Akron Women's Basketball Takes On Butler Sunday Afternoon

Sunday, December 8

Indianapolis, Ind.

2:00 PM

University of Akron

Butler

Akron Women's Basketball Takes On Butler Sunday Afternoon

December 07 | Women's Basketball

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Akron (4-3) vs. Butler (5-2)
Sunday, Dec. 8
Indianapolis, Ind. • Hinkle Fieldhouse • 2 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
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What's Ahead
The Akron women's basketball team continues non-conference action as the Zips travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for a head-to-head match-up against Big East Opponent, Butler. UA and the Bulldogs are schedule to tip-off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, inside the Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Heading into the weekend showdown against the Zips, Butler owns a 5-2 overall mark through seven games. The Bulldogs opened the campaign winning four straight against Wagner (74-58), Detroit (82-60), Eastern Kentucky (73-41), and IUPUI (64-61) before collecting its first loss of the season to Ball State (70-74). Since then, Butler has gone 1-1 losing to Georgia (36-69) and defeating Ohio (60-55). Inside Hinkle Fieldhouse, BU is 4-0.

Kristen Spolyar, a senior guard, ranks 40th in the country and third in the Big East in scoring averaging a team-high 18.9 points per game. Spolyar, who is second on the team in assists (11, 1.57/game), recorded 6.1 rebounds per contest and a team-high 2.29 steals on the defensive end. Gensis Parker and Oumou Toure round out the top active scoring threats in the Butler lineup. Parker is scoring 14.4 points per game, has 13 steals, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Toure, a freshman guard, has made an impact in her first seven career games scoring 6.9 points per game and leads the Bulldogs in rebounding grabbing 6.3 boards per match-up (44 total.

In the NCAA, Butler ranks in the top-100 in eight categories including; free throw attempts (18), free throws made (28th), scoring defense (98th), steals (26th), steals per game (12th), three-point field goal percentage (75th), turnovers forced (22nd), and win-loss percentage (79th). Individually, Spolyar ranks 27th in free throw attempts, 37th in free throws made, 40th in scoring, and 104th in total points. Parker is rated ninth in the NCAA in 3-point FG% and 152nd in 3-point FG attempts per game.

Probable Starters
Butler: Kristen Spolyar, Genesis Parker, Katherine Strong, Naira Caceres, Shae Brey.

Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Alyssa Clay, 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. The Zips and Bulldogs are meeting for the fourth time overall and the second time in as many years. UA is looking for its first win against Butler as the Bulldogs own a 3-0 record against the Zips.

Last Time Out
Despite a solid defensive effort and a big day from forward Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio), the Akron women's basketball team dropped a 63-47 decision to the Butler Bulldogs in a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Butler used a 21-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull away for the road win.

Defense was the order of the day for the Zips and Bulldogs (7-1) as both teams played aggressively on the perimeter and forced each other into a combined 32 turnovers. Akron (5-2) shot 35-percent (19-of-55) from the field while shooting a season-low 24-percent from the floor (6-for-25) from distance.

History Against the Big East
Akron has met five of the 10 current members of the Big East Conference and holds a 10-18 record against the conference including; Butler (0-3), DePaul (0-7), Marquette (2-2), Providence (1-1), Xavier (7-7).

Coaches
Butler: Kurt Godlevske, the reigning Big East Coach of the Year (2018-19), is in his sixth season on the sidelines as the head coach of the Butler program. Godlevske led the Bulldogs to 23 wins, and a Sweet 16 appearance in the WNIT in 18-19. In his tenure, Godlevske has picked up 73 W's.

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 Butler Akron Would...

Earn its fifth victory of the 2019-20 season.
Give the Zips their first program win against Butler and 11th against a Big East opponent.
Capture a win following back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
Improves the Zips road record to 3-1.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 21st career win.
Capture the Zips 473nd program win.
Give Akron their second win on a Sunday.

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.
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 six games while a minimum of two Akron players have notched double digits in the scoring column in all six contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 12/6):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (46th, 96), turnovers per game (47th, 13.7), turnover margin (54th, 4.86), assist/turnover ratio (122nd, .90).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (73rd, .730).
Scoring: scoring margin (139th, +4.6), scoring offense (109th, 70.7),
Defense: blocked shots per game (116th, 3.7), fewest fouls (66th, 113), steals per game (117th, 9.0),
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 12/6):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 42nd double-doubles (3), 105th rebounds per game (8.4).
Jordyn Dawson - 154th steals per game (2.14).
Shaunay Edmonds - 62nd steals per game (2.57), 93rd steals (18), 95th free throw percentage (.826).
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).

On The Road Again
In 2019-20, the Akron Zips are 2-1 when playing away from Akron, Ohio and the JAR. In three contests, the Zips are averaging 68.7 points per game, 18.3 made free throws per contest, have pulled in 119 rebounds, 36 assists. In the first half alone, Akron has scored a combined 127 points and in total have outsocred its opponents, 206-180.

Individually, three Zips are averaging double-figures in scoring including, Haliegh Reineohl (14.7), Shauney Edmonds (13.7), and Caitlin Vari (10.3). Reinoehl nearly averages a double-double away from the JAR turning in 9.7 rebounds per contest.

Up Next
The final home contest of the 2019-20 non-conference slate for the Akron women's basketball team is on deck for the Zips. Akron hosts North Carolina A&T on Monday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena. Akron will then travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico to take park in the 2019 Puerto Rico Clasico to close out 2019 and the non-league schedule.