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Buffalo
Akron Plays Buffalo in Semifinal Round of MAC Championship
March 10 | Women's Basketball
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GAME NOTES NO. 32 AKRON VS. BUFFALO (3/11) (PDF)
Akron (19-12) vs. Buffalo (18-12)
Friday, March 11
Quicken Loans Arena (20,562)
Cleveland, Ohio • 12 p.m.
Live Stats: www.gozips.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 11:50 a.m.
Television: ESPN3
What's Ahead
Akron continues its quest to capture its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth when the Zips move forward in Mid-American Conference Tournament play battling Buffalo in the semifinal round on Friday, March 11. Game time inside Quicken Loans Arena is set for 12 p.m.
Mid-American Conference Tournament History
Akron will be playing in its 31st all-time Mid-American Conference Tournament game when the Zips battle Buffalo on Friday, March 11, at Quicken Loans Arena. Akron holds an 11-19 tournament record since 1995, including victories in seven of its last nine tournament tilts. The Zips are 10-8 under head coach Jodi Kest and own 3-10, 5-6, 2-2 and 1-1 records, respectively, in the tournament's opening round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game.
Akron holds a 3-1 all-time record in tournament action versus the Bulls with the Zips edging Toledo in the last meeting, 83-79, in the quarterfinal round on March 14, 2013.
Akron is playing as the No. 5 seed for the first time in program history. A No. 5 seed has never won the MAC Tournament title, with fifth-seeded Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan advancing to the title game in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Akron Mid-American Conference Tournament Notes
• Eleven current Zips have garnered playing time in the Mid-American Conference Tournament led by senior Anita Brown (Warren, Ohio), who will be playing in her 10th tournament contest, versus Buffalo.
• Anita Brown averages a team-best 14.1 points per game in tournament play, while junior Hannah Plybon (Orrville, Ohio), sophomore Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio) and senior DiAndra Gibson (Ravenna, Ohio) are registering 5.7, 5.3 and 4.4 tallies, respectively.
• DiAndra Gibson and Greta Burry are pulling down 5.4 and 5-0 rebounds, respectively, in seven and three career tournament tilts.
• The Zips battled a MAC East Division opponent in the tournament for the first time since besting Buffalo in the quarterfinal round, 83-79, on March 14, 2013, when the squad played Miami on Monday, March 7. Eight of Akron's last 10 tournament foes have hailed from the MAC West Division, including seven of the last eight games.
• The Zips have reached the tournament quarterfinal round in three of the last four seasons.
• Akron is leading the 2016 MAC Tournament in turnover margin (+6.0), while Anita Brown directs all scorers posting 33.0 points per contest in two tournament tilts.
Senior Class Atop Zips' All-Time Win List
Akron seniors Megan Barilla, Anita Brown and DiAndra Gibson move up the ladder on the Zips' list of all-time winningest classes in program history is now complete following Akron's 71-61 victory over Bowling Green on March 5. The Zips' win past the Falcons gave the trio their 85th career triumph to vault them over the 2014-15 senior class of Sina King, who held the all-time mark of 84 wins (2011-15). The trio now owns 87 career victories at Akron.
A Look at Buffalo
Buffalo (18-12) enters play this Friday, March 11, having won three straight and six of seven overall after registering a 72-60 triumph over top-seeded Ohio on Wednesday, March 9. The lone setback came against Akron, 62-49, on March 2. Junior Joanna Smith averages a team-high 18.0 points per contest, while junior Cassie Oursler is pulling down a team-best 6.3 rebounds per tilt. Buffalo is posting 59.7 points per contest, while holding its opponents to a 58.7 scoring average. The Bulls are connecting on more than 36 percent (.363) of their shots from the field, while dialing long distance at a 28.6-percent clip.
