The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Bucknell
Akron Hosts Bucknell on Education Day
November 29 | Women's Basketball
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AKRON VS. BUCKNELL GAME NOTES - 11/30/16 (PDF)
Akron (2-1) vs. Bucknell (4-2)
Wednesday, Nov. 30
James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio • 10:30 a.m.
Live Stats: www.akronstats.com
Webstream: www.gozips.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 pregame show starting at 10:15 a.m.
Television: None
What's Ahead
The University of Akron women's basketball team faces a rematch of its 2016 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) showdown with Bucknell when the Zips host the Bison on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The contest will serve as Akron's Fourth Annual Education Day game and will begin at 10:30 a.m.
A Look at Bucknell
Entering its showdown with Akron on Wednesday, Nov. 30, Bucknell has dropped two of its last three contests after opening the 2016-17 campaign with a 3-0 ledger. Last time out, the Bison registered a 78-66 home triumph past Drexel on Sunday, Nov. 27. Sophomore Kaitlyn Slagus and seniors Claire DeBoer and Suna Swart are averaging 15.5, 13.8 and 13.3 points per tilt. Slagus is averaging a double-double posting team-high marks in scoring (15.5) and rebounding (10.2). Bucknell is recording 64.0 points per contest and has connected at 42 percent (.420) from the field and at a 30.6-percent clip from beyond the arc.
As a team, Bucknell is ranked 11th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (+14.7) and defensive rebounding (32.0), 25th in rebounding (45.83), 35th in total rebounds (275) and 47th in free throw percentage (.753).
Series History
Akron will be meeting Bucknell for the sixth time in program history with the Bison owning a 4-1 all-time series lead. Akron was bested by Bucknell, 74-70, in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), on March 17, 2016, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Coaches
Bucknell: Aaron Roussell is in his fifth season leading the Bucknell program owning a 78-52 (.600) record and owns a 239-102 (.701) ledger in 13 years as a head coach.
Akron: In her 11th year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, is Jodi Kest, who has a 163-154 mark (.514), including 389-307 (.559) overall, in her 25th year as a head coach.
Plybon Scores Career-High 39 to Lead Akron Past Canisius, 73-64
Senior Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) broke Akron's single-game three-point record after shooting 9-for-14 from beyond the arc and scoring a career-high 39 points to lead the University of Akron women's basketball team to a 73-64 triumph against Canisius College on Nov. 20.
Plybon went 12-for-21 from the field and hit a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line, while adding six rebounds and two assists. Plybon's 39 points represents the second-best single-game scoring effort behind only Rachel Tecca's 43 versus Eastern Michigan on Jan. 26, 2014.
Redshirt sophomore guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) also recorded a career-high 12 points after going 3-for-5 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.
Junior forward Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) contributed seven points, while senior guard Alex Ricketts (Mercer, Pa.) added six points in the winning effort. Additionally, Burry and Ricketts brought down eight rebounds apiece.
Canisius was led by Lauren D'Hont and Sara Hinriksdottir with 16 and 15 points, respectively,
Zips Fall at Penn State, 84-71, Despite 22 Points from Plybon
Akron garnered four double-figure scoring performances, including 22 points from Hannah Plybon, but was unable to earn the victory as Penn State registered a 84-71 triumph past the Zips on Nov. 16.
Akron finished the evening shooting 44.8 percent from the field, while the Lady Lions connected at a 43.2 percent clip. The two sides combined to record 15 three pointers, including four from Plybon.
Joining Plybon with double-figure scoring efforts for the Zips was Alex Ricketts, Megan Sefcik and Greta Burry. Ricketts and Sefcik notched career-highs with 14 and 11 points while Burry added 10. Teniya Page led the Lady Lions with a game-high 23 points, while Lindsey Spann added 21 and Kaliyah Mitchell recorded a 17-point, 12-rebound contest.
Penn State outrebounded the Zips, 43-41, despite eight and seven rebounds from junior Alli Ball (St. Louis, Mo.) and Ricketts.
The Lady Lions capitalized on Akron turnovers earning a 29-6 margin off the Zips' miscues, while Akron posted 19 bench points in the affair.
Plybon Among the NCAA's Elite
One of the most dynamic players in women's collegiate basketball, Hannah Plybon enters play this Wednesday, Nov. 30, versus Bucknell highly ranked among the active women's basketball players in Division 1 in several categories. Plybon is currently ranked second, second, sixth, ninth, 45th and 46th, respectively, among active career leaders in triples attempted per game (7.03), three pointers attempted (703), triples made (249), three pointers made per contest (2.49), field goals attempted (1,084) and points (1,263). Across all divisions of women's basketball, Plybon is rated fourth in three pointers attempted and taken per game and eighth in triples made.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Hannah Plybon enters play versus Bucknell needing 21 triples to surpass Taylor Ruper's (2009-13) school-record 269 three pointers made. A year ago, she connected on a school-record 104 three pointers during the 2015-16 campaign.
