Akron Host Big East Opponent, Butler

Follow Akron Women's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Follow Coach Jackson on Twitter
Purchase 2018-19 Akron Women's Basketball Season Tickets

Akron vs. Butler Game Notes (PDF)

Akron (5-1) vs. Butler (6-1)
Saturday, Dec. 8
Akron, Ohio • James A. Rhodes Arena • 2:00 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: GoZips.com
Listen: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
A battle of the one-loss teams is set to take place inside James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Dec. 8, when the Akron women's basketball team (5-1) takes on Butler (6-1). Tip-off between the Zips and Bulldogs is slated for 2 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Jacki Windon (analyst) on the call.

Scouting the Bulldogs
As a member of the Big East Conference, Butler holds a 6-1 overall record heading into its eight contest of the 2018-19 season. The Bulldogs won their first six games to start the season against Eastern Illinois (72-37), Murray State (86-65), Western Illinois (92-51), UMass Lowell (89-36), Illinois State (58-56), and Ball State (64-47) while most recently, Butler fell for the first time against Indiana (46-66).

Starters Whitney Jennings, Tori Schickel, and Kristen Spolyar lead the Bulldogs in the scoring column all averaging double-digits on the season. Jennings leads the charge for Butler scoring 14.7 points per game and has posted a team second-most 25 steals on the defensive end. The Bulldogs second leading scorer, Schickel, also reels in a team-best 9.9 rebounds, per contest, has grabbed 27 offensive boards (3.9 per game, and owns a team-best seven blocks. Spolyar rounds out the top three scoring threats for Butler garnering 13.0 points per game and a team-best 27 steals. The team leader in assists, Michelle Weaver, notches 5.4 dimes (38 total) and 9.3 points per match-up.

In the NCAA, the Bulldogs rank 3rd in steals per game (16.0), 7th in steals (112), 11th in scoring defense (51.1), 12th in turnovers forced (24.14), 26th in rebound margin (+9.7), and 34th in FG% defense (34.4%). Weaver ranks 7th in the nation in assist-to-turnover margin (3.8) and 9th in steals per game (3.86).

Probable Starters
Butler: Whitney Jennings, Tori Schickel, Kristen Spolyar, Michelle Weaver, Katherine Strong.

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

Series History
Akron and Butler met on the hardwood for the first time in program history in 1988 in Indianapolis, Ind. and again in 1997. The Zips and Bulldogs are meeting for the third time overall and the first time in 21 years.

History Against the Big East
Akron is 10-17 against four of the 10 current members of the Big East Conference; DePaul (0-7), Marquette (2-2), Providence (1-1), and Xavier (7-7).

Last Time Out
In 1997, the Zips visited Butler for the second time in program history in Indianapolis, Ind. Butler walked away from the game with a 74-58 victory over Akron.

Coaches
Butler: Kurt Godlevske is in his fifth season at the helm of the Butler Bulldogs women's basketball program. Godlevske has led the Bulldogs to three straight Big East tournament and won at least one game in each season. Overall, Godlevske owns a 51-80 overall record in his tenure.

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 Butler, Akron Would...

Earn its sixth victory of the 2018-19 season.
Give the Zips six wins in their first seven games.
Hand Akron back-to-back wins for the second time this season.
Win its first game over the Bulldogs in program history and 11th against a Big East Conference opponent.
Tie for the second-best start by an Akron team through the first seven games of the season in program history; 2012-13 (6-1), 1974-75 (7-0), 2014-15 (7-0).

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 16 of her last 21 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 is the best start since 2014-15 when the Akron squad went 8-0.
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.
Megan Sefcik ranks fifth in the nation averaging 3.83 triples per contest and ranks 60th in the NCAA with a 43.4-percent clip from long range.
As a unit, the Zips rank fifth in the MAC and 33rd in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game, 8.8, along with being rated the 41st best team in 3-point field goal percentage, 36.8-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 four games with just 87 turnovers which ranks 15th 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 76 points to hit the 500 point mark.
The Zips defense has limited the opposition to 65 points or less in five of its first six games
The Akron offense has made a minimum of seven three-pointers in each of its six games.
No team has made more than 25 field goals in a contest through six 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 221-170.
Akron has only entered the halftime intermission trailing its opponent twice through six games.

Where They Rank in the MAC, as a team (as of 12/7)

Rated seventh in scoring (67.0 ppg)
Ranked first in scoring defense allowing just 57.5 points per contest.
Akron's +9.5 scoring margin is ranked third in the league.
Akron is rated eighth in field goal percentage (.399) and first in field goal percentage allowed (.352).
From long range, Akron ranks fourth in 3FG made (8.8) and third in 3FG% (.368).
The Zips 8.00 steals per contest are a league sixth-best.
Akron's 21 blocked shots (3.50 per/game) are second-best the conference rankings.
Ranked sixth in free throw percentage (.740).
Rated seventh in rebounding offense (37.0) and sixth in rebounding defense (37.3).
Akron ranks fourth in turnover margin (3.83) and assists/turnover ratio (1.00).

Where They Rank in the MAC, Individually (as of 12/7)

Megan Sefcik is rated fourth in scoring (19.3 pts/game) and Haliegh Reinoehl is rated 25th (11.5 pts/game).
In the rebounding category, Caitlin Vari has the 6th most boards per contest (7.2/game) and Reinoehl ranks 5th (7.5/game).
Sefcik ranks 6th in FG% (.500), 2nd in 3FG% (.434), 2nd in 3FG made per game (3.8), while Reinoehl is rated 20th in 3FG made per contest (1.8).
Shayna Harmon ranks 19th in assists (2.8 apg).
At the free throw line three Zips rank in the top-15, Sefcik first (.938), Reinoehl sixth (.864) and Harmon 14th (.733).
Edmonds and Sefcik rank 7th and 8th in steals per game (2.3 per game).
In blocked shots, Caitlin Vari and Colleen Neitzel are rated 7th in blocks per game (1.0 bpg).

Up Next
The Akron women's basketball team closes out its four-game homestand at James A. Rhodes Arena on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m., as the Zips take on Canisius. All the action can be seen on ESPN+.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Shaunay Edmonds

Shayna Harmon

Kendall Miller

Colleen Neitzel

Haliegh Reinoehl

Megan Sefcik

Caitlin Vari

The University of Akron Athletics