The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Duquesne
Zips Eye Four-Game Win Streak Hosting Duquesne
December 16 | Women's Basketball
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AKRON VS. DUQUESNE GAME NOTES - 12/17/16 (PDF)
Akron (5-2) vs. Duquesne (5-6)
Saturday, Dec. 17
James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio • 5 p.m. Â
Live Stats:Â Â Â www.akronstats.com
Webstream:Â Â Â www.gozips.com
Radio:Â Â Â Â Â Â 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 4:45 p.m.
Television: Â Â Â None
WHAT'S AHEAD
Going after its fourth consecutive victory, Akron returns home to James A. Rhodes Arena for a showdown with Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 17. The Zips will tip it off against the Dukes starting at 5 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the Akron men's squad hosting Marshall at 7:30 p.m.
A LOOK AT DUQUESNE
Duquesne enters play versus Akron on Saturday, Dec. 17, having snapped its four-game losing slide following a 67-52 victory past Lafayette on Sunday, Dec. 11. Sophomore Chassidy Omogrosso leads three Dukes averaging double figures in scoring netting a team-best 14.4 points per contest. Senior Amadea Szamosi and sophomore Kadri-Ann Lass also surpass the double-digit scoring plateau averaging 11.5 and 10.3 tallies, respectively. Szamosi is Duquesne's leading rebounder pulling down 9.3 caroms per night. The Dukes are recording 62.8 points per contest and have connected at 36 percent (.360) from the field and at a 33.0-percent clip from beyond the arc.
As a team, Duquesne is ranked 24th in the NCAA in total rebounds (451), while also rating 39th in free throws attempted (204), 42nd in free throws made (141), 45th in three pointers made (72), 47th in triples attempted (218) and 52nd in total assists (157).
SERIES HISTORY
Akron will be meeting Duquesne for the seventh time in program history with the Dukes owning a 5-1 all-time series lead. Duquesne registered a 71-66 home triumph past the Zips in the last encounter between the schools on March 21, 2013, in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
IN OUR LAST MEETING
Duquesne def. Akron, 71-66 (March 21, 2013)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Akron shot 47.1 percent from behind the three-point arc, but it was enough to carry the Zips to their first postseason victory in a 71-66 loss at Duquesne in the first round of the Women's NIT.
Hanna Luburgh led all Akron scorers with 19 points and fell one rebound short of a double-double with nine rebounds. Rachel Tecca was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line en route to 16 points and eight boards, while Taylor Ruper drained 4-of-6 from long range to finish with 14 points.
Sina King ended the night with 15 points and was 9-for-10 from the line, while also grabbing eight rebounds.
The contest was a wild one that featured 17 lead changes and seven ties in 40 minutes. The Zips put together a 9-0 run over the last two minutes of the first half to build a six-point lead at halftime at 37-31.
Akron was a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe and out-rebounded the Dukes, 26-18, in the first period. Luburgh scored 11 of her points and collected seven of her rebounds during that time.
The second half started off slow for both teams, until Tecca put in a soft jump hook at the 15:33 mark to break the scoreless drought. The Zips held their largest lead of the night at 11 with 13:16 left on the clock after Ruper knocked down back-to-back three-pointers and forced a Duquesne timeout.
The Dukes slowly started to chip away over the next several minutes, making the most of Akron's 26 turnovers in all. Trailing by five with 45 seconds to go, Luburgh achieved the improbable and converted a four-point play to make it a one-point game at 67-66 in Duquesne's favor with 35 seconds to play.
Akron put on its pressure defense but could not capitalize on a key steal from Cassell as Duquesne knocked down four-straight free throws down the stretch to secure the game.
THE COACHES
Duquesne: Dan Burt is in his fourth season leading the Dukes' program owning a 76-36 (.679) record.
Akron: In her 11th year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, is Jodi Kest, who has a 166-155 mark (.517), including 392-308 (.560) overall, in her 25th year as a head coach.
AKRON SURGES PAST EASTERN KENTUCKY, 63-57
Akron senior Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio) led three Zips scoring in double figures with a 20-point performance to spark Akron to its third straight victory, in come-from-behind fashion, 63-57, past Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 10.
Joining Plybon with double-digit scoring efforts for the Zips was freshman Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and senior Alex Ricketts (Mercer, Pa.) with 12- and 10-point games, respectively. Alexus Cooper directed the Colonels with a team-high 19 points, while Jalen O'Bannon added 14 points.
