The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Basketball looks to bounce back at Youngstown State Thursday
December 19 | Women's Basketball
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Akron at Youngstown State Game Notes in PDF Format
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Akron (8-3) at Youngstown State (7-3)
Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 • 7:05 p.m. ET
Youngstown, Ohio
Beeghly Center (6,300)
Television: None.
Live Statistics and Video Stream: Available at YSUsports.com free of charge.
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network – SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flag- ship), and for free at SportsRadio1350.com and iHeartRadio. Bill Morgan (play-by-play) (6:45 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, 1984): Kest is in her seventh season at Akron, posting a 82-113 (.421) mark. She is 308-266 (.537) in 20+ seasons as a collegiate head coach. Kest was named the 2010 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, and has guided the Zips to Cleveland for the conference tournament for the past three consecutive seasons.
Youngstown State Coach Bob Boldon (Walsh, 1997): No stranger to the Akron program or Coach Kest's system, Boldon is in his third season as head coach at YSU and holds a 23-47 mark. Boldon served as Kest's top assistant during her first two seasons at UA from 2006-08.
The Series: Akron trails Youngstown State, 14-37, in the program's longest running non-conference series. The Zips fell to YSU 78-72 last season at Rhodes Arena.
Akron Takes a Day Trip for Last Game of 2012
The Zips travel to nearby Youngstown State for a weeknight in-state battle Thursday, their last competition before the holidays.
Storylines
• Akron fell to a Top-25 team in (16/15) Dayton Tuesday night, as the Zips were held to their lowest offensive production so far this season in a 90-59 decision, 20 points below their average.
• Three Zips finished the night in double-figure scoring: Rachel Tecca (13), Hanna Luburgh (12) and Sina King (11).
• Akron received quality minutes from its bench out of Carly Young and Megan Barilla. Young picked up nine points and tied the team-high six rebounds, while Barilla was 3-for-3 from the field with two 3-pointers. She also posted five assists without a turnover in just 13 minutes of action.
• Rachel Tecca has returned to the court after last year's shortened season to score in double figures in all 11 of Akron's games this season - seven of those have been 20+ point performances.
• The Akron women's basketball team continued to receive votes in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. With the men's program ranked No. 23 in the poll, Akron is one of 15 schools in the country (and the only one in the MAC) to see both its men's and women's teams either ranked or receiving votes.
• Point guard Kacie Cassell has recorded seven or more assists in eight out of the first 11 games. She entered this week of competition ranked second in the nation with 7.5 assists per game.
• In its 39 seasons, Akron is 93-116 all time against non-conference opponents from the state of Ohio.
• The series with Youngstown State is Akron's longest running non-conference series in the history of the program, in which the Zips trail the Penguins 14-37.
• Akron head coach Jodi Kest and Youngstown State head coach Bob Boldon have quite the history documented in their respective coaching resumes. Boldon served as Kest's assistant at Gannon (2001-02) Texas A&M Corpus Christi (2002-04) and also at UA (2006-08).
• YSU enters Thursday night's game undefeated on its home floor, with three decisive wins over Bryant, Stony Brook and Wilmington.
• The Zips' 2012-13 schedule features contests with nine different opponents that played in postseason tournaments last year.
A Look at the Penguins
Youngstown State is 7-3 so far this season, and two of those wins are against MAC East foes Buffalo and Miami, which YSU handily defeated by a combined 30 points. The Penguins most recently lost to (25/22) West Virginia on the road last Sunday by almost the exact same margin as Akron did to Dayton, 90-57.
YSU was picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League preseason poll after finishing 10-20 overall and 4-14 in the league in 2012 for 10th place.
The Penguins are led by senior forward Brandi Brown who is averaging a double-double with 19.2 points and league-leading 11.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Heidi Schlegel is the Guins second leading scorer at 11.1 ppg.
Last Time Against Youngstown State
YSU shot a blistering 60 percent from the field in the second half, including 10 3-pointers, to stop Akron in its tracks 78-72 almost exactly a year ago on Dec. 18, 2011 at Rhodes Arena.
(16/15) Dayton at Akron Recap
Dayton held the Zips to a season-low .306 shooting percentage in a 90-59 loss at James A. Rhodes Arena Tuesday night.
UA fielded three players in double figure scoring, but it was not enough to offset a pair of 18-point performances from two of Dayton's starters and another 15 from its sixth man.
Akron and Dayton entered the contest as two of the country's highest scoring teams, averaging 78.0 and 81.0 points per game, respectively, but Flyers nearly doubled Akron's field goals, connecting on 35-of-75 and 10 triples. The Zips suffered the result of 18 turnovers, seeing UD convert 25 points from those miscues.
Finding themselves in an early hole, the Zips strung together a 13-4 run late in the first half keyed by a Taylor Ruper 3-pointer with just under three minutes to play, allowing them to carry the energy into halftime despite the lingering 17-point deficit.
