2019-20 Season Tips Off At St. Bonaventure For Akron Women's Basketball

Sunday, November 10

St. Bonaventure, N.Y.

1:00 PM

University of Akron

St. Bonaventure

2019-20 Season Tips Off At St. Bonaventure For Akron Women's Basketball

November 09 | Women's Basketball

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Akron at St. Bonaventure Game Notes (PDF)

Akron (0-0) at St. Bonaventure (1-1)
Sunday, Nov. 9
St. Bonaventure, N.Y. • Reilly. Center • 1:00 p.m.
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What's Ahead
After seven and a half months away from competition following a postseason appearance in the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational, the Akron women's basketball is set to tip-off its 46th season of competition and the 2019-20 campaign under second-year head coach Melissa Jackson. The Zips begin the new season on the road visiting St. Bonaventure on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. inside the Reilly Center.

Scouting the Bonnies
While the contest between Akron and St. Bonaventure marks the regular-season opener for the Zips, the Bonnies are two games into the 2019-20 campaign and own a 1-1 mark. St. Bonaventure tipped off the season against St. Johns in a 68-56 loss to the Red Storm, followed by a 71-67 overtime victory against Niagara. In the Atlantic-10 preseason poll, the Bonnies were predicted to finish 13th in the league after going 8-22 in 2018-19.

In a pair of contests, the Bonnies offense is led by Asianae Johnson, Emily Calabrese, and Deja Francis. Johnson has turned in a team-best 33 points scored (16.5 ppg), 16 rebounds (8.0 rpg), and three blocks while shooting .500 from the floor (13-of-26). Calbrese has recorded the second-most rebounds off the glass for St. Bonaventure grabbing 10 rebounds along with scoring 11.0 points per game (22 total points), third-most on the squad. Francis, who was named to the All-A10 preseason third team as a sophomore, has scored 21 points in two games (10.5 ppg), owns a team-high seven assists, and is shooting .471 from the field. Dajah Logan as turned 14.0 points per contest, has splashed a team-best four three-pointers, garnered eight rebounds, three steals, two assists, and one block.

In the nation, the Bonnies rank 11th in rebounds, 24th in blocked shots, 34th in steals, 64th in assists.

Probable Starters
St. Bonaventure: Asianae Johnson, Emily Calabrese, Deja Francis, Dajah Logan, Jurnee President.

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

Series History
Since the first meeting between the Zips and Bonnies in the 1991-92 season, St. Bonaventure holds an all-time series lead over Akron, 3-1. In the first meeting between the two programs in nine years, the Zips defeated the Bonnies 67-58 at James A. Rhodes Arena in 2018-19.

History Against the Atlantic-10
Akron is 6-22 against six of the 14 current members of the Atlantic-10 Conference; Dayton (0-8), Duquesne (1-7), George Mason (2-0), St. Bonaventure (1-3), St. Joseph (0-3), and St. Louis (2-1).

Last Time Out
A late scoring outburst by junior guard Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) and redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) powered the Akron Zips to a 67-58 win over visiting St. Bonaventure in the sixth-annual Education Day game at Akron inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron improved to 5-1 on the season with the victory over the Bonnies. The win marks the second-best start through six games in Akron program history. The 2014-15 and 1974-75 Zips each started the season off 6-0. The Zips also improve to 5-1 when hosting its annual Education Day.

A pair of 20+ point efforts by Harmon and Sefcik paced the Akron offense to victory. Harmon notched a career-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, a perfect 2-for-2 from distance, and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Sefcik, who has now scored in double-figures in five of six games for the Zips, pitched in 20 points, two assists, and a steal. Junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) noted 10 points and seven rebounds in the contest, while junior Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. The duo of Harmon and Sefcik scored a combined 30 points in the second half, helping Akron rally from a five-point second-half deficit for its fifth win in six games.

Coaches
St. Bonaventure: Jesse Fleming is in his fourth season at the helm of the St. Bonaventure women's basketball program. Flemming, who spent time with the Bonnies as an assistant coach, owns a 26-65 overall record since becoming the seventh head coach in program history.

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 16-15 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 St. Bonaventure Akron Would...

Earn its first victory of the 2019-20 season.
Give the Zips their second program win against the Bonnies and second in back-to-back seasons.
Capture its 469th program victory.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 17th career win.
Earn Akron its sixth win in a season opener since 2012-13 (5-2) and second straight opening night W.

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.

MAC Veterans
Two seasons ago, the Zips roster consisted of the second-youngest team in the Mid-American Conference with just under 5,000 minutes played combined between the 13 players on the roster. Heading into the 2019-20 campaign, the Zips have a core group of veterans leading the attack. Akron's senior class of Alyssa Clay, Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Haliegh Reineohl, and Caitlin Vari have played a combined to play 9,376 minutes and have scored 2,765 points in the first three seasons of their respective careers.

Only one other MAC school (NIU) has as many seniors on its 2019-20 roster, however, the Zips senior class has over 4,000 more minutes played than the Huskies senior group.

Up Next
Akron returns to Northeast Ohio for games two and three of the 2019-20 season as the Zips host the 2019 Akron Classic at James A. Rhodes Arena. Akron is slated to compete against Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, Nov. 15, at 4:30 p.m., before going head-to-head with Big10 opponent, #25 Michigan, on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2:30 p.m.