The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Basketball Prepares to Host Ohio Wednesday
February 19 | Women's Basketball
Akron Zips (7-18, 2-9 MAC) vs. Ohio Bobcats (14-9, 7-3 MAC)
Rhodes Arena (5,500) • Akron, Ohio
Wed., Feb. 20, 2008 • 7 p.m. (EST)
Television
None.
On The Dial
WARF (Sports Radio 1350 AM) will carry the broadcast
locally in Akron. Bill Morgan, who is in his
second 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 trails 9-30 since 1977.
UA Series Streak: L14
Last 10 Meetings: 0-10
Last Meeting: L, 64-78 at Ohio on 1/22/08
Notes: Akron is 7-12 all-time versus Ohio at Rhodes Arena,
including 0-6 since 2001 ... the Zips last defeated the Bobcats on
Feb. 3, 2000 (83-71 at Rhodes Arena) ... UA defeat Ohio in five of
six games from 1980-88 ... the Zips are 0-2 all-time in overtime
games against the Bobcats.
Coaches
• Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, '84) is in her second
season at Akron and owns a career record of 243-190 (.561) spanning
16 seasons. The Zips were 10-19 overall and 3-13 in the MAC in
Kest's inaugural campaign.
• Sylvia Crawley (North Carolina, '94) is in
her second season at Ohio and owns a career record of 32-21 (.604),
all compiled with the Bobcats.
The Opening Tip
The University of Akron women's basketball team jumps back
into intra-divisional play Wednesday night when Ohio University
comes to Rhodes Arena for a 7 p.m. (EST) match up.
About Ohio
One of the hottest teams in the MAC, Ohio has won seven of
its last eight games after taking care of Toledo, 70-58, last
Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
The Bobcats (14-9, 7-3) own an impressive 6-4 record in road games
this season, including a 3-1 mark in the conference after earning
road wins at Buffalo (74-64), at Central Michigan (71-64) and at
Western Michigan (94-85). Ohio's lone loss in the past month was a
62-56 setback against Eastern Michigan on its home floor on Feb.
9.
Ohio's game at Northern Illinois last weekend was postponed due to
tragic events on NIU's campus. The Bobcats are currently in third
place in the MAC East after being the preseason favorite in the
division.
They are led by Lauren Kohn, who averages 16.8 points and 6.3
rebounds per game.
Team Notes
• Akron, which has struggled with turnovers all season, has
been doing a better job as of late. After averaging 18.6 miscues
through their first 21 games, the Zips have committed 58 turnovers
in their last four for an average of 14.5.
• On the year, UA is 5-3 when it commits fewer turnovers than
its opponent and 2-15 when it does not.
• The Zips have not defeated Ohio since an 83-71 decision at
Rhodes Arena on Feb. 3, 2000.
• Five of UA's top six scorers are underclassmen. Keyla
Snowden (Fr.) leads the way with an average of 13.8 points per
game, followed by freshman Kara
Murphy (13.4), sophomore Riana
Miller (8.6), junior Ashley Veal (5.1), sophomore Victoria
Arndt (4.4) and freshman Amanda
Sedlack (3.8).
• In fact, the Zips feature one of the youngest starting
lineups in the nation with their projected starting five of Sedlack
(Fr.), Snowden (Fr.), Murphy (Fr.), Veal (Jr.) and Miller
(So.).
• Akron has also had a difficult time getting off to a good
start this year. The Zips are 4-2 when leading at the half, but
3-16 when tied or trailing at the break.
• UA is the only MAC school to have two freshmen ranked in the
top 10 in the league in scoring in first-year players Keyla
Snowden (4th/13.8 ppg) and Kara
Murphy (7th/13.4 ppg). Individually speaking, only Bowling
Green's Lauren Prochaska (3rd/14.9) averages more points per game
as a first-year player.
• Moreover, with a combined scoring average of 27.2 points per
game, Snowden and Murphy comprise the third-highest scoring duo of
all players in the conference. Only Miami's combo of Amanda Jackson
(22.3) and Jenna Schone (13.6) and Bowling Green's pairing of
Prochaska (14.9) and Kate Achter (13.5) average more.
• Akron is 5-2 when it scores 70 or more points in a game and
2-16 when it does not.
• Moreover, UA is 4-2 in games decided by five points or less
and 1-14 in games decided by 11 points or more.
• The Zips are 2-11 since losing preseason all-league
selection Sarah Tokodi to a season-ending knee injury on
Dec. 28.
• Akron has used a balanced offensive attack for much of the
season as five different players have led the team in scoring.
Snowden (10) leads the way, followed by Murphy (6), Tokodi (5),
Miller (3) and Sedlack (1).
Player Notes
• Freshman Keyla Snowden, who broke the school record
for most 3-point field goals in a single season at Ball State last
Saturday, enters play as the MAC's leader with 71 threes in 25
games and is ranked 9th in the nation with an average of 2.8
triples per game.
• Snowden is also ranked 42nd in the country with a 3-pt.
field goal percentage of .390 (71-for-182).
• Fellow freshman Kara Murphy has reached double digits in
scoring in all but five games this year and is averaging 14.9
points and 6.3 rebounds in her last nine contests.
• Sophomore Riana Miller, who leads the MAC with 39 blocks
and an average of 1.56 rejections per game, is in the midst of one
of the most prolific defensive seasons in school history. Miller is
currently ranked sixth on UA's single-season blocks list:
• With 69 blocks in 52 games, the second-year player is also
in eighth place on the school's all-time rejections list.
• Senior Kristina Rosén gave the Zips a spark off the
bench against the Eagles Tuesday. The guard posted eight
second-half points, which was a career high, added some strong
defensive play and hit her first collegiate three-point field
goal.