• When Hannah Plybon surpasses 20 points in a contest Akron has posted an 14-5 record.
• Akron enters its contest versus Bucknell on Wednesday, Nov. 30, having won 59 of its last 85 games dating back to the 2013-14 campaign.
• Since the start of the 2011-12 campaign, the Zips have won 75 percent (.750) of their games at James A. Rhodes Arena, having posted a 57-19 ledger.
• Hannah Plybon came into the 2016-17 campaign as the Zips' active leader in career scoring. She will enter Akron's game with Bucknell having amassed 1,263 points and has connected on 38.2 percent of her shots from the field and at a 35.4-percent clip from beyond the arc.
• Hannah Plybon is ranked eighth in career scoring at Akron with 1,263 career points. She is 282 points shy of surpassing Pam Arnold (1,544) for seventh all-time in the Zips' record book.
• Greta Burry is shooting 52.8 percent from the field for her career having made 130 of her 246 shots.
• The Zips have won 19 or more games in each of the last four seasons.
Akron Notes
• Five players in Hannah Plybon (3), Megan Sefcik (2), Alli Ball (1), Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (1) and Alex Ricketts (1) and have scored in double figures for the Zips this season.
• Seven Zips have established career-high marks in scoring this season including; Hannah Plybon (39 at Canisius), Alli Ball (15 vs. Malone), Alex Ricketts (14 at Penn State), Megan Sefcik (12 at Canisius), Shaunay Edmonds (10 vs. Malone), Brittany Gordon (South Charleston, W. Va.) (6 at Penn State) and Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) (2 at Canisius).
• Shaunay Edmonds poured in 10 points in her collegiate debut versus Malone (Nov. 12), while fellow rookie Caitlin Vari also cracked the scoring column for the first time as a Zip with two points off the bench against the Pioneers.
• Hannah Plybon is averaging a team-best 12.7 points in the first half of games this season, while Greta Burry is shooting 66.7 percent (6-9) in the initial 20 minutes of the Zips' three tilts on the campaign.
• In the second half of games this season, Hannah Plybon and Megan Sefcik lead the offensive efforts for Akron averaging 14.3 and 7.0 points, respectively. As a team, the Zips are shooting 45.2 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes in their three contests this season.
• Alli Ball narrowly missed registering her second career double-doubles as she posted a 15-point, eight rebound performance in Akron's 63-52 win over Malone (Nov. 12).
• Hannah Plybon owns 19 career 20-point performances after she poured in a career-best 39 points at Canisius on Nov. 20.
• The Zips have won 37 of their last 45 games at the James A. Rhodes Arena, including a 1-0 mark this season.
• Since 2010, Akron has surpassed the 100-point plateau in scoring on nine occasions, including versus Valparaiso and Toledo during the 2014-15 campaign. The Zips' record all-time when scoring 100 or more is 11-0.
• The Zips made their fifth postseason appearance in the past seven years last season, advancing to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Zips ended their postseason run with an 74-70 loss against Bucknell.
• Jodi Kest, now in her 11th 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.
NCAA Rankings
• The Zips enter play versus Bucknell on Wednesday, Nov. 30, leading the NCAA in fewest fouls committed, while rating sixth in fewest turnovers (56), 26th in three-point defense (.244), 31st in three-point percentage (.385) and 39th in triples per game (8.3).
• Individually, Hannah Plybon is leading the country in free-throw percentage (1.000), while also rating second in scoring (27.0), third in triples per game (4.67) and 41st in three-point percentage (.483). Megan Sefcik is 40th in three pointers per contest (3.00), while Greta Burry stands 53rd in blocked shots (2.00).
Akron MAC Statistical Leaders
• Akron enters play versus Bucknell on Wednesday, Nov. 30, rated first in the Mid-American Conference in three-point defense (.244), second free throw shooting (.735), defensive rebounds (29.3) and blocked shots (4.3), third in three-point percentage (.385) and triples made (8.3) and fifth in field goal percentage (.410), rebounding offense (42.0).
• Hannah Plybon (first in scoring - 27.3; first in free throw percentage - 1.000; first in triples made - 4.7; fourth in minutes played - 34.7; sixth in three-point percentage - .483)
• Alli Ball (fourth in defensive rebounding - 6.0; seventh in rebounding - 7.3)
• Greta Burry (first in blocked shots - 2.0; sixth in offensive rebounding - 3.7)
• Brittany Gordon (fifth in assist/turnover ratio - 2.0)
• Alex Ricketts (fifth in defensive rebounding - 5.7)
• Megan Sefcik (fifth in triples made - 3.0)
A Look at the 2016-17 Zips
Headlining the Zips' lineup this season will be senior Hannah Plybon, who earned second-team All-Mid-American Conference accolades last year averaging 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. She registered a school-record 104 three-pointers en route to scoring in double figures in 27 games, including recording 20 or more points in 11 tilts.
