) before heading to Huntsville for a match-up versus
Sam Houston State Wednesday.
On The Dial
WARF (Sports Radio 1350 AM) will carry the broadcast
locally in Akron. Rob Gidel, who is in his first
season with the Zips, will have the call.
On The Web
The broadcast will also be available on the Internet via
streaming audio on www.GoZips.com.
Series Breakdown
Series: Akron leads 1-0 since 2007-08.
UA Series Streak: W1
Last 10 Meetings: 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 81-76 at UA on Dec. 16, 2007.
Notes: Akron will be making its first ever visit to Guy V. Lewis
Court Sunday ... UA won the only other meeting between the two
schools last year at Rhodes Arena in an 81-76 decision.
Coaches
• Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, '84) is in her third
season at Akron where she is 20-49 (.290). Kest has a career mark
of 246-203 (.548), spanning more than 16 seasons as a head coach
overall. Kest led the Zips to a 7-24 record, including 2-14 in the
MAC, last winter.
• Joe Curl (Wayne State, '78) is in his 11th season at
Houston, where he is 164-145 (.531). Curl has a career mark of
302-245 (.526), spanning more than 18 seasons as a head coach
overall. Curl's Cougars were 15-16 a year ago overall and 9-7 in
Conference USA.
Up Next
The Zips' Texas road trip will continue next Wednesday
afternoon in Huntsville when they take on Sam Houston State at 3
p.m. (EST). Akron will then return for a three-game homestand
versus Lehigh, Miami (Ohio) and Buffalo starting on Sunday, Jan.
4.
Zips Reset
Akron fell victim to a slow start and poor second-half
free throw shooting in a 58-52 defeat in the Beeghly Center
Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 28-23 at the half, the Zips took a 42-40 lead – its
first since a 9-8 margin in the opening period – at the 8:13
mark but couldn't hold on. UA, which was in the double bonus for
the final nine minutes of the game, couldn't take advantage and
connected on just 36.4 percent (8-for-22) from the charity stripe
in the second half.
UA was led in scoring by junior Jolene
Tamboue, who reached double-digits for the first time in an
Akron uniform with 14 points. Freshman Kyle
Baumgartner followed with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Tiara Scott led all scorers with 16 points for Youngstown State
(2-8).
After setting season highs for offensive proficiency against Robert
Morris Wednesday, the Zips struggled from the field, hitting 37.5
percent (18-for-48) of their attempts. To compound matters, UA shot
38.5 percent (10-for-26) from the free throw line for the game.
About Houston
The Cougars (7-3) have won four of their last five
contests heading into their match-up with the Zips Sunday after
dispatching Buffalo 80-62 last Sunday in Queens, N.Y. at the St.
John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic.
Veteran head coach Joe Curl is back on the sidelines after sitting
out the 2007-08 campaign due to heart surgery. Without their
leader, Houston finished with a 15-16 mark overall, but won eight
of its last nine league game to close out the season.
The Cougars are led offensively by a trio of underclassmen scorers
in sophomores Courtney Taylor (16.9 ppg, 11.6 rpg) and Brittany
Scott (11.8 ppg), and first-year standout Roxana Button (11.7
ppg).
Houston has yet to lose at home this season (5-0) and has been
fueled by a strong defense that is holding opponents to 63.1 points
per game while averaging 8.3 steals and 5.4 blocks a contest.
Last Time Versus Houston
UA's Keyla Snowden
matched a then-season high with 22 points to lead four players in
double figures as the Zips rallied to an 81-76 victory over Houston
on Dec. 16 at Rhodes Arena. UA battled back from a nine-point
deficit halfway through the second period to defeat Houston in the
first ever meeting between the two schools.
Snowden set a personal high with five 3-pointers as the Zips
connected on a season-best 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from downtown.
Kara
Murphy chipped in 20 points, followed by Sarah Tokodi – who nearly pulled off a
triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists
– and Riana Miller, who
turned in her most complete game of the year with 14 points, nine
rebounds and five blocked shots.
Of Miller's nine rebounds, five came off the offensive glass. She
also matched a career high with her five rejections – all
coming in the second half.
Trailing by nine, 55-46, with 10:04 left in the contest, the Zips
turned the game around with a 16-2 run following an Akron
timeout.
Snowden started the UA rally with back-to-back threes to pull
within three, 55-52. After a UH basket, the Zips scored 10 straight
points, capped off by a triple from Murphy, who matched a season
high with three 3-point field goals, to surge out to a five point
advantage, 62-57, with 6:38 left.
The Cougars wouldn't go away quietly, however, and regained the
lead, 72-71, at the 2:25 mark. But the Zips answered with an 8-0
run to take a 78-72 edge with 45 seconds left. UH closed the gap to
three, 79-76, with less than 20 seconds left, but failed to connect
on a pair of 3-point attempts. Snowden pulled down a defensive
rebound off the second miscue and converted a pair of free throws
with five seconds left to seal the victory.
For the game, Akron out-shot Houston .411 (23-for-56) to .397
(27-for-68) from the floor. The Cougars were led by freshman
Cobilyn Hill, who scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Familiar Grounds
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Akron head coach Jodi
Kest Sunday. Prior to arriving at UA, Kest guided the Texas
A&M-Corpus Christi program to a 73-40 (.646) record in four
years, tallying a winning mark in each season and being named
Independent Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2005).
Corpus Christi is approximately 215 miles southwest of Houston.
Tamboue Breaks Out
The Zips got a boost from junior forward Jolene
Tamboue, who turned in her best performance in an Akron
uniform, against Youngstown State last weekend. The newcomer paced
the squad with 14 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes while
connecting on 5-of-9 field goal attempts. Tamboue was also on
target from long range, netting three of her five tries from beyond
the arc.
Tamboue, who is second on the team with an average of 5.7 rebounds
per game (17th in MAC), was especially effective on the offensive
glass against the Penguins with five offensive rebounds. She is
second in the MAC with an average of 3.5 offensive rebounds per
game and 17th for rebounding overall.
Murphy Denied Double Digits
Sophomore forward Kara
Murphy failed to reach double figures in scoring for just the
second time this season with eight points and seven rebounds at
Youngstown State.
Murphy, who is ranked third in the MAC and 51st in the nation with
an average of 17.4 points per game, has hit double digits eight
times in 10 games this season and 33 times in 41 contests for her
UA career.
Murphy was the ninth-highest scoring freshman in the nation a year
ago (14.5 ppg).
