Akron Wraps Up Holiday Classic With Contest Against UTEP

Friday, December 21

Las Vegas, Nev.

5 PM (8 PM ET)

University of Akron

University of Texas at El Paso

Akron Wraps Up Holiday Classic With Contest Against UTEP

December 21 | Women's Basketball

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Akron vs. UTEP Game Notes (PDF)

Akron (7-2) vs. UTEP (3-8)
Thursday, Dec. 21
Las Vegas, Nevada • South Point Arena • 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET)
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: GoZips.com
Listen: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
The 2018 Las Vegas South Point Holiday Hoops Classic comes to a close on Friday, Dec. 21, as the Akron women's basketball team, takes on UTEP in game two of the Classic inside South Point Arena. Tip-off between the Zips and the Miners is slated for 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET).

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 Miners
UTEP enters its contest against Akron with a 3-8 overall record and is coming off a win against Western Illinois (84-72) in game one of the Holiday Classic. Prior to the tournament, the Miners owned a 2-8 record after opening the season with wins against Alcorn State (77-51) and CSU Bakersfield (53-47) and dropping eight straight contests to New Mexico State, Nicholls State, Abilene Christian, Weber State, Arkansas State, New Mexico, Portland State, and Arizona.

A pair of Miners, Zuzanna Puc and Ariona Gill, lead the offensive efforts for UTEP averaging 12.4 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Puc, a member of the Miners frontcourt, heads into the contest as the teams leading scorer averaging just above 13 points per game (13.5), averages a team-best 6.5 rebounds (71 total), and 25 assists. To go along with her offense, Puc has blocked 10 shots and ripped seven steals. Gill, a combo guard/forward, is scoring 11.9 points per contest while reeling in 5.0 rebounds per match-up. Gill is shooting at a 42-percent clip from the floor and 35-percent from distance.

The Miners are an unselfish team posting 184 assists on the year. In the nation, UTEP ranks 56th in assists per game (16.7) and 66th in total assists (184). Puc is in the NCAA's top 40 scorers with her 13.5 points per game while guard Jordan Jenkins ranks 87th in assist/turnover ratio (2.06).

Probable Starters
UTEP: Zuzanna Puc, Ariona Gill, Katarina Zec, Jordan Alexander, Jordan Jenkins.

Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Megan Sefcik, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.

Series History
When the Zips and Miners step on the court in South Point Arena, it will be the first meeting between each respective program.

History Against the Conference USA
Akron is 8-19 against five of the 14 current members of Conference USA; UAB (0-1), Florida Atlantic (1-2), Louisiana Tech (0-1), Marshall (7-7), Middle Tennessee (0-8).

Coaches
UTEP: Kevin Baker is in his second season at the helm of the Texas-El Paso women's basketball program. In his first season, Baker led the Miners to a 17-14 overall record including a 7-9 C-USA record.

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.

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 UTEP, Akron Would...

Earn its eighth victory of the 2018-19 season.
Give the Zips their first win against UTEP and ninth against a C-USA member.
Win three consecutive games for the second time this season.
Earn the program's 500th win in program history.
Claim seven/eight non-conference wins for the first time since 2015-16 and eighth time in the Division I era.
Win its fifth road contest and fourth neutral site games of the 2018-19 season.

Zips Tidbits

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.
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.
Brown-Mitchell began her Akron career scoring 7 points and pulling down 6 rebounds.
Dating back to 2017-18, Sefcik has scored in double-figures in 18 of her last 24 games played in.
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.
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.
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.
The Zips 3-0 record to open the season was the best start since 2014-15 when the Akron squad went 8-0.
Akron has outscored four of its nine opponents by double-digits (+13 vs. NC A&T, +20 vs. Oak, +17 vs. NKU, +17 vs. JSU). The last time Akron won three straight games by 10+points was 2015-16.
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.
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.
Caitlin Vari registered the first double-double of her career against Youngstown (10 points, 10 rebounds).
The Akron offense has taken care of the ball well through its first nine games with just 137 turnovers which rank 21st in the nation.
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.
Shayna Harmon accounted for all seven of the Zips third-quarter points against the Penguins.
Haliegh Reinoehl needs 68 points to hit the 500 point mark.
The Zips defense has limited the opposition to 65 points or less in eight of its first nine games
The Akron offense has made a minimum of five three-pointers in each of its nine games.
No team has made more than 25 field goals in a contest through nine games against the Akron defense.
The Akron Zips are 5-1 when playing in their annual Education Day game.
Kendall Miller dished out a season and career-best five assists against the Bonnies.
Shayna Harmon poured in a career-high 21 points against St. Bonaventure to lead Akron to victory.
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 320-264.
Akron has only entered the halftime intermission trailing its opponent three times through nine games.
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.
The Zips have posted five contests where at least nine players scored at least one point (Oakland, YSU, EKU, Butler, JSU), and one contest where all 10 active players were in the scoring column (vs. NKU).
Akron has connected on double-digit free throws in six of its nine games including a season-high 22.
Shayna Harmon dished out a career-high seven assists against Canisius.
Sefcik has made four three-pointers in five games and at least one triple in all nine games for the Zips in 2018-19.
In her season debut, Fredniqua Walker registered a season- and tied a career-best eight points against Jackson State after returning from injury.
Prior to the 2018-19 season, Shayna Harmon scored in double-figures in just two games. She has already notched double figures in four games this year.

Where They Rank in the MAC, as a team (as of 12/19)

Rated ninth in scoring (63.9 ppg)
Ranked first in scoring defense allowing just 57.6 points per contest.
Akron's +6.3 scoring margin is ranked fifth in the league.
Akron is rated eighth in field goal percentage (.390) and second in field goal percentage allowed (.363).
From long range, Akron ranks fifth in 3FG made per game (8.0) and fifth in 3FG% (.335).
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.
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).
Akron ranks sixth in turnover margin (2.50) and sixth in assists/turnover ratio (0.89).

Where They Rank in the MAC, Individually (as of 12/19)

Megan Sefcik is rated fifth in scoring (18.1 pts/game) and Haliegh Reinoehl is rated 35th (9.6 pts/game).
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).
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).
Sefcik ranks 12th in steals per game (1.9 per game).
In blocked shots, Caitlin Vari and Colleen Neitzel are rated 7th in blocks per game (0.8 bpg).

Up Next
The Akron women's basketball team closes out non-conference play as the Zips return home to James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Dec. 29. Akron welcomes in the Malone Pioneers from Canton, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.