Akron Women's Basketball Concludes Non-Conference Play At 2019 Puerto Rico Classic

Friday, December 20

Puerto Rico

Noon (11 AM Eastern Time)

University of Akron

Denver

Akron Women's Basketball Concludes Non-Conference Play At 2019 Puerto Rico Classic

December 19 | Women's Basketball

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2019 Puerto Rico Classic Gamenotes

Akron (5-4) vs. Denver (6-5)
Friday, Dec. 20
San Juan, PR • Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez • Noon (11 a.m. Eastern Time)
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Akron (5-4) vs. Morgan State (4-7)
Saturday, Dec. 21
San Juan, PR • Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez • Noon (11 a.m. Eastern Time)
Listen: GoZips.com
Watch: GoZips.com (Subscription)

What's Ahead
The 2019-20 Akron women's basketball non-conference slate comes to a close as the Zips head to compete in the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic. UA is scheduled for two contests at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez over the course of Dec. 20-21. The Zips' first game of the tournament is set for 12 PM (11 AM ET) against Denver on Friday, Dec. 20, followed by the non-league play finale on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 12 PM (11 AM ET) against Morgan State.

Scouting the Pioneers
Heading into its final two non-conference contests, Denver women's basketball stands 6-5 through 11 games. After dropping the first two games of the season, the Pioneers won four straight against Wyoming (71-57), Cal Poly (96-66), Colorado Christian (89-49), and UC Irvine (83-75). Since then, Denver has won two of its last five games.

Three starters for the Pioneers pace the offensive attack for Denver, including Madison Nelson, Lauren Loven, and Uju Ezeudu. Madison is averaging a double-double as the Pioneers leading scorer posting 17.4 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per contest. Nelson, a force inside the paint offensively, also owns a team-best 18 blocks on the defensive end. Loven ranks third all-time in the Summit League in career three-point field goals, is shooting .375 from long range this season, and averages 14.5 points per game. Ezeudu, who has started eight of the Pioneers 11 games, is scoring 12.6 points per game, shoots at a 48.1-percent clip from the floor, and its the team's second strongest rebounder pulling in 7.7 boards per game.

Scouting the Bears
Morgan State enters the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic standing 4-7 overall on the season. The Bears opened the campaign 2-0 with victories over Notre Dame of Md. (113-34) and Washington Adventist (84-52). After dropping a pair of contests, Morgan State went on to defeat Marshall (57-52), lost four in a row, and most recently defeated Texas State (72-62).

The Bears who score 60.7 points per game, have three players on its roster scoring in double figures to lead the way for Morgan State. Dahnye Redd, a junior forward is the Bears leading scorer notching 13.6 points per game, reels in 6.2 rebounds per contest, and shoots at an efficient .47.9-percent from the floor. Right behind Redd is senior guard, Chelsea Mitchell, who averages 13.5 points per match-up, a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game, and 39 steals. Ashia McCalla rounds out the top three scorers for the Bears and scored 10.2 points and records 4.2 rebounds per match-up.

Probable Starters
Denver: Madison Nelson, Lauren Loven, Uju Ezeudu, Briana Johnson, Claire Gritt.

Morgan State: Dahnye Redd, Chelsea Mitchell, Asia McCalla, Jihaya Chavis, Dezyree Morales

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

Series History
Akron's two contests against Denver and Morgan State will be the first time the Zips will square off with either respective programs in school history.

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

Akron has met four of the 11 current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and holds a 5-0 (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
Denver: Tim Turgeon, the 10th head coach in Denver program history, is in his third season at the helm of the Pioneers squad. In his three year tenure, Turgeon has led the Pioneers to a 40-33 overall mark.

Morgan State: Ed Davis Jr., is in his fourth season as head coach of the Bears program and has been on the Morgan State staff for eight years.

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 Wins At The Puerto Rico Classic, Akron Could...

Earn its sixth and seventh wins of the 2019-20 season
Head into the MAC play with a potential 7-4 record.
Extend its winning streak.
Improves the Zips road record to 4-2.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 22nd and 23rd career wins.
Capture the Zips 474th and 475th program wins.

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.
Senior Haliegh Reinoehl scored a season-high 22 points against NC A&T, which fell one point shy of her career-best 23 points.
Senior guard Shayna Harmon turned in 12 points against the Aggies going a perfect 4-for-4 from long range.
The Zips defense forced 23 turnovers by the NC A&T offense while the Akron offense assisted on 17 of its 24 made field goals.
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 eight of nine contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 12/19):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (41st, 128), turnovers per game (55th, 14.2), turnover margin (52nd, 4.44), assist/turnover ratio (131st, 0.88).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (122nd, .704).
Scoring: scoring margin (160th, +2.6), scoring offense (143rd, 68.2),
Defense: blocked shots per game (120th, 3.7), fewest fouls (106th, 155), steals per game (108nd, 9.2),
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 12/15):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 146th rebounds per game (7.9).
Jordyn Dawson - 87th steals per game (2.33), 143rd field goal percentage (47.4), 118th steals (21)
Shaunay Edmonds - 87th steals per game (2.33), 118th steals (21).
Team Game-Highs: Points (91, YSU), field goals made (33, YSU), three-pointers (12), free throws made (25, SBU), rebounds (46, NC A&T), assists (20, Det.), steals (12, SBU, CSU), blocks (7, Det.)
Individual Game-Highs: Points (22, Reinoehl), field goals made (9 Reinoehl), three-pointers (4, Martindale), free throws made (8, Harmon), rebounds (13, Reinoehl), assists (6 Edmonds), steals (10, Edmonds).

Congrats Grad!
Senior captain Caitlin Vari received her bachelor's degree in Marketing Management and Sales Management following the conclusion of the 2019 fall semester at the University of Akron. Vari will now begin to pursue her MPA in the spring.

Up Next
The calendar year flips as does the Akron women's basketball schedules as the Zips focus on Mid-American Conference play in 2020. After the holiday season, the Zips open MAC play on Saturday, Jan. 4, at James A. Rhodes Arena. Akron hosts Central Michigan in the league opener at 2 p.m.