The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Northern Kentucky
Zips Close Out Non-Conference Road Slate at Northern Kentucky
December 18 | Women's Basketball
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GAME NOTES NO. 10 AKRON AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY (12/19) (PDF)
Akron (4-5) at Northern Kentucky (8-2)
Saturday, Dec. 19
BB&T Center (9,400)
Highland Heights, Ky. • 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: www.nkunorse.com
Webstream: www.nkunorse.com
Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), for free at
SportsRadio1350.com and on iHeartRadio. Bill Morgan will have the call
starting with the pre-game show starting at 4:20 p.m.
Television: ESPN3/Watch ESPN
What's Ahead
Akron closes out the road portion of its non-conference slate this Saturday, Dec. 19, traveling to Highland Heights, Ky., for a showdown at Northern Kentucky. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.
A Look at Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky (8-2) comes into action on Saturday, Dec. 19, having won three straight following a 104-33 victory past IU Kokomo on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Senior Christine Roush, redshirt junior Rebecca Lyttle and sophomore Kasey Uetrecht are all averaging in double figures for the Norse scoring 17.2, 11.7 and 10.3 points, respectively. Lyttle is nearly posting a double-double pulling down a team-best 9.4 rebounds per contest to go along with her 11.7 scoring average. Northern Kentucky is posting 79.3 points per contest, while holding its opponents to a 63.3 scoring average. The Norse are connecting on more than 47 percent (.471) of their shots from the field, while dialing long distance at a nearly 40-percent (.399) clip.
Series History
Akron will be meeting Northern Kentucky for the third time with the Zips owning an 82-49 victory over the Norse on Nov. 15, 2014 at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Coaches
Northern Kentucky: Dawn Plitzuweit is in her fourth season leading the Northern Kentucky program, owning a 60-42 (.588) record. Overall in nine years as a head coach she maintains a 177-81 ledger (.686).
Akron: In her 10th year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, is Jodi Kest, who has a 146-144 mark (.503), including 372-297 (.556) overall, in her 24th year as a head coach.
Late Rally Falls Short as Northern Iowa Edges Akron, 59-51
A furious second-half rally for Akron fell just short on Sunday, Dec. 13, at the iWireless Center, as Northern Iowa registered a 59-51 victory over the Zips.
Senior Anita Brown (Warren, Ohio) directed Akron's efforts in the affair registering a team-high 23 points, marking her seventh scoring performance of 20 or more points this season. She also pulled down six rebounds.
Senior DiAndra Gibson (Ravenna, Ohio) added a seven-point and team-best nine rebound effort, while sophomore Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) pulled down eight rebounds to go along with her seven-point outing. Freshman Lilli Piper (Norton, Ohio) netted four points, including a three pointer, off the bench.
A 25-point performance from Amber Sorenson, including nailing six of the Panthers' 11 triples, paced the Northern Iowa offensive attack. Joining her in double figures was Madison Weekly with 11 points.
Akron finished the contest shooting 31 percent from the field, while limiting Northern Iowa's attack to a 26.5 percent shooting mark, including just 18.8 percent in the second half.
The Zips won the rebounding battle, 47-46, including a 35-30 advantage on the defensive glass.
The Panthers forced 15 Akron turnovers and converted those miscues into a 14-0 margin in points off turnovers, while bettering the Zips in second-chance points, 15-7.
Senior Megan Barilla (Fairview Park, Ohio) dished out a team-high five assists to go along with recording six rebounds for Akron.
Brown brought the Zips to within two in the opening minutes of the tilt, 5-3, with a jumper at the 6:02 mark.
The field goal marked Akron only field goal in the quarter as the Zips struggled to knock down shots despite good looks and went 1-of-11 from the field in the stanza. The Panthers connected on only 6-of-20 attempts in the initial quarter, but held a 17-3 lead.
Northern Iowa raced to a 28-3 advantage sparked by eight points from Sorenson and five from Jen Keitel during a 23-0 first-half run.
During the run, the Zips were 0-of-17 from the field before redshirt freshman Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) broke the scoring drought with a pair of free throws at the 4:28 mark of the second quarter.
Akron closed the half with an 11-5 run of its own fueled by six points from Brown and a triple by Gibson to enter the intermission trailing 33-14.
Akron shot 14.8 percent from the floor in the first half, while Northern Iowa made 12-of-36 attempts to attack the hoop at a 33.3-percent clip.
The Zips opened the second half with an 8-2 run capped by a jumper from Brown at the 3:57 mark of the third quarter to cut the Panthers' lead to 13, 35-22.