Akron was unable to capitalize however, as it searched for its first basket of the second half for nearly three and a half minutes.
The Zips muscled their way to the free throw line, finding their way to the bonus in both periods, and were granted almost twice as many opportunities as their opponent sinking 14-of-18 from the stripe.
King Tabbed MAC East Player of the Week
Akron forward Sina King has been named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
This is the second time in her career King has earned this distinction, and she is the third Zip this season to receive the weekly award.
King put up a new career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds against Cincinnati for her sixth double-double of the year.
Student Becomes the Teacher
YSU head coach Bob Boldon will face his former mentor for the third straight season when Jodi Kest brings the Zips to the Beeghly Center. After serving as an assistant on Kest's staff at Gannon, Corpus Christi and Akron, the two former colleagues will face off after splitting their first two meetings.
Mid-Major Favor
The Akron women's basketball team once again received votes in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 23. With the men's program ranked No. 19 in the poll, Akron is one of 15 schools in the country (and the only one in the MAC) to see both its men's and women's teams either ranked or receiving votes.
How Can I Assist You?
The Zips have had no problem sharing the wealth this year, coming up 16th in the national rankings for assists per game as a team. Akron averages 17.2 dimes a contest, five more than the national average. UA's 1.1 assist/turnover ration is No. 18 out of 345 Division I teams.
Big-time Barilla
Freshman Megan Barilla has been successful in her relief efforts of veteran Kacie Cassell when called upon at point guard this season, but the Cleveland-area native waited for the biggest opponent to have what has been her breakout performance to date. Barilla made all three shots she took against Dayton, two of them from long range for eight points, grabbed four rebounds and issued five assists without a turnover in just 13 minutes of action.
Brown Homecoming
Freshman guard Anita Brown will enjoy a homecoming of sorts Thursday night when the Zips visit Youngstown State. Brown came to Akron following a stellar prep career at Warren G. Harding High School, less than a half hour away from YSU's campus.
The Great State of Ohio
The Zips' home state breeds great competition. is 7-3In its 39 seasons, Akron is 93-116 all time against non-conference opponents from the state of Ohio.
MAC vs. Horizon
Akron will be looking for the MAC's first win over Youngstown State this season, as the Penguins have already handed down losses to Buffalo and Miami. MAC teams have only compiled a 5-11 record against Horizon League competition so far in 2012.
Ruper Hits Century Mark
Senior guard Taylor Ruper played in her 100th career game in an Akron uniform Tuesday night against Dayton.
Hats Off to the Grad
Rachel Tecca had a big day last Saturday - not only did she score a game high 26 points and grab 10 rebounds against Cincinnati for her fourth double-double, the morning of the game she also graduated with her bachelor's degree in marketing management.
Getting Buckets
The Zips have ranked in the nation's top-20 in scoring offense for the last three weeks (as high as sixth), averaging 76.3 ppg, 14 points higher than the national average (62.2). Just over 25 percent of that offense comes from behind the 3-point arc.
Triple Threat
It is no secret where Akron gets its offensive prowess from this season. The Zips' top three scorers in Rachel Tecca, Hanna Luburgh and Sina King combine for over 60 percent of Akron's total points per game, and all are averaging in double figure scoring. The three starters are ranked one through three among all juniors in the MAC in scoring.
Akron RPI
Akron's RPI has skyrocketed 50 points since last weekend, from 153 to 103. The Zips have the second-best RPI in the MAC East and the fourth-best in the conference overall. Toledo has the lowest RPI in the league at 24, followed by Bowling Green (35) and Central Michigan (63).
Building A Legacy
With Akron's win over Canisius on Dec. 1, head coach Jodi Kest surpassed former UA coach John Street for the most wins as a head coach in the history of Akron women's basketball. Street coached the Zips from 1982-89 and was the only male coach to ever lead the program. Now in her seventh season, Kest continues to develop the program that posted the greatest single-season win total in the history of the program in 2009-10.
Two in a Row
Akron fielded back-to-back MAC East Players of the Week the last two weeks in November in Rachel Tecca and Hanna Luburgh. The last time Akron had back-to-back conference Players of the Week was in 2007-08 when Sarah Tokodi received the nod two weeks in a row.
Top of the Crop
Rachel Tecca continues to lead the Mid-American Conference in scoring with 20.2 ppg., and is second in field goal percentage at .563. Her biggest statistic though may be that she does not appear in the MAC's top-10 in minutes played, meaning that she is posting these numbers in less time on the court than the other top players in the conference. She is also No. 2 in the nation in points per 40 minutes at 33.3.
King's Court
Junior Sina King is making her case for the MAC's most consistent player in the early part of the season. She has scored in double figures in 10 out of the first 11 games, en route to posting six double-doubles which rank ninth in the nation. The forward is fluctuating between averaging a double-double, currently with 14.0 points and 9.3 rebounds, and currently grabs almost 25 percent of the team's total rebounds.