Buffalo is ranked first in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (58.7), three point defense (2.84) and offensive rebounds (14.0), while rating third in field goal defense (.374), rebounding margin (+2.1), steals (8.9) and turnover margin (+1.3). In league-only affairs, the Bulls led the conference in offensive rebounds (16.2), while ranking second in rebounding offense (41.3) and third in rebounding margin (+3.9), scoring defense (62.2), steals (8.9), three point defense (.301) and turnover margin (+1.4).
Series History
Akron will be meeting Buffalo for the 44th time in program history with the Bulls leading the all-time series, 22-21. Earlier this season, the Zips registered a 62-49 home triumph past Buffalo on March 2, 2016, while besting the Bulls in Buffalo, N.Y., 69-61, on Jan. 20, 2016.
The Coaches
Buffalo: Felisha Legette-Jack is in her fourth season leading the Buffalo program, owning a 66-59 (.528) record. Overall, she maintains a 207-222 (.483) ledger in 14 years overall as a head coach.
Akron: In her 10th year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, is Jodi Kest, who has a 161-151 mark (.516), including 387-304 (.560) overall, in her 24th year as a head coach.
Brown Sparks Akron Over Toledo in OT
Anita Brown poured in a career-high 37 points to propel Akron to a 73-71 overtime victory over Toledo in the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 9, at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Zips withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Rockets that erased a 12-point advantage and were able to force overtime where Akron improved to 4-0 on the campaign with the triumph.
Brown went 9-for-13 from the field in the first half en route to scoring 21 of her 37points for the Zips. The senior also added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win.
DiAndra Gibson contributed 10 points, while Megan Barilla, Burry and redshirt freshman Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) all chipped in six points in the effort. Barilla also matched a career-high with a game-high 10 rebounds and added a team-high six assists.
Three Toledo players scored in double figures led by Brenae Harris with 24 points. Janice Monakana and Ana Capotosto followed that up with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
The Zips shot 42 percent (29-of-68) from the field in the contest and 80 percent (8-of-10) from the charity stripe. The Rockets went 22-for-56 (39.3 percent) from the floor and 20-for-29 (69 percent) from the foul line.
Toledo outrebounded Akron in the affair, 41-35. The Zips capitalized on 18 turnovers by the Rockets turning the miscues into a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Zips Down Miami, 66-54
In the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Akron parlayed a 20-0 run to erase a nine-point, third-quarter deficit en route to defeating Miami University by a final score of 66-54 on Monday, March 7, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Anita Brown paced the Zips on the offensive end, scoring 29 points, collecting five rebounds and swiping five steals.
DiAndra Gibson tied her career high on the boards, pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds, while fellow Megan Barilla stuffed the stat sheet, scoring eight points, collecting five rebounds and dishing out game-best six assists.
Leah Purvis led the RedHawks with 18 points and dished out four assists, with all 18 coming in the first half. Kayla Brown scored 12 points and chipped in seven rebounds, while teammate Molly McDonagh led Miami with nine-rebound, six-point performance.
For the game, the Zips shot 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the field and buried 36.8 percent (7-of-19) of their shots from downtown. Akron used 65.2 percent (15-of-23) shooting from the free throw line to ice the victory. The RedHawks connected on 32.2 percent (19-of-59) of their shots and hit at a 36.4 percent (8-of-22) clip from behind the arc. Miami converted on 57.1 percent (8-of-14) of their shots from the charity stripe.
The Zips scored 17 points off of 17 RedHawks' turnovers and won the battle of the boards by an ultimate tally of 48-41, with 18 of those rebounds being on the offensive end.
IN OUR LAST MEETINGS
Akron def. Buffalo, 62-49 (March 2, 2016)
AKRON, OHIO - In the first game of a season-ending two-game homestand, Akron registered a key Mid-American Conference triumph downing Buffalo by a final score of 62-49 on March 2, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Hannah Plybon and Anita Brown led the Zips in the scoring column with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Brown pulled down 11 rebounds, garnering her sixth double-double of the season.