Northern Iowa struggled offensively in the stanza as it failed to connect on its first 11 attempts in the stanza en route to shooting 2-of-16 in the quarter.
The Zips went 4-of-6 from the field to close the period sparked by seven points from Burry and entered the fourth quarter trailing the Panthers, 41-30.
Akron opened the final period with an 8-0 run making its first three shots, including three pointers from junior Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) and Piper, to cut the deficit to 41-38 at the 7:55 mark.
The Zips fought all the way back to square the contest at 45 on a jumper by Brown with 3:40 remaining in the affair.
Back-to-back-to-back triples from Northern Iowa, including a pair from Sorenson, stretched the Panthers' margin to nine, 54-45, with 2:01 to play.
Brown delivered a pair of baskets down the stretch, but it was not enough as the Zips dropped a 59-51 decision to Northern Iowa.
Zips Register Third-Straight Win, Downing Valparaiso, 85-74
Four Akron players scored in double figures and Anita Brown matched a season-high 27 points on Dec. 9, as the Zips defeated Valparaiso on the road, 85-74.
Akron has now won three in a row after handing Valparaiso its third loss at the Athletics-Recreation Center this season.
Brown also led the Zips on the glass as pulling down seven rebounds. The guard has scored 20 or more points six times this year, including the team's last two wins.
Greta Burry produced 16 points down low after going 7-for-9 from the field. She also pulled down five rebounds and rejected three Crusader shots. Junior Hannah Plybon contributed 14 points and five rebounds. The junior has now totaled 154 three-pointers in her career.
Sophomore Alli Ball (St. Louis, Mo.) went 3-for-4 from the field to add 10 points, while Lilli Piper pitched in seven points off the bench for Akron.
The Zips forced 17 Crusader turnovers in the contest and converted the Valparaiso miscues into a 21-7 margin in points off of turnovers.
Megan Barilla distributed a game-high five assists for Akron.
IN OUR LAST MEETING
Akron def. Northern Kentucky,82-49 (Nov. 15, 2014)
AKRON, Ohio - Four different Zips scored in double figures to help Akron defeat Northern Kentucky, 82-49, in the final game of the 2014 Akron Classic at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Anita Brown led all scorers with 22 points on the day, while pulling down seven rebounds.
Sina King followed closely behind with 17 points. Hannah Plybon issued a perfect 4-for-4 performance from behind the arc and from the free-throw line en route to picking up 16 points.
Kerri McMahan added 10 points of her own, also dishing out a team-high four assists.
The Zips won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding the Norse 46-30. The effort was fueled by a then career-best nine rebounds from DiAndra Gibson.
Northern Kentucky was led Christine Roush, who posted 19 points and seven boards.
Akron dominated for a majority of the contest, never trailing for 40 minutes and holding Northern Kentucky to just 17 points in the first half. Akron turned in a 45.9 field goal percentage for the game, holding Northern Kentucky to just 33.3 percent.
Barilla Among Elite Company With Triple-Double
Megan Barilla's 10-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist effort against UCF marked the first triple-double for a Zips since the NCAA Division I record book began for following the 1985-86 campaign. The triple-double also represents the 12th by a player from the current 12 members of the Mid-American Conference over the same span. The 10-point and 10-rebound efforts established new career-high marks, while she matched her career-best 10 assist performance in a 102-101 victory last season at Toledo.
Brown Joins 1,000-Point Club
Anita Brown joined the 1,000-point club at Akron when she connected on a three pointer at the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter in the Zips' 74-54 victory over UCF on Dec. 5. She will enter the Northern Kentucky contest with 1,057 career points.
News, Notes and Story lines
• Akron enters contest versus Northern Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 19, having won 42 of its last 58 games dating back to the 2013-14 campaign.
• Anita Brown entered the 2015-16 campaign as the Zips' active leader in career scoring. She will enter Akron's game with Northern Kentucky having amassed 1,057 points and has shot nearly 45 percent (.449) from the field and at a 34.8-percent clip from beyond the arc.
• Greta Burry is shooting nearly 59 percent (.585) from the field for her career having made 55 of her 94 shots, while shooting 81.8 percent from the charity stripe.
• Megan Barilla leads Akron in assists distributing a team-best 5.4 dimes per game. Over the past two seasons she had posted 157 assists.
• The Zips have won 20 or more games in each of the last three seasons.
