Akron Women's Basketball Hosts Akron Classic And Opens 2019-20 Home Slate

Friday, November 15

Akron, OH

4:30 PM

University of Akron

Purdue Fort Wayne

Akron Women's Basketball Hosts Akron Classic And Opens 2019-20 Home Slate

November 14 | Women's Basketball

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Akron vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (PDF)

Akron (1-0) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1)
Friday, Nov. 10
Akron, Ohio. • James A. Rhodes Arena • 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Listen: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
The Akron women's basketball team is set to open up the 2019-20 home schedule as the Zips host the 2019 Akron Classic on November 15-16. The four teams competing in the Akron Classic are Kent State, Purdue Fort Wayne, No. 24 Michigan, and Akron. On day one (Friday, Nov. 15), the Zips are slated for a match-up against Fort Wayne at 4:30 p.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

Scouting The Mastodons
Heading into the 2019 Akron classic, Fort Wayne owns a 2-1 overall record through its first three games. After opening the campaign with back-to-back victories against Purdue Northwest (73-50) and UIC (61-50. Most recently, the Mastodons to fellow MAC opponent, Ball State, 52-83. A year ago, Fort Wayne ended the 2018-19 season with a 7-22 record including a 1-13 mark when on the road.

A trio of Fort Wayne guards are averaging double figures in the scoring column through three contests including, Riley Ott, Hannah Albrecht, and Michelle Nicholls. Ott, the Mastodons leading scorer is averaging 14.0 points per contest while adding five assists and five steals on the year. Ott, a freshman guard, scored a season-high 18 points against Purdue Northwest. Albrecht is turning in 13.7 points per contest and owns a team-best 11 assists (3.7apg) while adding 4.3 rebounds per match-up. In her last outing, Albrecht scored 21 points against the Cardinals. Rounding out the top scorers in the Fort Wayne lineup is Michelle Nicholls scoring 10 points and grabs 4.3 rebounds per contest in 19.7 minutes of work.

In the NCAA, Fort Wayne as a team ranks 29th in blocked shots (14), 52nd in steals (31), and 57th in three-point field goals made (20). Individually, Ott ranks 29th in field goal attempts (48) and Sh'Toya Sanders is rated 21st in blocked shots (7).

Probable Starters
Fort Wayne: Shayla Sellers, Riley Ott, Hannah Albrecht, Anna Lappenjuper, Sh'Toya Sanders

Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Alyssa Clay, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.

Series History
Akron and Fort Wayne are meeting in a regular-season match-up for the first time since 2010 and for the fifth time in program history. The Zips hold a 1-3 record dating back to 2003 against the Mastodons and are 1-1 versus IPFW at James A. Rhodes Arena. UA picked up its first program victory against Fort Wayne in 2009 when the Zips defeated the Mastodons, 68-66, on its home court.

History Against the Summit League
Akron is 2-4 against two of the nine current members of the Summit League; Fort Wayne (1-3) and Oral Roberts (1-1).

Coaches
Fort Wayne: Niecee Nelson is in her fourth season at the helm of the Fort Wayne women's basketball program. Nelson spent 11 years as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego before becoming the 14th head coach of the Mastodon's program. In her tenure, Nelson has led Fort Wayne to an 18-71 overall mark.

Akron: Melissa Jackson begins her second season at the helm of the Akron women's basketball program. In her debut season, Jackson led the Zips to a 17-15 overall record, a 7-11 MAC ledger, improved by seven wins overall and +4 in conference victories. Jackson's squad became just the eighth team in program history to win at least 16 games in a season.

Mid-American Conference Member
The Zips have been a member of the Mid-American Conference for the past 28 years after joining the league in 1992 from the North Star Conference.

With A Win Over Fort Wayne Akron Would...

Earn its second victory of the 2019-20 season.
Capture back-to-back wins.
Give the Zips their second program win against the Mastodon's
Earn two straight wins to start the season in consecutive years and for the fifth time since 2013.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 18th career win.

Scouting The Zips
After going 16-15 a year ago, the Zips return a bulk of its squad as UA preps for another postseason run. The Akron roster consists of 14 student-athletes, eight returners, and six newcomers, made up of five seniors, one junior, three sophomores, and five freshmen.

The senior leadership from Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.), Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio), Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.), and Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) will be key for the Zips in the upcoming season as the core group has played a combined to play 9,376 minutes and have scored 2,765 points in the first three seasons of their respective careers.

Ready to make an impact on the court in 2019-20 is junior college transfer, Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W. Va.). Dawson spent last season at Wabash Valley College, the #1 nationally ranked team at the JC Division I level, and averaged 9.8 points per game while shooting at a 56.5-percent clip from the field and 72.1-percent from the charity stripe.

A trio of sophomores in Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio), Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio), and Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) return for their second seasons in an Akron uniform and will look to take the experience they gained on the court last season and take their games to the next level.

Coach Jackson's first recruiting class, 'the Jackson Five', consisting of Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio), Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio), Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio), and Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio), is a talented group can have an immediate impact on the court in their respective rookie campaigns.

Jackson named Reinoehl and Vari as captains for the 2019-20 season.

Zips Tidbits

The 2019-20 season marks the 46th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
Junior Jordyn Dawson and two freshmen, Rachel Martindale and Lonasia Brewer, made their respective collegiate debuts against St. Bonaventure. Martindale played 15 minutes and scored two points while Brewers saw more minutes of action.
Dawson provided a big spark for the Zips in her Akron debut. JD scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, and was +25 in +/- when on the court.
Akron picked up its first victory of the season against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 63-54. The win marked the sixth time since 2012-13 that Akron captured a win in the season opener.
Shaunay Edmonds recorded the first double-double of her career scoring 20 points and tallying a career-high 10 steals, including 5 steals in the fourth quarter alone.
Haliegh Reineohl posted her team-leading 25th career double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds).
Forward Caitlin Vari eclipsed the 500 career point mark against St. Bonaventure with her 13 point effort.
In the fourth quarter against St. Bonaventure, Akron outscored the Bonnies 20-4 and scored 17 unanswered points in the final six minutes of the game.
The Zips went to the free-throw line 31 times against St. Bonaventure and connected on 25 attempts. Akron fell two made free throws shy of tying the 10th most free throws made in a single-game.
Defensively, UA limited St. Bonaventure to a game-low four points in the quarter as the Bonnies shot 1-for-13, committed seven turnovers, and Edmonds single-handedly ripped five steals.

Up Next
In less than 24 hours, Akron returns to the court inside James A. Rhodes Arena for game two of the 2019 Akron Classic. The Zips square-off in a BIG contest against Big10 opponent, No. 24 Michigan, on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2:30 p.m.