Akron Set To Host North Carolina A&T In Final Home Non-Conference Game

Monday, December 16

Akron, OH

6 PM

University of Akron

North Carolina A&T

Akron Set To Host North Carolina A&T In Final Home Non-Conference Game

December 15 | Women's Basketball

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Akron at North Carolina A&T Gamenotes (PDF)

Akron (4-4) vs. North Carolina A&T (6-3)
Monday, Dec. 16
Akron, Ohio • James A. Rhodes Arena • 6 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
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What's Ahead
The Akron women's basketball closes out its home portion of the 2019-20 non-conference schedule on Monday, December 16. The Zips play host to North Carolina A&T inside the friendly confines of James A. Rhodes Arena with first-tip slated for 6 p.m. All the action can be seen on ESPN3 with Michael Reghi and Jacki Windon or heard on Fox Sports 1350 AM with Bill Morgan on the call.

Scouting the Aggies
Entering James A. Rhodes Arena on Monday, the North Carolina A&T Aggies own a 6-3 ledger nine games into the 2019-20 campaign. Since dropping three of its five games of the season against top tier programs in NC State (44-80), Georgia (54-72), and Miami (67-68), the Aggies have won four straight games. North Carolina A&T's winning streak has consisted of victories over Arkansas State (55-50), Morehead State (74-56), St. Augustine (75-44), and UNC Greensboro (57-48). While NC A&T boasts a 4-0 mark at home, the Aggies are just 2-3 when playing away from North Carolina.

Two players in the NC A&T lineup are scoring in double figures including Deja Winters and C'Coriea Foy. Winters, the Aggies top scoring threat, averages 13.3 points per game and is shooting 44.7-percent from the floor. Additionally, Winters recorded 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. Foy, a senior guard, runs the floor for the Aggies garnering team-highs in assists (31, 3.4/game) and steals (18), while also averaging 10.6 points per match-up. Alexus Lessears, a senior forward, averages nearly double-digits turning in 9.6 points per game and grabs 5.8 rebounds including 22 offensive caroms, a team-high.

In the NCAA, Butler ranks in the top-75 in eight categories including; assists (63rd), assists per game (66th), blocked shots (23rd), blocked shots per game (25th), free throw attempts (49th), free throws made (69th), three-point FG defense (72nd), and turnovers faced (10th). Individually, Foy ranks 137th in steals, 172nd in steals per game, and 231st in assists per game.

Probable Starters
NC A&T:Alexus Lessears, Le'On Hill, Mikaya Wilson, Deja Winters, C'Corie Foy.

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

Series History
Akron and North Carolina are scheduled to square off for the second time in program history and the second time in as many years. The Zips hold a 1-0 all-time record against the Aggies.

Last Time Out
The Akron women's basketball team outscored North Carolina A&T, 27-12, in the second half and took control of the game en route to defeating the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, 49-36, to earn the Zips their first win of the 2018-19 campaign inside the Corbett Sports Center.

On top of Akron earning its first win of the new year, head coach Melissa Jackson made her debut at the helm of the program and picked up the first victory of her head coaching career.

In the contest, Akron (1-0) shot 32-percent from the floor (16-for-50) and shot 33.3-percent from beyond the arc (9-of-27). Redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) led all scorers with a game-high 18 points courtesy of four triples for 12 points. Junior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) chipped in a double-digit scoring effort with 13 points to go along with five rebounds.

History Against the MEAC
Akron has met four of the 11 current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and holds a 4-0 (1.000) record against the conference including; Bethune Cookman (1-0), Howard (1-0), Maryland Eastern Shore (1-0), and North Carolina A&T (1-0).

Coaches
NC A&T: Tarrell Robinson, took over the Aggie's women's basketball program in 2012 after spending six seasons as an assistant coach on the staff. Since being named the sixth head coach in program history, Robinson as led North Carolina A&T to five MEAC titles, three MEAC tournament championships, two MEAC Rookies of the Year, and one MEAC Player of the Year.

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 North Carolina A&T Akron Would...

Earn its fifth victory of the 2019-20 season.
Give the Zips their second win against NC A&T, back-to-back W's against the Aggies, and remain unbeaten against the MEAC.
End a three-game losing skid.
Improves the Zips home record to 3-2.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 21st career win.
Capture the Zips 473nd program win.
Give Akron their first win on a Monday.