Greta Burry and DiAndra Gibson chipped in nine points apiece to round out the scoring for Akron.
Joanna Smith led the Bulls with 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Buffalo, while Cassie Oursler added 10 points and seven boards.
The Zips scored 20 points off of 18 Buffalo turnovers, while outrebounding the Bulls by a final tally of 43-41.
For the game, the Zips shot 40 percent (20-of-50) from the floor and connected on 35 percent (7-of-20) from behind the arc. Buffalo shot a collective 29.2 percent (12-of-72) from the field and made 19.2 percent (5-of-26) of its shots from downtown.
Akron def. Buffalo, 69-61 (Jan. 16, 2016)
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon combined to score 49 points to spark Akron to a 69-61 road victory past Buffalo.
Brown scored a game-high 26 points and added a team-best 10 rebounds to notch her fourth double double of the season, while Plybon tallied 23 points.
A 13-point, 11-rebound effort from Cassie Oursler directed the Bulls, while Joanna Smith and Stephanie Reid recorded 16 and 11 points, respectively.
The Zips finished the affair shooting 39 percent from the floor, while holding Buffalo to a 29.2-percent mark from the field in the game.
The Bulls outrebounded Akron, 46-43, including 17-10 on the offensive glass, and used that advantage to post a 23-10 margin in second-chance points.
Megan Barilla distributed a team-high four assists for the Zips.
Brown and Plybon Earn All-MAC Honors
Akron women's basketball standouts Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon were tabbed as All-Mid-American Conference selections for the 2015-16 campaign, the league announced on Monday, March 7.
Brown was chosen as a first-team recipient for the initial time in her Zips' career, while Plybon was recognized as a second-team honoree.
Named to the All-MAC second team as a junior, Brown leads Akron into tournament play this season averaging a conference- and team-best 22.1 points per game, while pulling down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per night. She has started all 30 games that she has appeared in for the Zips during the 2015-16 campaign, and has scored in double figures in every contest.
Brown led the MAC in league-only games in scoring (20.7) in 2015-16, while rating fourth, sixth, sixth and eighth, respectively, in minutes played (35.8), rebounding (7.4), defensive rebounds per game (5.2) and steals (1.7).
A starter in all 31 games on the campaign, Plybon, who was a third-team All-MAC recipient as a sophomore, has connected on 95 three-pointers, while shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc. She ranks sixth in the conference and second on the team in scoring (16.1), while rating fourth on the squad in both assists (33) and steals (22).
Plybon has scored in double figures in 26 games, including 10 contests recording 20 or more points. She enters tournament play against Buffalo rated second in the MAC in three pointers per game (3.1) and sixth in scoring (16.1). In league-only affairs, she ranked second in triples per outing (3.4) and fifth in scoring (17.4).
One Final Dance
Akron's showdown on Monday with Miami represented the final home game in the distinguished careers of seniors Anita Brown, Megan Barilla and DiAndra Gibson. The trio now enters the Zips' showdown versus Buffalo having appeared in 125, 119 and 109 career games, respectively. Brown, Gibson and Barilla have recorded career scoring totals of 1,530, 615 and 166 points, while Brown and Gibson own 629 and 514 career rebounds.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Hannah Plybon and Anita Brown own team-best 16.5 and 11.9 scoring averages in six and nine career games, respectively, versus Buffalo.
• Akron has won nine of 10 overall (home and away) in the series versus Buffalo.
• Akron owns a 15-7 mark against Buffalo under head coach Jodi Kest.
• Anita Brown's 37 points versus Buffalo represented the third-best single-game scoring effort in program history, matching Hanna Luburgh's 37-point explosion against Dayton on Nov. 15, 2013.
• Anita Brown now owns four games with 30 or more points in her career and surpassed her previous career-best mark of 36 points set versus the Rockets in a 102-101 victory on Jan. 14, 2015 in Toledo, Ohio. Additionally, she has poured in 29 or more points in three of Akron's last four tilts versus the Rockets, including a 29-point effort in an 81-71 triumph on Jan. 20, 2016.