Cassell Dishes Her Way Into the Books
Akron point guard Kacie Cassell moved up one more spot to No. 6 on Akron's all time list for career assists with 297, surpassing current UA assistant coach Ayla Guzzardo in the record books. Cassell has recorded a career-high 10 assists twice this season, at home against Cincinnati on Dec. 15 and at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 18. The junior has dished out seven or more assists in eight out of the first 11 games, and ranks second in the nation in assists per game.
Tecca Reaches 1,000... And She Keeps Going
With two free throws at the 13:27 mark against Tennessee Tech, Rachel Tecca picked up points 999 and 1,000 of her career, becoming the first player to reach the milestone since Kara Murphy in 2008-09. Tecca, currently with 1,201 career points, is now Akron's fifth all-time leading scorer.
Tecca On the Boards
Rachel Tecca broke into the program's top-10 all time for career rebounds with 13 caroms at Saint Peter's. She has 88 rebounds on the year and 646 for her career, moving her to No. 6 on the all time list. Tecca already holds the record for the third most rebounds in a season in program history, when she pulled down 288 in 2010-11.
Strong Start
The Zips were 3-0 for the first time since their inaugural season in 1974-75. Their 8-3 record is the best start the team has had in 17 years, when it went 9-1 in 1995-96.
Ruper From Downtown
After becoming Akron's all-time leader in 3-pointers made at the end of last season, this year Taylor Ruper will see how far she can go in distancing herself at the top of the record books. Ruper has netted 22 three's so far this season, bringing her career total to 206. She is currently No. 12 all time in the MAC record books for career 3-point field goals made, needing 10 more to crack into the league's top-10.
Zips Sign Four for 2013-14
Jodi Kest recently announced the signing of four standout student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play for Akron beginning in 2013-14:
• Keanna Gary (Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Gary, a 6-1 forward, has built a strong career at the high school and AAU levels over the past three years. Last year as a junior, Gary averaged 11.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, in addition to 2.2 blocks. She received Honorable Mention All-State accolades from Hoosier Basketball Magazine, and was a 2012 IBCA All-State and All-Northeast Indiana First Team selection. Gary has also led her AAU team to the state championship title for the past three consecutive years.
• Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) - Plybon, a 5-9 guard out of nearby Orrville High School, comes to Akron as an ESPN 86 Grade, three-star recruit, the 107th best guard in the nation. In 2011-12, she averaged 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and three assists per game. Plybon has received all-state recognition for the last three years, including being named to the All-Ohio First Team as a sophomore and junior. The two-time Northeast Inland District Player of the Year currently ranks second in school history with 1,380 career points and one season left to play.
• Alex Ricketts (Mercer, Pa.) - Ricketts, a 5-11 shooting guard, has been named Offensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons after posting averages of 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. She is a three-time First Team All-Region honoree and earned the title of 2011 Miss Basketball Player of the Year.
• Hannah Scipio (Westerville, Ohio) - Scipio, a 5-4 point guard from the Columbus area, was named one of the Top-10 players in District 10, in addition to earning Special Mention All-Ohio recognition and a spot on the All-OCC Capital Division First Team. Scipio averaged 14.1 points, 5.7 assists and 4.2 steals per game her junior season.
Preseason Predictions
For the second consecutive season, the Zips were picked third in the MAC East Division behind Miami (Ohio) and last year's regular season champion, Bowling Green. Last season, Akron finished third in the East and sixth in the conference overall with a 7-9 record. Sina King earned All-MAC Second Team honors and Taylor Ruper received Honorable Mention.
Also for the second straight year, Rachel Tecca was one of five players in each division selected to the Preseason All-MAC team. An All-MAC selection in each of her two full seasons at Akron, Tecca was averaging 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12 before her season was cut short due to injury.
Kest Reaches 300 Wins
Head Coach Jodi Kest picked up win No. 300 of her 20 year career as a collegiate head coach when the Zips defeated Buffalo for the third time last season in the opening round of the MAC Tournament. With the Zips' victory over Canisius on Dec. 1, Kest now stands alone as the winningest coach in Akron women's basketball history.
Bridging the Gap
Akron fields a unique roster this year with six experienced upperclassmen and pool of six newcomers that includes five freshmen. Coach Kest has maintained that the team will only be as good as the freshmen are able to play, as a big key to the Zips' success this year will be finding a balance between the abilities of the returners and newcomers.
Tecca and the 2013 WNBA Mock Draft
Rachel Tecca was projected to be selected 27th overall in the 2013 WNBA Mock Draft recently released by DraftSite.com. Tecca was anticipated to be taken with the third pick in the third round by the Tulsa Shock. She was one of just two MAC players to be included in the mock draft, along with Miami (Ohio) guard Courtney Osborn who was slated to be selected right before Tecca with the 26th overall pick. In addition to Tecca, the Shock was predicted to take Delaware's Elena Delle Donne as well as Brittany Chambers out of Kansas State.