• With its win against Bowling Green (March 7), Akron surpassed the 2012-13 squad for the most regular season victories (22) in program history.
• The Zips' 12 league wins represented the second-best single-season mark in program history.
• With its 67-55 triumph over Miami (March 4), Akron's established a new school record for home wins in a season (13).
• The Zips have won 10 or more home games in four of the last six seasons under head coach Jodi Kest.
• With its triumph at Kent State (Feb. 25), Akron registered its third-consecutive 20-win season. On the strength of the win, Akron currently owns the longest active streak among league teams of winning 20 or more games having done so in each of the previous three campaigns (2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
• Akron posted the second-, third-, third-, third-, third-, fourth-, fourth-, fourth- and fifth-best single-season marks in program history in winning percentage (.710), assists (508), field-goal percentage (.435), scoring average (74.4), three-pointers made (205), points scored (2,307), field goals made (858), triples attempted (596) and three-point percentage (.344).
• Akron's 10-game winning streak to begin last season represented the second-longest such streak in program history.
• Megan Barilla checked in at No. 9 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.77) on the strength of dishing out 3.5 per night.
On This Date in Akron Women's Basketball History
The Zips will be playing for the 15th time in program history on Dec. 19 when Akron battles Northern Kentucky on Saturday. The Zips own victories over Toledo (70-69 in 1980), Alaska Anchorage (86-77 in 1997), St. Francis (Pa.) (71-54 in 2006) and Ursuline (102-45 in 2010).
Akron Notes
• Thee Zips' set new career-best marks at Northern Iowa while a trio of Akron players established new career-high marks versus UCF including DiAndra Gibson (15) and Megan Barilla (10) in scoring.
• Seven Zips set career-best numbers against Rochester College, including sophomore Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) (6), sophomores Lauren Hung (Waterford, Mich.) (12), Greta Burry (18) and Kaitlyn Flowers (Lompoc, Calif.) (2) and juniors Alex Ricketts (Mercer, Pa.) (9) and Sophia Simone (Silver Lake, Ohio) (6) registering career-best efforts in scoring.
• The 103 points scored against Rochester College, Dec. 2, marked the fourth-highest single-game point total in program history. Seven of the top-10 single-game scoring outputs have occurred under 10th-year head coach Jodi Kest.
• Seven players in Anita Brown (9), Hannah Plybon (7), Greta Burry (5), DiAndra Gibson (3), Alli Ball (2), Megan Barilla (1) Lauren Hung (2) have scored in double figures for the Zips this season. A year ago, led by 31 and 28 double-figure scoring games, respectively, from Sina King and Brown and 18 and courtesy of Plybon, Akron had players surpass the double-digit scoring plateau 91 times a year ago.
• Anita Brown is averaging a team-best 8.6 points in the first half of games this season, while Greta Burry is shooting 55.6 percent (15-27) in the initial 20 minutes of the Zips' tilts on the campaign.
• In the second half of games this season, Anita Brown leads the offensive efforts for Akron averaging 12.6 points. As a team, the Zips are shooting 46.3 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of their nine contests this season.
• Hannah Plybon connected on five three pointers in the Zips' 103-37 victory versus Rochester College marking the eighth time in her career in which has made five triples in a game.
• Akron's 62 rebounds against Winthrop marked the ninth-best single-game performance in program history.
• Greta Burry and Alli Ball registered their first career double-doubles at Florida Atlantic.
• The Zips' +21 rebounding advantage against Florida Atlantic was the largest margin for Akron since outrebounding Bowling Green, 56-32, in the 2014-15 regular season finale on March 7, 2015.
• Akron's 22 offensive rebounds at Florida Atlantic and at home versus Winthrop equaled the top-performance for the Zips during the entire 2014-15 campaign. Akron pulled down 22 offensive caroms in a 79-71 victory at Bowling Green on March 7, 2015.
• Akron equaled or outrebounded its opponent in 15 consecutive games before being bettered on the boards, 39-37, versus Florida Gulf Coast.
• Anita Brown was selected as the Mid-American Conference East Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Nov. 17. Brown directed Akron's efforts in the Zips' 91-77 setback at Florida Atlantic on Nov. 13, registering a team-high 27 points.
• Anita Brown pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, respectively, against Winthrop, while Greta Burry scored a then career-best 16 points.
• Greta Burry's eight offensive rebounds against Florida Atlantic equaled the top single-game performance last season by a Zip, set by Anita Brown, who pulled down eight offensive boards in an 80-49 triumph over Binghamton.
• Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon own 19 and eight career 20-point performances after Brown poured in a team-high 23 points versus Northern Iowa.
• The Zips have won 28 of their last 33 games at the James A. Rhodes Arena, including a 3-1 mark this season.
• Akron was 16-2 last season when scoring 70 or more points.
• Akron equaled a school record connecting on 13 three-pointers in its win at Central Michigan on Jan. 24, 2015. The Zips' effort matched the 13 triples Akron drained versus the Chippewas on Feb. 21, 2005.
• Anita Brown's 36 points against Toledo (Jan. 14) represented the fourth-highest single-game scoring effort in program history, while Megan Barilla notched the ninth-best performance for assists with 10 dimes.
• Since 2010, Akron has surpassed the 100-point plateau in scoring on nine occasions, including versus Valparaiso and Toledo last season. The Zips' record all-time when scoring 100 or more is 11-0.
• The Zips' 102 points at Toledo (Jan. 14) represented the fifth-best single-game scoring output in program history.
• The Zips displayed their defensive presence in the squad's 31 games last season as Akron committed the same or fewer turnovers than its opponents in 15 of its 31 games.
• The Zips have garnered eight Mid-American Conference East Player of the Week selections last season with Anita Brown (Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Jan. 20) and Sina King (Nov. 24, Jan. 26, Feb. 16 and March 9) leading the way earning the award three times each. Taking home accolades on Jan. 12 was Hannah Plybon.
• The Zips' 67-59 win over Bowling Green marked only the fourth-ever triumph by Akron versus the Falcons.
• The Zips' 100-65 win over Valparaiso marked the 350th in the coaching career of Kest.
• The Zips made their fourth postseason appearance in the last six years last season, advancing to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Zips ended their postseason run with an 86-68 loss at Kansas State.
• Kest, now in her 10th season at the helm of the program, has collected the most wins of any Akron women's basketball head coach in the history of the program.
Brown Named MAC East Player of the Week
Anita Brown was selected as the Mid-American Conference East Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Dec. 14.
Brown turned in a big week for the Zips averaging 25.0 points and 6.5 rebounds en route to shooting 50 percent from the field in a pair of road games for Akron.
She helped spark the Zips to a come-from-behind 85-74 victory at Valparaiso on Dec. 9, with a 27-point, seven-rebound performance. Akron claimed its first lead of the game after five-straight points from Brown with 4:46 left in the second quarter.
Brown followed with a 23-point, six-rebound effort at Northern Iowa on Dec. 13, connecting on 52.9 percent (9-of-17) of her attempts from the field.
On the season, Brown is averaging 21.1 points, 6.9 rebounds while shooting nearly 44 percent (.439) from the field.
The accolade is the fifth in Brown's Akron career and the second for a Zip this season.
Brown Fuels Zips' Attack
Anita Brown has been the catalyst for the Zips' offense this season averaging a team-best 21.1 points per contest. She has surpassed the 20-point plateau in all but one game this season.
Brown has now scored in double figures in each of the last 18 contests for the Zips, including scoring 20 or more points in 11 of the 18 tilts.
Barilla Dropping Dimes Sparks Akron
Megan Barilla is off to an impressive start distributing the ball for the Zips averaging a team-high 5.4 assists per game. She has recorded four or more dimes in each of Akron's nine contests this season and on 23 occasions dating back to the start of the 2014-15 campaign. She is on pace to own the third-best single-season assist average in program history.
Burry Ups the Ante for the Zips
Greta Burry has delivered for the Zips this season after earning a starting role to begin the campaign. As a freshman, Burry appeared in 23 games for Akron averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per night. Through nine games this season, Burry has posted 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 81.3 percent at the free throw line.
Zips Battle Younsgtown State in We Back Pat Game
Akron's game versus Youngstown State on Monday, Dec. 21, is the We Back Pat game for the Zips. The game is designed to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease and educating others on Pat Summitt's dedication to defeating it.
Akron Hosts Third-Annual Education Day
The University of Akron Women's Basketball team held its third-annual Education Day on Nov. 20, as the Zips hosted Winthrop in the opening game of the Akron Classic.
Nearly 1,000 fifth-grade students attended, which marked the largest class yet in the event's three years of existence. Students came from all across Akron with nearly 20 schools attending.
Students had pre-, in-, and post-game "homework" that they will complete based on the outcome of the game. Questions were integrated into the assignments relating to the game of basketball for example: score at halftime, leading scorer, scoring percentages, etc. as well as a portion about promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.