• With its victory at Kent State (Feb. 27), the Zips assured themselves of a winning record in league play for a school record fourth consecutive campaign.
• Anita Brown is the fifth Zip to record at least 1,400 points and pull down 600 rebounds in their Akron career. Brown enters play against Toledo having amassed 1,530 career points and 629 rebounds.
• DiAndra Gibson surpassed 500 rebounds for her career when she equaled a career-high total of 16 against Miami on March 7. She will enter play against Buffalo with 514 career rebounds for her Akron career.
• The Zips enter their game versus Buffalo having attempted the most triples (720) in a season in program history, while ranking second in three pointers made (235).
• Anita Brown owns 663 points this season to rank third on the single-season top 10 in scoring for the Zips. She is 67 points away from surpassing Rachel Tecca (729 in 2013-14) for second place. She also is rated first, third, fifth and seventh, respectively, in the single-season record book in field goals attempted (576), field goals made (251), free throws attempted (194) and free throws made (136).
• Hannah Plybon has connected on 95 three pointers on the campaign and is ranked second on the single-season top 10 in three pointers. She is three triples from surpassing her own school record of 97 set during the 2014-15 campaign. Plybon is also rated first in attempted three pointers in a single campaign with 278.
• Hannah Plybon has scored 500 points this season, she will enter play against Buffalo 50 points away from moving past Hanna Luburgh (549 in 2012-13) for eighth place on the single-season scoring list at Akron.
• Megan Barilla has distributed 164 assists this season to rank third on the single-season top 10 in assists. She is 50 dimes away from moving past Kacie Cassell (213 in 2013-14) for second place.
• Anita Brown ranks fifth in career games played at Akron having appeared in 125 contests for the Zips entering play versus Buffalo on Friday, March 11. Sitting at No. 10 with 119 career games played is Megan Barilla.
• When Anita Brown has scored 20 or more points in her career the Zips own a 19-12 mark. When Hannah Plybon surpasses 20 points in a contest Akron has posted an 12-3 record.
• The Zips own a 10-2 record in mid-week games this season, including holding road triumphs over Valparaiso, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green and Miami.
• The Zips' 68-65 overtime triumph over Eastern Michigan marked the 375th victory in the coaching career of Jodi Kest.
• Akron's 71-55 win at Bowling Green marked the 150th for head coach Jodi Kest while leading the Zips.
• Akron's overtime victories past Toledo (March 9), Miami (Feb. 24), Eastern Michigan (Jan. 6) and Northern Kentucky (Dec. 19) marked the first time in program history in which the Zips have won multiple overtime contests in a single campaign.
• Akron enters its contest versus Buffalo on Friday, March 11, having won 57 of its last 80 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 Buffalo having amassed 1,530 points and has connected on 44 percent (.444) of her shots from the field and at a 34.4-percent clip from beyond the arc.
• Anita Brown is ranked seventh in career scoring at Akron with 1,530 career points. She is 15 points shy of surpassing Pam Arnold (1984-88) for sixth all-time in the Zips' record book.
• Greta Burry is shooting 53.2 percent from the field for her career having made 116 of her 218 shots.
• Megan Barilla leads Akron in assists distributing a team-best 5.3 dimes per game. Over the past two seasons she had posted 272 assists.
• The Zips have won 20 or more games in each of the last three seasons.
• With its win against Bowling Green (March 7, 2015), Akron surpassed the 2012-13 squad for the most regular season victories (22) in program history.
• The Zips' 12 league wins in 2014-15 represented the second-best single-season mark in program history.
• Akron's established a new school record for home wins in a season (13) a year ago.
• Following Akron's 71-61 triumph over Bowling Green on Saturday, March 5, the Zips have won 10 or more home games in five of the last seven seasons under head coach Jodi Kest.
