The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Basketball To Start MAC Play Wednesday
January 06 | Women's Basketball
Rhodes Arena (5,500) • Akron, Ohio • Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 • 7 p.m. (EST)
The Opening Tip
The University of Akron women's basketball team will host
defending MAC champion Miami (Ohio) Wednesday night in the league
opener for both teams. The Zips and RedHawks will tip off at 7 p.m.
(EST)
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 trails 5-27 (.156) since 1981-82.
UA Series Streak: L2
Last 10 Meetings: 3-7
Last Meeting: L, 79-89 at UA on Mar. 1, 2008.
Notes: The Zips trail the all-time series with Miami, 5-27, yet are
2-2 in their last four meetings at Rhodes Arena ... UA is 0-3
versus MU in MAC openers and 0-2 in MAC openers at home ... The
Zips were swept by the RedHawks last season, falling 84-79 at
Rhodes Arena and 63-49 at Millett Hall.
Coaches
• Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, '84) is in her third
season at Akron where she is 22-50 (.306). Kest has a career mark
of 248-204 (.549), 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.
• Maria Fantanarosa (Miami, '90) is in her
10th season at Miami, where she is 169-138 (.550). Fantanarosa,
became the program's all-time wins leader in 2006. She led the
RedHawks to a MAC Tournament title last season and a 23-11 overall
mark last winter, including 12-4 in MAC play.
About Miami
The RedHawks wrapped up their non-conference schedule with
a pair of losses at No. 18 Florida (75-56) and to Kentucky (80-55)
after winning eight of their first 11 games of the 2008-09
campaign.
They are led offensively by preseason All-MAC selection Jenna
Schone, who is averaging 15.2 points per game. As a team MU is
ranked fifth in the league in scoring (67.8 ppg) and sixth in
defense (67.2). The RedHawks are also one of the top shooting teams
from the 3-point arc (4th, .353) and from the free throw line (3rd,
.748).
Miami made its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after
defeating Ohio (67-56) in the title game of the MAC Tournament last
season MU swept both games from Akron a year ago and leads the
all-time series 27-5.
Last Year Versus Miami
The Zips were 0-2 against Miami last season despite a pair of
monster games from Kara Murphy, who averaged 21.0 points and
10.5 rebounds versus the RedHawks. Murphy recorded the first
double-double of her career (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the first
game, a 63-49 setback at Millett Hall on Jan. 16, before recording
one of the top scoring games in Akron history (31 points to go with
eight rebounds) at Rhodes Arena on Mar. 1.
Murphy did nearly half of her damage from the free throw line,
shooting 17-for-22 (.773) from the charity stripe versus MU. The
Zips also had strong contributions from Keyla
Snowden, who averaged 18.0 points and 3.5 three-point field
goals per contest, in the series.
As a team, Akron averaged 64.0 points per game against Miami while
shooting 34.5 percent (39-for-113) from the floor. Conversely, the
RedHawks averaged 76.0 points while connecting on 40.4 percent
(55-for-136) from the field. MU also owned a rebounding margin of
+7.0 and a turnover margin of +6.0 last year.
Miami was led offensively by guard Jenna Schone, who averaged 22.0
points in the two games.
Akron in MAC Openers
The Zips are 4-12 (.250) all-time in MAC openers since
joining the league in 1992-93. UA has fared much better in MAC
openers at home however with a 4-5 (.444) mark but has not won its
league opener since edging Western Michigan, 59-57, at Rhodes Arena
on Jan. 2 1999.
UA is 0-3 all-time versus Miami in MAC openers and 0-2 at home.
Akron was defeated in its MAC opener last season at Bowling Green
in an 88-56 setback.
Home Cookin'
All three of the Zips' top scoring games in 2008-09 (82
vs. Robert Morris and 67 vs. Saint Bonaventure and Lehigh) have
come on their home floor where they are 3-3 this season, compared
to 2-5 otherwise.
As a team, Akron is averaging 8.7 points per game (63.7-55.0)
better at Rhodes Arena while shooting 22.2 percent (78.4-56.2)
better from the free throw line.
Threes Company
Finding consistent scoring options to complement Kara
Murphy has been a challenge this season. But for the second
straight game, the Zips' box score featured three players in double
digits. Murphy led the way with 20 points against Lehigh, followed
by Kyle Baumgartner (15) and Ashley
Veal (10).
Murphy, who has led the Zips in scoring 22 times in 44 career
contests (50.0 percent) – including all but two games this
season, has posted 20 or more points 13 times in an Akron uniform,
including seven times in 13 games in 2008-09. Her scoring average
of 18.5 points per game is ranked second in the MAC and 31st in the
country.
UA is 3-2 when three or more players reach double figures in
scoring this season.
Baumgartner Finding Stride
Kyle Baumgartner has been playing at an elevated
level lately, felling just one rebound shy of recording her second
straight double-double (15 points and nine rebounds) against Lehigh
Sunday. The true freshman has reached double figures in scoring
three times in her last four games and has hit highs of 15 points
in her last two.
The 6-foot, 3-inch post player, who also leads the Zips with a 43.8
percent (7-for-16) shooting accuracy from 3-point range, is ranked
fifth in the MAC with an average of 7.0 rebounds per game.
Zips Reversal at Free Throw Line Leads to Wins
After shooting just 39.5 percent (17-for-43) in defeats at
Youngstown State (58-52) and Houston (74-59), Akron has shot 74.5
percent (41-for-55) from the free throw line in their last two
games.
The Zips connected on 72.7 percent (16-for-22) of their tries
– including a number of clutch makes down the stretch –
in the victory at Sam Houston State before holding off Lehigh by
shooting 75.8 percent (25-for-33) from the stripe.
As a team, Akron shot 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from the charity
stripe in the final two minutes of the game to hold off the
Bearkats in the one-point victory. Guzzardo and sophomore Kara
Murphy each were a perfect 2-for-2 during that stretch while
sophomore Amber Witt split a pair with three seconds left
for what turned out to be the decisive blow in the one-point
victory.
Coach Kest Closing on 250 Career Wins
Third-year UA head coach Jodi Kest enters Wednesday's game just two
wins shy of 250 for her career, spanning more than 16 seasons. Kest
amassed 48 victories in her first head coaching job at Wilkes
University before compiling 105 in six seasons at Gannon.
Kest, who owns a career mark of 248-204 (.549), was hired to be the
ninth head coach in Akron women's basketball history in 2006.
