The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ball State University
Akron Returns To Rhodes Arena Against Ball State
January 09 | Women's Basketball
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Ball State vs. Akron Notes: 1/10/18 (coming soon)
Ball State (13-1, 2-1 MAC) vs. Akron (6-8, 0-3 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 10
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats:Â 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 6:45 p.m.
Watch:Â ESPN3
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Whats Ahead
The Zips return home to James A. Rhodes Arena in search of their first Mid-American Conference win, as Ball State visits the JAR on Wednesday, Jan. 10, for game four of the conference schedule. First tip between the Zips and Cardinals is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be aired live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App with Michael Reghi and Jacki Windon on the call.Â
Scouting the Cardinals
The high powered Ball State squad stands 13-1 heading into its match-up with the Zips on Wednesday. The Cardinals completed the non-conference portion of their schedule unblemished going a perfect 11-0, including big wins over Vanderbilt (88-79), Butler (87-75), and Purdue (66-60). After the first half of the season, Ball State suffered its first loss in the conference opener to Central Michigan (65-69), before winning is last two contests against Miami (86-61) and Bowling Green (84-73).Â
Four of the five Ball State starters are averaging double-figure scoring through 14 games including, Moriah Monaco (17.0), Destiny Washington (12.7), Carmen Grande (12.6), and Jasmin Samz (12.0), while the Cardinals fifth starter, Frannie Frazier, is nearly scoring in double digits with 9.9 points per game. Monaco, the team's leading scorer, has scored 238 points, is shooting .394 from the field and .345 from distance, while also averaging 5.4 rebounds. While Carmen is the Cardinals third leading scorer, the Ball State guard has posted a team-high 131 assists (9.3 per game), which ranks first in the MAC and second in the nation. Â
Probable Starters
Ball State: Moriah Monaco, Destiny Washington, Carmen Grande, Jasmin Samz, Frannie Frazier
Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Alyssa Clay, Lauren Hung, Haleigh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.
Series History
Ball State and Akron are set to meet for the 38th time in each program's respective history since the first meeting between the two schools in the 1986-87 season. In 37 games, Ball State holds the advantage in the all-time series with a 21-16 record agains the Zips.Â
The Last Meeting
A hot-shooting Ball State squad proved too much for the University of Akron women's basketball team to overcome as the Zips dropped a 90-63 decision to the Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2017, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Shaunay Edmonds continued to display her credentials as one of the best freshmen in the Mid-American Conference scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, while adding a game-high five assists to lead Akron. Hannah Plybon added 11 points and in the process moved into seventh place on the all-time scoring list for the Zips with 1,545 career points, surpassing Pam Arnold (1984-88).
Mid-American Conference Member
The Zips have been a member of the Mid-American Conference for the past 26 years after joining the league in 1992 from the North Star Conference
Coaches
Ball State: Brady Salle is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cardinal's women's basketball program. Salle has led Ball State to five straight WNIT appearacnes in all five years during his time with the Cardinals. Salle became just the second coach in Ball State history to lead the Cardinals to back-to-back 20 win seasons.Â
Akron: Jodi Kest, the all-time winningest coach in program history, is in her 12th-season in charge of the Zips program. The longest-tenured coach in the Mid-American Conference holds an all-time record of 176-181 (.493) at Akron and a 402-334 (.547) in her 25 years as a head coach
With A Win Over Ball State, The Zips Would
- Earn their seventh win of the 2017-18 season.Â
- Claim its first MAC win
- Earn the program's 450th all-time victory.
- End a four-game slide.
2017-18 Zip Breakdown
Under the guidance of Kest, the Zips have 13 young and talented players eager to make an impact in 2017-18 highlighted by returning starters, sophomore guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.), sophomore forward Haliegh Reinoehl (West eld, Ind.), and sophomore forward Caitlin Vari (Revere, Ohio), along with the veteran presence of senior forward Greta Burry (Lakewood, Ohio), senior guard Lauren Hung (Waterford, Mich.), and redshirt junior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio).
Edmonds has taken on the role as the team's facilitator and oor general, while also having the ability to score the ball. Through 14 games, Edmonds is averaging 10.6 points, a team-high 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. The Zips' point guard scored a season-best 19 points and tied her career mark with seven assists against Youngstown State, while posting a career-best six steals against Harvard.
After coming off the bench in a reserve role during the first 13 games of her freshman season, Reinoehl became a staple in the starting-five down the stretch for Akron and in the 2017-18 season. Reinoehl recorded a career-best game against Southeastern Louisiana (21 pts/11 reb) and a double-double against SIU Edwardsville (11 pts/10 reb). The forward is the team's third-leading scorer, 6.6 points per game and leads the squad in rebounding with 117 total rebounds, 8.4 per contest.
Following a career-best year last season, Sefcik has continued to impress and has scored in double figures in ten of Akron's 14 games. The Zips' guard broke the Akron single-game three-point record with 10 triples against Ohio Christian, while also tying the MAC record. The Zips sharpshooter is averaging a team-best 13.4 points per game and scoring 3.4 triples per contest.
Burry, the Zip with the most playing experience on the roster, is the centerfold of the squad. In 220 minutes of play and 12 starts, Burry is averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per tilt. Burry grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds against SLU and scored a season-best 14 points against EKU.
Vari, a member of the Zips front court, has seen 258 minutes of action while grabbing 5.6 rebounds, a team-best 28 offensive rebounds and averages 5.4 points per contest.
Sophomores Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) have seen a significant bump in playing time in year two. Harmon has started all 14 contests and owns the second-most assists on the squad (39). Clay has seen 209 minutes of action through 14 contests, which is over double her playing time in 13 games in 2016-17. Clay owns the teams' second-best shooting percentage from beyond the arc (.391, 18-of-46) and scored a career-high 13 points against Duquesne.
Freshmen Kynnedy Azubike (Columbus, Ohio), Sarah Leyendecker (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) and Destiny Perkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) made their collegiate debuts for the Zips three games into the season and have combined to score 128 points. Perkins has taken over the backup point guard role after returning from injury and has since recorded 28 assists, third-most on the squad.
Kest named Burry, Sefcik, and Reinoehl as the 2017-18 season captains.
Up NextThe Zips continue their two-game home swing on Saturday, Jan. 13, when Akron welcomes Bowling Green to James A. Rhodes Arena. The Zips and Falcon's are set to square off at 5 p.m., or approximately 30 minutes following the men's contest with Bowling Green at 2 p.m.
