The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Basketball heads to Ohio for MAC East battle on Saturday
February 21 | Women's Basketball
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Akron at Ohio Game Notes in PDF Format
Game Day Coverage:
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Akron (16-8, 10-3) at Ohio (8-16, 3-10)
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014 • 2:00 p.m. ET
Athens, Ohio
Convocation Center (13,080)
Television: None.
Live Statistics/Video Stream: Links 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 1:45 p.m
Akron Coach Jodi Kest (Slippery Rock, 1984): Kest is in her eighth season at Akron, posting a 113-128 (.469) mark. She is 339-281 (.547) 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 Ohio, 17-34, but has won the last four meetings with the Bobcats. UA took down Ohio earlier this season, 80-56, on Jan. 23 at the JAR.
A Win Would:
• Extend Akron's longest winning streak in program history to 10 games
• Tie the school record for most consecutive road wins (5)
• Mark career victory number 340 for Coach Kest as a collegiate head coach
Akron Kicks Off Second Half of MAC East Play
The Zips prepare to make their way back through the East Division opponents when they travel to Ohio for a 2 p.m. game Saturday.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron extended its winning streak to nine games, setting a new record for the longest in program history, with a 89-75 win over Northern Illinois at home Wednesday night.
• Despite facing foul trouble for the better part of the first half, Hanna Luburgh posted her seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Luburgh has scored in double figures in 31 consecutive games dating back to last season.
• Rachel Tecca led all scorers with 36 points and nine rebounds, marking the fifth time this year she has scored 30 or more points in a game.
• The senior forward is the seventh all-time leading scorer and fifth all-time leading rebounder in MAC history, and is just the second player in the league ever to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career (Caroline Mast, Ohio, 1983-86).
• Tecca now has 2,161 points and 1,035 rebounds for her career, and is 36 points away from breaking UA's single-season scoring record that she set last season (609 points).
• Saturday's game against Ohio will mark the 100th career start for Tecca. She currently holds the school record for games played in a career (129).
• UA has seen an increased offensive production from its bench of late. Led by Carly Young and Anita Brown, the Zips' bench players have averaged a combined 20.9 points per game over the course of its current nine-game winning streak.
• As a team, the Zips rank in the top-25 nationally in five categories (out of 343 Division I teams):
o Scoring Offense: 12th (83.0 ppg)
o Field-Goal Percentage: 22nd (45.3%)
o Free-Throw Percentage: 17th (75.8%)
o Assists Per Game: 8th (18.9 apg)
o Assist to Turnover Ratio: 14th (1.29)
• UA has not given up late second half leads this season. The Zips are 16-0 this year when they lead with five minutes or less remaining.
• A win over Ohio would tie the school record for most consecutive road wins at five. The Zips last won five-straight away from home during the 1995-96 season.
A Look at Ohio
Ohio enters Saturday's contest with a 8-16 overall record and a 3-10 mark in the MAC. The Bobcats have dropped their last nine-straight games, but this will be just their second home game in the last six outings.
Kiyanna Black (13.7 ppg), Mariah Byard (10.1 ppg) and Quiera Lampkins (10.0 ppg) are Ohio's leading scorers. As a team, the Bobcats are second overall in the league in 3-pointers made per game, averaging 7.5 triples per contest. Black is second only to CMU's Niki DiGuilio in 3-pointers made this season.
Last Time Against Ohio
Akron's strong defensive effort and a career-high 16-point performance from freshman Hannah Plybon helped the Zips to an 80-56 victory over Ohio on Jan. 23 at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Plybon's personal-best 16 points came on a 7-of-11 showing from the field, to go along with four rebounds. Hanna Luburgh poured in a game-high 28 points as she shot 55 percent from the field.
Rachel Tecca was the third Zip to score in double figures and ended the night just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine boards, also posting three blocks.
As a team, Akron assisted on 21 of its 29 baskets, led by Megan Barilla who dropped five dimes without a turnover in just seven minutes of play.
Ohio was led by 14 points from Kat Yelle and a double-double from Quiera Lampkins (13 points, 11 rebounds).
Northern Illinois at Ohio Recap
Rachel Tecca eclipsed 30 points for the fifth time this season and Hanna Luburgh posted her seventh double-double as the nation's top-scoring duo led Akron to a 89-75 victory over Northern Illinois Wednesday night at Rhodes Arena.
Tecca led all scorers with 36 points in 30 minutes, courtesy of a 12-of-16 performance from the free-thow line and 12-of-20 showing from the field. Her scoring effort came with nine boards and three assists.
Luburgh followed suit with 17 points and 10 boards, half of which were on the offensive end. Carly Young was the third Zip to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. As a team, Akron out-scored NIU in the paint, 40-24.
The Huskies' Amanda Corral led Northern Illinois with 21 points.
Megan Barilla led the team with five assists on the night. Akron finished the game with 22 total assists against a season-low seven turnovers. UA won the rebounding battle 37-29, including 14 offensive boards that led to 20 second-chance points.
The Scoop on The Streak
The Zips are riding a nine-game winning streak, the longest in program history. Here are some notes on "The Streak":
• Akron has out-scored opponents by an average of 17.2 points per game.
• Three Zips put up double figures - Tecca (24.4 ppg) Luburgh (21.8 ppg) and Plybon (10.9 ppg). Tecca reels in a double-double with 11.8 rebounds.
• UA limits itself to 12.7 turnovers per contest.
• Zips led at halftime in eight out of the nine games (Northern Illinois, Feb. 5), and have not trailed at all in six out of the nine games.
Tecca Earns Academic All-America First Team
Rachel Tecca has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Tecca is UA's first women's basketball player ever to receive first team honors, after being named to the second team a year ago. Tecca maintains a 3.89 graduate GPA, as she is on track to complete her MBA this spring. The fifth-year senior received a bachelor's degree in marketing management from Akron in December of 2012.
Tecca's Career Day
Tecca's 43-point and 22-rebound outburst against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 26 broke all kinds of school and facility records. The individual output is the greatest scoring and rebounding combination by a Division I player this season, earning her NCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors - the first recognition of its kind for an Akron player. Tecca's 43 points and 22 boards also broke EMU's Convocation Center records for single-game scoring and rebounding totals.
Getting to the Line
Senior Rachel Tecca earns more trips to the free throw line than any other player in the Mid-American Conference. She ranks seventh in the league in free throw percentage (164-for-206), but she has connected on more free throws than any other conference player has even attempted. She is three made free throws away from setting the school's single-season record.
Dynamic Duo
Rachel Tecca and Hanna Luburgh are not only the top two scorers in the Mid-American Conference, but they make up the top scoring duo in the country. The two combine to score an average of 46.5 points per game, and each ranks in the top-11 in scoring nationally.
Cassell Named to Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List
Kacie Cassell has been named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, as announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame. The award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. The Lieberman Award winner will be announced during Final Four weekend activities.
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. With 67 wins over the last three and a half seasons, the group has become the winningest class in school history.