Akron withstood a nearly four-minute (3:55) scoring drought in the final period in which Eastern Kentucky whittled the Zips' lead to one, 56-55, before knocking down seven key free throws to secure the victory. The free throws were critical to Akron maintaining its lead as the Zips shot just 2-for-11 (.182) over the game's final 10 minutes.
Akron connected at a nearly 39-percent clip (.389) from the field on the afternoon, including making five three pointers. The Colonels connected on 33.3 percent of their attempts in the tilt.
The Zips won the battle for the rebounds posting a 42-37 margin, including 30-25 on the defensive glass. Pulling down a team-best six rebounds for Akron was Ricketts, while senior Brittany Gordon (South Charleston, W. Va.) distributed a game-high five assists. Blocking a career- and game-best four shots was freshman Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio).
RICKETTS RALLIES ZIPS PAST YOUNGSTOWN STATE IN OT, 76-74
Sparked by a career-high 20 points from Alex Ricketts, including seven in overtime, Akron registered a come-from-behind 76-64 victory at Youngstown State on Dec. 6.
Ricketts posted her second career double-double pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with her team-best 20 points.
The Zips had four players turn in double-digit scoring performance as Ricketts, Hannah Plybon, Shaunay Edmonds and redshirt sophomore Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) tallied 20, 18, 12 and 12 points, respectively. The 12 points represented a new career-high total for Edmonds.
Plybon added a career- and game-high 11 rebounds to notch her first career double-double.
The Penguins received 21- and 19-point efforts from Indiya Benjamin and Mary Dunn.
Akron finished the affair shooting 36.7 percent from the field, while Youngstown State connected at a 42.4-percent clip on the evening.
In a nearly even contest statistically, the Zips bettered the Penguins on the boards, 43-34, including 13-9 on the offensive glass.
PLYBON AMONG THE NCAA'S ELITE
One of the most dynamic players in women's collegiate basketball, Hannah Plybon enters play this Saturday, Dec. 17, versus Duquesne highly ranked among the active women's basketball players in Division 1 in several categories. Plybon is currently ranked second, fourth, sixth, 10th, 43rd and 46th, respectively, among active career leaders in three pointers attempted (721), triples attempted per game (6.93), triples made (253), three pointers made per contest (2.43), field goals attempted (1,129) and points (1,316). Across all divisions of women's basketball, Plybon is rated fourth in three pointers attempted, sixth in triples taken per game and eighth in three pointers made.
NEWS, NOTES AND STORYLINES
• Over the Zips' last five contests, Hannah Plybon, Megan Sefcik and Alex Ricketts are averaging 18.4, 10.6 and 10.4 points, respectively. Shaunay Edmonds owns a team-best 13 steals, while Brittany Gordon has distributed a team-high 15 assists. Plybon and Sefcik have combined to connect on 24 three pointers, while Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) has pulled down 11 of her 24 rebounds on the offensive glass.
• Following their 76-74 victory over Youngstown State on Dec. 6, the Zips have won five consecutive games played in overtime, including a 4-0 record last season.
• Led by 10.4 points per tilt from Megan Sefcik, Akron is averaging 20.4 points per contest off the bench. The Zips' reserves are shooting nearly 40 percent (.397) from the field and at a 37.3-percent clip from beyond the arc. Brittany Gordon has registered 22 assists against only nine turnovers.
• Akron's tilt at Eastern Kentucky marked the 700th game in the head coaching career of Jodi Kest.
• The Zips' victory over Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 10 marked the 350th since Akron transitioned to NCAA Division I prior to the 1983-84 campaign.
• Hannah Plybon enters play versus Duquesne needing 17 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 15-5 record.
• Akron enters its contest versus Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 17, having won 62 of its last 89 games dating back to the 2013-14 campaign.
• Since the start of the 2011-12 campaign, the Zips have won 74 percent (.740) of their games at James A. Rhodes Arena, having posted a 57-20 ledger.
• Hannah Plybon came into the 2016-17 campaign as the Zips' active leader in career scoring. She will enter Akron's game with Duquesne having amassed 1,316 points and has connected on 38.1 percent of her shots from the field and at a 35.1-percent clip from beyond the arc.
• Hannah Plybon is ranked eighth in career scoring at Akron with 1,316 career points. She is 229 points shy of surpassing Pam Arnold (1,544) for seventh all-time in the Zips' record book.
• Greta Burry is shooting 52.1 percent from the field for her career having made 137 of her 263 shots.
• The Zips have won 19 or more games in each of the last four seasons.