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.
Jordyn Dawson registered her first career double-double in an Akron uniform against Fort Wayne while Haliegh Reinoehl notched back-to-back double-doubles to start the season.
UA grabbed a season-high 41 team rebounds, including 14 offensive boards. Dawson and Reinoehl accounted for 24 of the Zips rebounds.
Against the Mastodons, UA scored 34 points in the paint, 20 points in the paint, and the Zips contributed 23 points.
The Zips led for 30:40 of the game against Purdue Fort Wayne and led by as many as +11.
Akron captured two straight wins to begin the season in back-to-back campaigns.
Against Michigan, four Akron players scored in double figures including Haliegh Reinoehl (14), Jordyn Dawson (13), Shayna Harmon (13), Rachel Martindale (12).
Martindale scored a career-high 12 points and knocked down four triples against UM.
As a team, UA shot a season-high 45.9-percent from the floor and 40.7-percent from long range.
The Zips led then No. 24 Michigan for a total of 2:43 and led by as many as four.
UA outscored the Wolverines 22-16 in the second quarter and 24-14 in the third quarter.
Akron earned its third win of the season against YSU as the Zips rolled to a 91-62 victory.
In the 40 minute contest, the Zips led for a season-high 39:18 and led by as many as +34.
From distance, Akron shot a season-best .407 against the Penguins.
In the plus/minus category, all five starters against YSU, Reineohl, Vari, Dawson, Harmon, and Edmonds, were all +25 or high, including a game-high +31 by Vari.
All 12 players who checked into the contest against YSU recorded at least one point.
Freshman guard Molly Neitzel scored the first three points of her career while Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell matched her career-high with 13 points.
Against Detroit, the Zips recorded a season-high 20 assists, including a game- and season-high five by Shaunay Edmonds.
In the third quarter alone, Edmonds scored or assisted on six of the Zips 10 field goals en route to six points, four assists, and two steals. Haliegh Reinoehl added five points with four rebounds and Shayna Harmon scored five points, two rebounds, and two assists to help lead the Zips to a +11 advantage (25-14).
Akron led for 33 of the 40 minute contest against Cleveland State before a late push by the Vikings earned CSU the win.
The backcourt duo of Haliegh Reineohl and Caitlin Vari scored a combined 30 of the Zips 62 points. Reineohl notched her third double-double (16 pts, 10 reb) and led the Zips in scoring for the fourth time in 2019-20, while Vari scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Junior Jordyn Dawson scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter against CSU while Shayna Harmon posted a season-high seven rebounds, team-high four assists, made eight free throws, and tallied three steals.
The Zips two best quarters offensively against CSU came in the second and fourth periods where UA shot a combined 13-for-30 and tallied 36 of its 62 total points.
Against Duquesne, Kendall Miller played a career-high 31 minutes and tied a career-mark five assists.
Freshman Rachel Martindale matched her career-high 12 points against the Dukes, went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, 3-for-3 from long range, and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line.
Against Butler, Jordyn Dawson scored 10 of the Zips 13 third-quarter points.
Lonasia Brewer scored a career-high eight points against the Bulldogs while Dawson matched a season-high 18 points.
In two games, 11 players who checked into the game scored a minimum one point in the contests against YSU and Detroit. A season-high 12 players scored in the Zips win against the Penguins.
The Zips have had four players score in double figures in three of its eight games while a minimum of two Akron players have notched double digits in the scoring column in seven of eight contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 12/15):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (50th, 112), turnovers per game (54th, 14.0), turnover margin (64th, 4.13), assist/turnover ratio (147th, 0.85).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (95th, .717).
Scoring: scoring margin (177th, +1.4), scoring offense (132nd, 68.8),
Defense: blocked shots per game (127th, 3.5), fewest fouls (50th, 134), steals per game (122nd, 9.0),
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 12/15):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 149th rebounds per game (7.9).
Jordyn Dawson - 87th steals per game (2.38), 131st field goal percentage (48.8), 114th steals (19)
Shaunay Edmonds - 107th steals per game (2.25), 137th steals (18).
Team Game-Highs: Points (91, YSU), field goals made (33, YSU), three-pointers (12), free throws made (25, SBU), rebounds (44, YSU), assists (20, Det.), steals (12, SBU, CSU), blocks (7, Det.)
Individual Game-Highs: Points (20, Edmonds), field goals made (8 Reinoehl), three-pointers (4, Martindale), free throws made (8, Harmon), rebounds (13, Reinoehl), assists (5 Harmon), steals (10, Edmonds).

Quality Losses
Despite the 4-4 record through eight games, the Zips four losses have come against quality opponents who own a combined record of 32-6 (.842); Butler (7-3, Cleveland State (8-1), Duquesne (8-2), and No. 22 Michigan (9-1).

Up Next
Akron travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico to take part in the 2019 Puerto Rico Clasico to close out 2019 and the non-conference schedule.