The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Jackson State University
Akron Takes On Jackson State In Game One Of South Point Holiday Classic
December 19 | Women's Basketball
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Akron vs. Jackson State Game Notes (PDF)
Akron (6-2) vs. Jackson State (3-5)
Thursday, Dec. 20
Las Vegas, Nevada  •  South Point Arena • 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET)
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com
Watch:Â GoZips.com
Listen:Â GoZips.com
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What's Ahead
It's the holiday season and the Akron women's basketball team is celebrating by participating in the 2018 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev, on Dec. 20-21. The Zips take on Jackson State in game one of the Classic on Dec. 20, followed by a match-up against UTEP on Dec. 21. Both contests tip-off at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) at the South Point Arena.Â
Stop, Watch, and Listen
The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the WARF 1350 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action live from the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can also tune in to and stream the game live HERE.
Scouting the Tigers
Jackson State enters the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic with a 3-5 record through its first eight games of the season. The Tigers are currently riding a two-game win streak with victories over Spring Hill College and Millsaps College. Previously, JSU opened the 2018-19 campaign 1-5 losing its first two contests against Memphis (67-68), UT Arlington (63-99), picking up its first win over Central Arkansas (65-56), and then dropping three consecutive contests to Louisiana Lafayette (61-68), Mississippi State (38-105), and Southeastern Louisiana (45-50).Â
The Tigers have a pair of double-digit scorers that pace the offensive efforts for JSU including, Marneisha Hamer and Christina Ellis. Ellis leads all Tigers scoring 13.8 points per contest on 44.8 percent shooting from the floor (39-of-87) to go along with team second-best 36 rebounds and 27 assists. Hamer, the teams leading rebounder (39) also scores a team second-best 13.1 points per game. Kaisah Lucky leads the backcourt for Jackson State and has tallied 31 assists (3.88 per game) and 11 steals defensively.Â
The Tigers 43.9 team field goal percentage ranks 66th in the NCAAÂ while their 66.5 points per game is rated 152nd in the nation.Â
Probable Starters
Jackson St.: Christina Ellis, Marneisha Hamer, D'Asia Mitchell, Kaisah Lucky, Antionette Womack.Â
Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Megan Sefcik, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.
Series History
For the first time in each programs respective history, the Akron women's basketball team and Jackson State will meet on the hardwood in competition.Â
History Against the SWAC
Akron has faced off with just one of 10 active members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent in program history. The Zips are 0-1 against Mississippi Valley State.Â
CoachesÂ
Jackson State: Tomekia Reed is in her first season the Jackson State women's basketball program after being named the head coach in April of 2018. Reed spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Hinds Community College program.
Akron: Melissa Jackson took over the Akron women's basketball team beginning in 2018-19. Jackson spent the previous 10 seasons on the Zips coaching staff as an assistant coach (four seasons) and as the associate head coach (six seasons). Jackson played a pivotal role in the recent Akron women's basketball success and looks to continue to grow the program.Â
Mid-American Conference Member
The Zips have been a member of the Mid-American Conference for the past 27 years after joining the league in 1992 from the North Star Conference.
With A Win Over Jackson State, Akron Would...
- Earn its seventh victory of the 2018-19 season.
- Give the Zips their first win against Jackson State and first against SWAC member.Â
- Win back-to-back games for the third time this season
- Earn the program's 459th win in program history.Â
- Claim seven non-conference wins for the first time in two seasons.Â
- Win its fourth road contest of the 2018-19 season.Â
- Brown-Mitchell, Miller, and Neitzel each made their collegiate debut against North Carolina A&T (11/13).