AKRON NOTES
• Alex Ricketts registered her second career double-double with a 20-point, 10-rebound effort to spark Akron to a 76-64 overtime triumph at Youngstown State on Dec. 6. In her first career start at Western Michigan on Feb. 13, 2016, she poured in a 12-point, 12-rebound performance.
• Greta Burry is the Zips' active leader in double-doubles having posted three in her Zips' career. Her double-doubles came at Florida Atlantic (14 points/12 rebounds - 11/13/15), at Eastern Michigan (17 points/10 rebounds - Jan. 6, 2016) and at Bowling Green (17 points/11 rebounds - Jan. 20, 2016).
• While Burry owns a team-best three double-doubles, Akron has also benefited from two from Alex Ricketts and one apiece courtesy of Hannah Plybon (18 points/11 rebounds at Youngstown State - Dec. 6, 2016) and Alli Ball (St. Louis, Mo.) (13 points/11 rebounds at Florida Atlantic - Nov. 13, 2015)
• Shaunay Edmonds turned in a solid game for the Zips versus Bucknell on Nov. 30, leading Akron in scoring (6), rebounds (5), assists (4) and steals (3) in 24 minutes of action.
• Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) registered career-high marks in scoring (5), rebounding (5) and blocked shots (3) against Bucknell on Nov. 30.
• Five players in Hannah Plybon (6), Alex Ricketts (4), Megan Sefcik (4), Shaunay Edmonds (3) and Alli Ball (1) have scored in double figures for the Zips this season.
• Twelve Zips have established career-high marks in scoring this season including; Hannah Plybon (39 at Canisius), Alex Ricketts (20 at Youngstown State), Megan Sefcik (19 at Winthrop), Alli Ball (15 vs. Malone), Shaunay Edmonds (12 at Youngstown State/at Eastern Kentucky), Brittany Gordon (6 at Penn State), Brooke Kurucz (Parkersburg, W. Va.) (5 at Winthrop), Haliegh Reinoehl (5 vs. Bucknell), Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) (4 vs. Bucknell), Fredniqua Walker (Cleveland, Ohio) (4 at Winthrop), Caitlin Vari (4 at Winthrop) and Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) (2 at Winthrop).
• 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 9.7 points in the first half of games this season, while Greta Burry is shooting 58.8 percent (10-17) in the initial 20 minutes of the Zips' seven tilts on the campaign.
• In the second half of games this season, Hannah Plybon leads the offensive efforts for Akron averaging 9.4 points. As a team, the Zips are shooting 41.1 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes in their seven contests this season. Additionally, Brittany Gordon owns a six to one assist-turnover ratio.
• 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 20 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 46 games at the James A. Rhodes Arena, including a 1-1 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 Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 17, fourth in the NCAA in fewest fouls committed (108), while rating 36th in fewest turnovers (119) and 43rd in three-point defense (.272).
• Individually, Hannah Plybon is 34th in the country in scoring (19.1) , while also rating 70th in triples per game (2.57). Brittany Gordon is 41st nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.44).
AKRON MAC STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Akron enters play versus Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 17, rated second in the Mid-American Conference in three-point defense (.272) and blocked shots (4.1), fourth in defensive rebounding (28.0) and three-point percentage (.340) and fifth in assists (14.1).
• Hannah Plybon (3rd in scoring - 19.1; 5th in triples made - 2.6)
• Greta Burry (7th in blocked shots - 1.0)
• Shaunay Edmonds (5th in steals - 2.4)
• Brittany Gordon (3rd in assist/turnover ratio - 2.4)
• Alex Ricketts (7th in defensive rebounding - 4.9)
• Megan Sefcik (6th in triples made - 2.4;9th in three-point percentage (.405)
• Caitlin Vari (5th in blocked shots - 1.1)
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.
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, Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari and Brooke Kurucz.
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 Duquesne contest with 1,316 career points.
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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 61 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 (12-4), three-point difference (4-4), four-point difference (4-7) and five-point difference (2-6).
ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's seven games this season, this is how the Zips has fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .484 (Winthrop), .448 (Penn State), .434 (Canisius), 30 percent: .389 (Eastern Kentucky), .367 (Youngstown State), .345 (Malone), .302 (Bucknell), 20 percent: NA.
AKRON'S DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' seven games this season, this is how Akron's opponents have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .432 (Penn State), .424 (Youngstown State), .413 (Winthrop), .400 (Bucknell), 30 percent: .385 (Canisius), .333 (Eastern Kentucky), .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
The Zips travel to Atlanta, Ga., to compete in the three-team Georgia State Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 20 versus the host Panthers before battling Elon on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Both contests are slated for 1 p.m. starts.