• Akron registered its third-consecutive 20-win season a year ago. The Zips currently own 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.
On This Date in Akron Women's Basketball History
The Zips will be playing for the fourth time in program history on March 11 when Akron battles Buffalo on Friday.
Akron Notes
• Eight players in Anita Brown (30), Hannah Plybon (25), DiAndra Gibson (17), Greta Burry (9), Alli Ball (St. Louis, Mo.) (2), Megan Barilla (1), Lauren Hung (Waterford, Mich.) (2) and Alex Ricketts (Mercer, Pa.) (1) have scored in double figures for the Zips this season.
• Akron has responded following each of its 12 losses this season as three Zips are averaging double figures in these games while outscoring its opponents by 6.7 tallies per outing. Akron owns a 9-3 mark in these contests. Anita Brown, Hannah Plybon and DiAndra Gibson are posting 19.8, 17.6 and 10.9 points per contest, while Brown is recording a team-best 7.8 rebounds per tilt.
• In the Zips' 16 games away from James A. Rhodes Arena this season, Anita Brown is averaging 23.1 points per contest.
• Since opening the season with a 1-4 ledger, the Zips have posted a 8-2 mark in their last 10 games, including a 5-1 record in December.
• Akron had won five straight true road games dating back to an 85-74 decision past Valparaiso on Dec. 9 before the Zips suffered an 81-60 setback at Central Michigan on Jan. 23. It marked Akron's longest such streak since rolling off seven consecutive true road wins during the 2013-14 campaign.
• The Zips have pulled down 50 or more rebounds in seven contests this season.
• 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.
• Anita Brown is averaging a team-best 9.2 points in the first half of games this season, while Greta Burry is shooting 51.9 percent (40-77) 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 12.4 points. As a team, the Zips are shooting 41.6 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of their 31 contests this season.
• Hannah Plybon connected on five three pointers in the Zips' 71-61 victory versus Bowling Green marking the 13th time in her career in which has made five or more 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' +31 rebounding advantage against Youngstown State was the largest margin for Akron this season and most for the Zips 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.
• 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 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.
• Anita Brown was selected as the Mid-American Conference East Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Jan. 25. Brown turned in a strong week for the Zips averaging team-high marks in scoring (26.0), while also posting 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists in a pair of games for the Zips.
• 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 31 and 15 career 20-point performances after Brown poured in a career-high 37 points versus Toledo on March 9.
• The Zips have won 36 of their last 44 games at the James A. Rhodes Arena, including a 11-4 mark this season.
• Akron is 14-4 this 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) last season 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' 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.
Plybon Joins Brown 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, Hannah Plybon joined teammate Anita Brown as members of the 1,000-point club at Akron. Earlier in the season, Brown 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 to move past 1,000 career points. Brown and Plybon will enter the Buffalo contest with 1,530 and 1,145 career points, respectively.
Zips Find Road Success in MAC Play
For the first time in program history Akron was victorious in its initial three conference road games this season before dropping an 81-60 decision at Central Michigan. The Zips registered triumphs over Eastern Michigan (68-65 in OT), Bowling Green (71-55) and Buffalo (69-61). Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon have led Akron averaging 19.3 and 15.2 points per game in road league affairs. DiAndra Gibson is recording 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in league road contests, while Greta Burry is posting 9.3 points and 6.3 rebound per tilt.
Brown Fuels Zips' Attack
Anita Brown has been the catalyst for the Zips' offense this season averaging a team-best 22.1 points per contest. She has surpassed the 20-point plateau in all but 11 games this season. Brown has now scored in double figures in each of the last 39 contests for the Zips, including scoring 20 or more points in 23 of the 39 tilts.
Barilla Dropping Dimes Sparks Akron
Megan Barilla is off to an impressive start distributing the ball for the Zips averaging a team-high 5.3 assists per game. She has recorded four or more dimes in 28 of Akron's 31 contests this season and on 42 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 31 games this season, Burry has posted 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 52.3 percent from the field.