- Coach Jackson earned her first career victory with a 49-36 win over North Carolina A&T.Â
- The starting five of Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Megan Sefcik, Haliegh Reinoehl, and Caitlin Vari made their sixth start together as a group dating back to last season.Â
- Brown-Mitchell began her Akron career scoring 7 points and pulling down 6 rebounds.Â
- Dating back to 2017-18, Sefcik has scored in double-figures in 17 of her last 23 games played in.Â
- Sefcik fell one point shy of tying her career-high in scoring during a season opener with her 18 points after scoring 19 last year.Â
- All 10 active players on the roster saw time on the court against the Aggies and six of the 10 recorded at least one point.Â
- Akron outscored N.C. A&T 17-3 in the third quarter, including 10 points from Sefcik, and 27-12 in the second half to pull away with the game.Â
- The Zips 3-0 record to open the season was the best start since 2014-15 when the Akron squad went 8-0.Â
- Akron outscored three of its first five opponents by double-digits (+13 vs. NC A&T, +20 vs. Oak, +17 vs. NKU). The last time Akron won three straight games by 10+points was 2015-16.Â
- Megan Sefcik ranks 13th in the nation averaging 3.50 triples per contest, rated 5th in three-point field goals made (28), and ranks 71st in the NCAA with a 41.8-percent clip from long range.Â
- As a unit, the Zips rank fifth in the MAC and 119th in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game, 8.0, along with being rated the 100th best team in 3-point field goal percentage, 33.5-percent.Â
- Caitlin Vari registered the first double-double of her career against Youngstown (10 points, 10 rebounds).Â
- The Akron offense has taken care of the ball well through its first four games with just 121 turnovers which rank 21st in the nation.Â
- The Zips capitalized on Youngstown State being called for 14 fouls and connected on 16 free throws on 18 attempts (.889). Haliegh Reinoehl and Shayna Harmon each went 7-for-8.Â
- Shayna Harmon accounted for all seven of the Zips third-quarter points against the Penguins.Â
- Haliegh Reinoehl needs 68 points to hit the 500 point mark.Â
- The Zips defense has limited the opposition to 65 points or less in seven of its first eight games
- The Akron offense has made a minimum of five three-pointers in each of its eight games.Â
- No team has made more than 25 field goals in a contest through seven games against the Akron defense.Â
- The Akron Zips are 5-1 when playing in their annual Education Day game.Â
- Kendall Miller dished out a season and career-best five assists against the Bonnies.Â
- Shayna Harmon poured in a career-high 21 points against St. Bonaventure to lead Akron to victory.Â
- The Zips have taken advantage of the first and fourth quarter through six games getting off to a fast start and closing out games strong. In both periods combined, Akron has outscored the opposition 289-231.Â
- Akron has only entered the halftime intermission trailing its opponent three times through eight games.Â
- Colleen Neitzel led the Zips in scoring with nine points against Butler. The freshman connected on three field goals that all came from beyond the arc for a single-game career-best.Â
- The Zips have posted four contests where at least nine players scored at least one point (Oakland, YSU, EKU, Butler), and one contest where all 10 active players were in the scoring column (vs. NKU).Â
- Akron has connected on double-digit free throws in five of its eight games including a season-high 22.Â
- Shayna Harmon dished out a career-high seven assists against Canisius.Â
- Sefcik has made four three-pointers in five games and at least one triple in all eight games for the Zips in 2018-19.Â
- Rated ninth in scoring (63.9 ppg)
- Ranked first in scoring defense allowing just 57.6 points per contest.Â
- Akron's +6.3 scoring margin is ranked fifth in the league.Â
- Akron is rated eighth in field goal percentage (.390) and second in field goal percentage allowed (.363).Â
- From long range, Akron ranks fifth in 3FG made per game (8.0) and fifth in 3FG% (.335).Â
- The Zips 7.88 steals per contest are a league seventh-best.
- Akron's 23 blocked shots (2.88 per/game) are fourth-best the conference rankings.Â
- Ranked fifth in free throw percentage (.742).
- Rated seventh in rebounding offense (37.1), fifth in rebounding defense (36.3), and fifth in defensive rebounds (27.1 per game).Â
- Akron ranks sixth in turnover margin (2.50) and sixth in assists/turnover ratio (0.89).Â
- Megan Sefcik is rated fifth in scoring (18.1 pts/game) and Haliegh Reinoehl is rated 35th (9.6 pts/game).Â
- In the rebounding category, Reinoehl has the 4th most boards per contest (7.4/game) and Caitlin Vari ranks 6th (6.9/game).
- Sefcik ranks 6th in FG% (.476), 4th in 3FG% (.418), 4th in 3FG made per game (3.5), while Reinoehl is rated 25th in 3FG made per contest (1.4).Â
- Shayna Harmon ranks 12th in assists (3.4 apg).
- At the free throw line, two Zips rank in the top-15, Reinoehl fifth (.833) and Harmon 11th (.778).Â
- Sefcik ranks 12th in steals per game (1.9 per game).Â
- In blocked shots, Caitlin Vari and Colleen Neitzel are rated 7th in blocks per game (0.8 bpg).Â
The Akron women's basketball team wraps up the 2018 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., on Friday, Dec. 21, as the Zips takes on UTEP at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET).
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