Zips Add Six the 2016 Recruiting Class
The University of Akron women's basketball team, under the leadership of 10th-year head coach Jodi Kest, has announced the addition of six student-athletes joining the Zips' squad for the 2016-17 campaign.
Donning the Akron uniform next season will be Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), Shaunay Edwards (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle), Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley), Brooke Kurucz (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg), Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) and Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio/Revere), who have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Zips' program for the 2016-17 campaign.
A 5-8 guard from Pike High School in Indianapolis, Ind., averaged 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest as a junior en route to earning honorable mention all-state accolades. She has helped guide the Red Devils to back-to-back sectional championships and was tabbed to the 2015 Indiana Junior All-Star team. A strong student, Clay owns a 4.45 grade-point average and is the top-ranked student in her graduating class.
A 5-3 guard, Edmonds averaged 11.0 points, 8.0 assists, 6.0 steals and 4.0 rebounds per contest as a junior at Seton LaSalle High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. The 27th-rated point guard in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz rankings, she helped lead the Rebels to a state championship as a freshman in 2013 and a runner-up performance as a sophomore in 2014. She was named the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship game most valuable player as a junior.
A 5-9 guard from Teays Valley High School in Ashville, Ohio, Harmon recorded 20.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.8 steals a game as a junior en route to earning All-Ohio special mention honors. She has garnered recognition as the 25th-rated guard in the country by Prospects Nation and is ranked 74th nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz. She was selected as the Ohio District 10 Player of the Year in 2015.
A 5-9 guard out of Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, W.Va., Kurucz posted 18.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as a junior en route to earning third-team All-State and first-team all-conference accolades in 2015.
A 6-2 forward from Westfield, Ind., Reinoehl averaged nearly a double-double as a junior for Westfield High School registering 12.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. An honorable mention All-State and first-team all-county selection in 2015, she is the 46th-rated forward in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz.
A 6-1 forward out of Revere High School in Richfield, Ohio, Vari was named an honorable mention All-Ohio recipient as a junior after averaging 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Additionally, she was selected as an all-county honoree in 2015.
King Earns Her Crown
Sina King became only the second Zips' player to be named the Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year with her selection as the league's top player for the 2014-15 campaign.
She led the conference in scoring (20.3), rebounding (9.3) and defensive rebounding (6.8), while ranking third in three-point shooting (.382), sixth in field-goal percentage (.478) and in free-throw percentage (.789).
She scored in double figures in all 31 games en route to posting a league-best 16 double-doubles.
In conference-only affairs, she rated first in scoring (20.7) and three-point percentage (.407), and second in rebounding (9.3), while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor (sixth in the MAC).
King capped her career with 888 rebounds and 1,634 points, the third- and fourth-highest totals in program history, while playing in 124 career games.
Three Zips Earn All-MAC Honors
Led by Sina King, who was tabbed as first-team All-Mid-American Conference women's basketball selection, three Akron student-athletes garnered all-conference accolades during the 2014-15 season.
Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon were tabbed second- and third-team selections, respectively.
A second-team honoree as a sophomore and a third-team selection during her junior campaign, King started all 31 games for the Zips last season, registering team- and conference-best marks in scoring (20.7) and rebounding (9.3).
Assuming a spot in the Zips' starting line-up last season for the first time, Brown stepped into Akron's rotation and responded averaging 18.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. She scored in double figures in 28 games and shot 47.3 percent from the floor.
In league-only affairs, Brown registered 16.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a night, while connecting on 43.1 percent of her shots from the field.
A starter in all 31 games on the campaign, Plybon connected on a school-record 97 three-pointers, while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. She ranked third on the team in scoring (13.2), fourth in assists (60) and fifth in steals (24) and scored in double figures in 18 games, including five contests recording 20 or more points.
Zips Over the Last Five Games
Three Zips are averaging double figures in scoring over Akron's last five games as the trio of Anita Brown, Hannah Plybon and Greta Burry have posted 20.4, 12.0 and 11.0 points a night en route to leading the Zips to a 3-2 mark. Akron is shooting 42.8 percent from the field, while limiting its opposition to a 35.9-percent shooting mark from the floor. Brown, DiAndra Gibson and Megan Barilla pace Akron in rebounding averaging 6.2, 6.2 and 5.8 caroms a night, while Barilla owns a team-best 29 assists.
Akron in Close Games
Akron has been involved in 52 games decided by five points or fewer under head coach Jodi Kest. A breakdown of those matches is as follows; one-point difference (9-8), two-point difference (9-4), three-point difference (1-4), four-point difference (4-5) and five-point difference (2-6).