Brown Earns Accolades
Anita Brown was named the Zips' Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by The University of Akron, Ohio's Polytechnic University. Additionally, she was tabbed by CollegeSportsMadness.com as its Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 21.
Plybon a Quick Study
Only a junior, Hannah Plybon has earned her undergraduate degree in speech language in just over two years from the University of Akron this past August. She is currently pursuing her master's degree.
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.
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
A trio of Zips are averaging double figures in scoring over Akron's last five games as the threesome of Anita Brown, Hannah Plybon and DiAndra Gibson have posted 25.0, 14.6 and 10.4 points a night en route to leading the Zips to a 5-0 mark. Akron is shooting nearly 42 percent (.417) from the field, while its opposition is connecting with a 35.9-percent shooting mark from the floor. Brown paces Akron in rebounding averaging 7.0 caroms a night, while Megan Barilla owns a team-best 25 assists.
Akron in Close Games
Akron has been involved in 58 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 (11-4), three-point difference (4-4), four-point difference (4-6) and five-point difference (2-6).
Zips' Offensive Progress Report
In Akron's 31 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .500 (Eastern Michigan-2), 40 percent: . 476 (Valparaiso), .476 (UCF), .474 (Kent State-1), .472 (Miami-1), .466 (Bowling Green-2), .457 (Rochester College), .450 (Kent State-2), .443 (Ball State), .426 (Toledo-2), .426 (Northern Colorado), .423 (Florida Atlantic), .419 (Youngstown State), .412 (Bowling Green-1), .411 (Northern Kentucky), .407 (Toledo), .404 (Western Michigan), .400 (Buffalo-2), .400 (Central Michigan-1), .400 (San Diego), 30 percent: .397 (Florida Gulf Coast), .390 (Buffalo-1), .371 (Ohio-2), .348 (Northern Illinois), .347 (Winthrop), .344 (Miami-3), .339 (Miami-2), .313 (Central Michigan-2), .310 (Northern Iowa), 20 percent: .299 (Eastern Michigan-1), .274 (Ohio-1).
Akron's Defensive Progress Report
In the Zips' 31 games this season, this is how Akron's opponents have fared from the field: 50 percent: .588 (Central Michigan-1), .540 (San Diego), .500 (Kent State-1), .500 (Ball State), 40 percent: .492 (Ohio-2), .467 (Florida Atlantic), .458 (Valparaiso), .442 (Kent State-2), .407 (Northern Illinois), 30 percent: .397 (Western Michigan), .397 (Ohio-1), .393 (Toledo-2), .393 (Northern Colorado), .391 (Toledo), .391 (Florida Gulf Coast), .385 (Eastern Michigan-2), .385 (Central Michigan-2), .375 (Miami-2), .375 (Bowling Green-2), .365 (Eastern Michigan-1), .365 (Northern Kentucky), .343 (UCF), .333 (Miami-1), .322 (Miami-3), .307 (Winthrop), 20 percent: .295 (Youngstown State), .292 (Buffalo-2), .292 (Buffalo-1), .276 (Bowling Green-1), .265 (Northern Iowa), .216 (Rochester College).
Bench Production
Akron is averaging 12.0 points of production from its bench through the Zips' 31 games this season. Alex Ricketts, Lauren Hung and Alli Ball lead the way registering 3.2, 3.0 and 2.4 points, respectively. Ricketts paces the reserves in rebounding pulling down 2.6 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.
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
A victory by the Zips over Buffalo will send Akron into the MAC Tournament championship to face the winner of the showdown between No. 2 Central Michigan and No. 6 Eastern Michigan on Saturday, March 12, at 1 p.m. A loss against the Bulls will force the Zips to wait out postseason selections to see if their 2015-16 body of work earns Akron a postseason berth.
