The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Basketball entertains MAC West favorite Central Michigan on Thursday
January 08 | Women's Basketball
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Central Michigan at Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Video: Zips Basketball with Coach Kest
Game Day Coverage:
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Central Michigan (5-8, 1-0) at Akron (7-5, 1-0)
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Akron, Ohio
James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Television: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. Mike Cairns (play-by-play) and Jacki Windon (color). Also streaming live on ESPN3 and ESPN Full Court.
Webcast/Live Statistics: Available at GoZips.com -- webcast and live statistics free of charge.
Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), for free at SportsRadio1350.com and on iHeartRadio. Bill Morgan will have the call beginning at 6:45 p.m
Akron Coach Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, 1984): Kest is in her eighth season at Akron, posting a 104-125 (.454) mark. She is 330-278 (.543) in 21+ seasons as a collegiate head coach. Kest guided Akron to its best season in program history in 2012-13, including the Zips' first trip to the MAC championship game and their second ever appearance in the WNIT.
The Series: Akron trails the all-time series with Central Michigan, 14-18. The two teams last met in the 2013 MAC Championship game at Quicken Loans Arena on March 16, with the Chippewas earning a 86-68 victory.
Akron Wraps Up Homestand Thursday
The Zips conclude their longest homestand of the season when they host Central Michigan at 7 p.m.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron won its third-straight game in its Mid-American Conference opener on Saturday in a 87-78 decision over visiting Ball State.
• Five different Zips scored in double figures for the second time this season, led by Rachel Tecca with 20 points. The senior also pulled down 11 rebounds, marking the 30th double-double of her career.
• Anita Brown provided a spark off the bench, posting a personal-best 14 points and three assists without a turnover in 20 minutes of work.
• The game against Ball State (nine point difference) was the closest game Akron has played in all season. Of UA's 12 games, 11 of them have been decided by 10 or more points.
• The Zips have now won 12-straight games on their home floor dating back to Jan. 31, 2013. This marks the longest home winning streak in the history of the program. The previous was seven games, set during the 1998-99 season.
• Thursday's contest against Central Michigan will be a rematch of the 2013 MAC Tournament Championship at Quicken Loans Arena. The third-seeded Zips fell the fourth-seeded Chippewas, 86-68, on March 16, 2013.
• The last time CMU visited the JAR (Feb. 4, 2012), Akron came away with a 97-87 victory. Kacie Cassell put up a then career-high 16 points off the bench and Rachel Tecca was sidelined due to her ACL injury.
• Akron and Central Michigan are two of the highest scoring teams in the conference this year, averaging 83.5 and 82.6 points per game, respectively.
• Through the first 12 games of the season, the Zips have had six different players score in double figures on two or more occasions, and four of those players have at least one double-double.
• Akron's 2013-14 schedule features contests with eight different opponents that played in postseason tournaments last year, including five conference foes (Ball State, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami, and Toledo).
A Look at Central Michigan
Central Michigan enters Thursday's game with a 5-8 overall record after winning its MAC opener at home against Toledo, 84-71.
Three Chippewas average in double figures offensively, led by MAC West Player of the Week, Crystal Bradford (20.6 ppg), and followed by Niki DiGuilio (14.8 ppg) and Jessica Green (11.5 ppg). Bradford is the league's leading rebounder at 10.6 boards per game, and DiGuilio leads the MAC in 3-point field goals made with 47 on the season.
Last Time Against Central Michigan
Hanna Luburgh was one of five Akron players to score in double figures with 19, but it wasn't enough as the third-seeded Zips fell to fourth-seeded Central Michigan 86-68 on March 16, 2013, in the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament championship at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Zips trailed by just four at halftime, 39-35, after a Crystal Bradford 3-point buzzer beater, but UA was unable to carry its momentum into the second half.
Ball State at Akron Recap
Akron used a balanced scoring attack and shot over 50 percent from the field for the second-straight game to put away visiting Ball State, 87-78, in its Mid-American Conference opener.
Five different Zips scored in double figures for the second time this season, led by Rachel Tecca with 20 points. The senior also pulled down 11 rebounds, marking the 30th double-double of her career.
Hanna Luburgh followed with 18 points and Kacie Cassell added 13. Carly Young chimed in with 10 points, seven rebounds and game-high six assists.
Anita Brown provided a welcomed spark off the bench, posting a personal-best 14 points and three assists without a turnover in 20 minutes of work.
Record Watch
Rachel Tecca has already become Akron's all-time leading scorer this season, and is on the verge of reaching two more significant milestones. The senior needs just 12 more rebounds to become UA's all-time leading rebounder - a record that has stood since before she was born (Pam Arnold - 1984-88).
Super Senior Class
The 2013-14 senior class marks the first full recruiting class for recruiting coordinator/Associate Head Coach Melissa Jackson at Akron, and it is a class that has torn down nearly every record that has stood in their way for the past three seasons. The group is just one win away from becoming the winningest class in school history.
NCAA Career Leaders
Kacie Cassell currently ranks sixth in Division I among active career assists leaders with 547 dimes in 107 games. Rachel Tecca ranks ninth among active players in career field goals with 700, despite not falling in the top-10 in career games played. Tecca is on pace to become one of five active players in the country with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Spreading the Wealth
Led by the country's top point guard in 2013, Akron has no problem sharing the ball offensively. The Zips claimed the 10th spot in the nation this week in assists, posting 19.3 dimes per game, which is nearly six more than the national average. UA assists on 67 percent of its baskets.
Scoring Threats
Through the first 12 games of the season, senior forward Rachel Tecca is sixth the country in scoring, averaging 23.8 points per game, and Hanna Luburgh is not far behind, ranking eighth with 23.6 ppg. The seniors are also the top-two scorers in the Mid-American Conference.
Preseason Predictions
The Zips were picked to repeat as MAC East Division champions in the conference preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches. Akron received nine first-place votes out of a possible 12 to take the top spot. Bowling Green was picked to finish second in the East with three first-place votes. Defending MAC Tournament champion Central Michigan was the unanimous choice to win the West Division, and was also projected to win the conference tournament for the second-straight season.