Junior Greta Burry and senior Alex Ricketts also played significant roles in Akron's success a year ago.
Ricketts, along with Plybon and graduate transfer Brittany Gordon comprise Akron's senior class for the 2016-17 campaign.
Burry appeared in 33 games, including 32 starts for the Zips a season ago, averaging 7.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per contest. She ranked sixth in the MAC in field goal percentage (.522) and shot a team-best 52.2 percent from the field, while leading Akron in offensive rebounds (78).
Ricketts played in all 33 contests for the Zips during the 2015-16 campaign, including making a pair of starts, en route to averaging 3.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
The Zips are also expecting solid contributions from its junior class of Alli Ball, Lauren Hung (Waterford, Mich.) and Kaitlyn Flowers (Lompoc, Calif.), along with redshirt sophomore Megan Sefcik and sophomore Fredniqua Walker (Cleveland, Ohio).
Ball played in 30 contests last season averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore, while Hung appeared in 23 games registering 3.0 points per tilt and Flowers earned playing time in five games.
Averaging 2.3 points per contest in 27 games was Sefcik, while Walker returns after appearing in five games for the Zips as a freshman.
The experience of Akron's upperclassmen will be key to the Zips, as Kest and her staff have added to the mix a talented core of six true freshmen this season. The first-year players include; Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.), Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio), Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.), Caitlin Vari and Brooke Kurucz (Parkersburg, W. Va.).
Preseason Projections
Akron senior Hannah Plybon was named to the Preseason All-Mid-American Conference East team in a preseason poll of 12 conference coaches, the league office announced Oct. 27.
The Zips were picked to finish third as a team in the MAC East Division behind Ohio (69 points) and 2015-16 MAC Tournament Champion Buffalo (60 points). Following Akron (48 points) was Bowling Green (30 points), Miami (27 points) and Kent State (18 points).
In the MAC West, Central Michigan (72 points) received all 12 first-place votes and was named the favorite to win the division. Ball State (53 points) and Toledo (53 points) were pegged to finish second and were followed by Western Michigan (34 points), Northern Illinois (25 points) and Eastern Michigan (15 points).
Also voted on by the coaches was the predicted 2017 MAC Regular Season Champion. Central Michigan received six of the 12 first-place votes, while Ohio (five) and Buffalo (one) collected the remaining championships tallies.
In a tabulation of the MAC Championship winner, Central Michigan was selected as the favorite earning seven first-place tallies. The Chippewas were followed again by Ohio with four votes, while Buffalo rounded out the poll with the final tally.
Plybon in Akron's 1,000-Point Club
With her second of two free throws with 46 seconds remaining in Akron's 77-65 victory past Miami on Feb. 6, 2016, Hannah Plybon joined the 1,000-point club at Akron. Plybon will enter the Bucknell contest with 1,263 career points.
Zips Ink Four for 2017 Recruiting Class
The University of Akron women's basketball team, under the leadership of 11th-year head coach Jodi Kest, has announced the addition of four student-athletes joining the Zips' squad for the 2017-18 campaign.
Donning the Akron uniform next season will be Kynnedy Azubike (Columbus, Ohio/Africentric), Taylor Gregory (Mt. Vernon, Ohio/Mt. Vernon), Sarah Leyendecker (Lawrenceburg, Ind./Mother of Mercy (Ohio)), and Destiny Perkins (McCordsville, Ind./Lawrence North), who have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Zips' program for the 2017-18 campaign.
A 6-0 guard from Africentric High School in Columbus, Ohio, Azubike averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest as a junior en route to earning All-City accolades. She helped her squad capture a state title in Division III in 2016.
A 6-2 forward from Mt. Vernon High School in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Gregory registered 14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest as a junior en route to earning first-team all-conference honors.
A 6-4 forward/center from Mother of Mercy High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Leyendecker averaged 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a junior en route to earning second-team all-conference recognition.
A 5-4 point guard from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Ind., Perkins recorded 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals per contest as a junior en route to earning honorable mention all-state accolades. She is the No. 23 rated point guard according to 2017 ESPN HoopGurlz.
Akron in Close Games
Akron has been involved in 60 games decided by five points or fewer under head coach Jodi Kest. A breakdown of those matches is as follows; one-point difference (9-9), two-point difference (11-4), three-point difference (4-4), four-point difference (4-7) and five-point difference (2-6).
Zips' Offensive Progress Report
In Akron's three games this season, this is how the Zips has fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .448 (Penn State), .434 (Canisius), 30 percent: .345 (Malone), 20 percent: NA.
Akron's Defensive Progress Report
In the Zips' three games this season, this is how Akron's opponents have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .432 (Penn State), 30 percent: .385 (Canisius), .317 (Malone), 20 percent: NA.
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
Akron travels to Rock Hill, S.C., to square off against Winthrop in a 1 p.m. matinee affair on Saturday, Dec. 3.