Zips' Offensive Progress Report
In Akron's nine games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: . 476 (Valparaiso), .476 (UCF), .457 (Rochester College), .426 (Northern Colorado), .423 (Florida Atlantic), .400 (San Diego), 30 percent: .397 (Florida Gulf Coast), .347 (Winthrop), .310 (Northern Iowa), 20 percent: NA.
Akron's Defensive Progress Report
In the Zips' nine games this season, this is how Akron's opponents have fared from the field: 50 percent: .540 (San Diego), 40 percent: .467 (Florida Atlantic), .458 (Valparaiso), 30 percent: .393 (Northern Colorado), .391 (Florida Gulf Coast), .343 (UCF), .307 (Winthrop), 20 percent: .265 (Northern Iowa), .216 (Rochester College).
Bench Production
Akron is averaging 15.7 points of production from its bench through the Zips' first nine games this season. Lauren Hung and Alli Ball lead the way registering 4.4 and 3.9 points, respectively. Ball paces the reserves in rebounding pulling down 3.7 caroms per tilt.
Preseason Predictions
University of Akron women's basketball senior Anita Brown and junior Hannah Plybon were named to the Preseason All-Mid-American Conference East team in a preseason poll of 12 conference coaches, the league office announced on Oct. 27.
The Zips under 10th-year head coach Jodi Kest, were picked to finish second as a team in the MAC East Division behind Ohio, who was tabbed to win the conference's regular and postseason championships. Following Akron (53 points) was Bowling Green (51 points), Miami (26 points), Buffalo (25 points) and Kent State (25 points).
In the MAC West, Eastern Michigan (64 points) received four first-place votes and was named the favorite to win the division. Ball State (63 points) captured eight first-place votes, but was selected to finish second. The Cardinals were followed by Western Michigan (45 points), Toledo (42 points), Central Michigan (24 points) and Northern Illinois (14 points).
Also voted on by the coaches was the predicted 2015 MAC Regular Season Champion. Ohio received 10 of the 12 first-place votes, while Ball State and Eastern Michigan each collected one championship vote.
In a tabulation of the MAC Championship winner, Ohio was selected as the favorite earning five first-place tallies. The Bobcats were followed by Ball State and Eastern Michigan with three votes apiece, while Buffalo rounded out the poll with the final tally.
King Garners All-America Accolades
Sina King was named an honorable mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for the 2014-15 campaign.
King was one of 52 other student-athletes from across all of Division I women's basketball to be honored by the WBCA. Her selection marked the second-straight year that Akron had a player earn honorable mention All-America accolades by the WBCA.
King joined Rachel Tecca (2013-14), Cheryl Bowles (1999-2000) and Pam Arnold (1986-87) as Zips who have been honored as earned honorable mention All-America recipients during their distinguished Akron careers.
Zips' Duo Earns Academic All-MAC Honors
Sina King and Hannah Plybon were named to the 2014-15 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Academic All-MAC team. In all, a total of 29 student-athletes were named to the squad for last season. The duo was also named to the MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete list in 2014-15.
Newcomer Notes
• Lilli Piper - Fr., Norton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit: averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a senior en route to earning all-conference and honorable mention All-Ohio honors. As a junior, she recorded 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest and garnered All-Ohio Special Mention recognition, and was also named first team all-district. A multi-sport athlete, Piper was tabbed the 2014 softball player of the year by Cleveland.com, and maintained a 3.6 GPA.
• Fredniqua Walker - Fr., Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw: averaged a double-double as a senior posting 16 points and 12 rebounds per contest en route to earning all-conference, all-district and third-team All-Ohio accolades and being named as a McDonald's All-American nominee. As a junior, averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds per game. She earned all-district recognition following her junior campaign in 2013-14. Walker boasted a 4.3 GPA and ranked No. 1 in her class.
Zips Live Radio Show
Every Monday throughout the basketball season from 7-8 p.m. ET, Akron head coaches can be heard on the weekly radio program Zips Live, presented by Lee Hyder and Associates. The show airs locally on 1350 AM (WARF) and originates from Johnny J's Pub and Grill in the Valley (1282 Weathervane Lane). A free audio stream is available on SportsRadio1350.com.
What Is a Zip?
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
Up Next
The Zips close out their non-conference slate hosting Youngstown State on Monday, Dec. 21. Game time at James A. Rhodes Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
