The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Tennessee Tech University
Akron Heads To First Round Of WBI Tournament At Tennessee Tech
March 20 | Women's Basketball
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Akron vs. Tennessee Tech Game Notes (PDF) |Â 2019 WBI Bracket (PDF)
Akron (16-14, 7-11 MAC) vs. Tennessee Tech (21-10, 12-6 OVC)
Thursday, March 21
Cookeville, Tenn.  •  Eblin Center • 6:00 p.m. CT (7:00 p.m. ET)
Game Information
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com
Watch:Â GoZips.com
Listen:Â GoZips.com
What's Ahead
For the seventh time in program history, the Akron women's basketball team will compete in postseason play as the Zips accepted an invitation to take part in the Women's Basketball Invitational. Akron heads to Cookeville, Tenn., on Thursday, March 21, to take on Tennessee Tech inside the Eblin Center. The Zips and Golden Eagles are scheduled for a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off.
Stop, Watch, and Listen
The Zips' radio broadcast will air on 1350 Fox Sports with Bill Morgan calling the action live from the Eblin Center. You can also tune in and stream the game live on ESPN+, HERE.
Zips History In The Postseason
The Akron women's basketball team is scheduled to compete in its seventh postseason tournament in its 45-year history. The Zips have competed in one NCAA Tournament, four WNIT appearances, and will be making its second trip to the WBI, first since 2010.Â
Since Akron's first postseason showing in 1999, the Zips are 0-6 in tournament play following the conclusion of the regular season and conference tournament. The Zips have squared off against Michigan State (75-65, 1999), Wichita State (67-61, 2010), Duquesne (71-66, 2013), Purdue (84-55, 2014), Kansas State (86-68, 2015), and Bucknell (74-70, 2016).Â
Akron is set to compete in the 10th annual WBI postseason tournament for the second time in program history.Â
Postseason Tournament Notes
- Redshirt senior Megan Sefcik is the only Akron player to play in a postseason tournament game in her career. In 2016, Sefcik scored three points, posted two blocks, and a steal in eight minutes of play.Â
- Head coach Melissa Jackson will be making her postseason head coaching debut in 2019.Â
Scouting the Golden Eagles
On the eve of the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational, Tennessee Tech owns a 21-10 overall record, finished with a 12-6 mark inside Ohio Valley Conference play, and ended its OVC Tournament run in the semifinals round. In 11 non-league contests, the Golden Eagles turned in a 9-4 ledger which included wins over Middle Tennessee (68-64) and Wichita State (55-45). TTU opened OVC play with a six-game winning streak before going 7-7 down the stretch of the regular season.Â
The Golden Eagles have a pair of scorers who are averaging double figures on the season, including Jordan Brock (11.9) and Kesha Brady (10.0). Brock, a sophomore guard, is TTU's leading scorer (370 points), is shooting 38.1-percent (114-for-299) from the floor and 39.2-percent from long range (78-for-199). Brady, a backcourt player for the Golden Eagles, is scoring 10.0 points per game and grabs 3.3 rebounds per tilt. Additionally, Kentoria Alexander posts a team-best 6.2 rebounds per match-up and team-leading 129 assists to go along with 9.0 points per game. Anacia Wilkinson, a reserve off the bench, nearly scores in double-digits (9.0 pts/game) and posts a team second-best 6.0 rebounds and 126 assists.Â
In the NCAA, Wilkinson ranks 13th in blocked shots (80) and blocked shots per game (2.58). Brock ranks 50th in three-point field goal percentage, 57th in three-point field goals made (78), 62nd in three-point field goals per game (2.52), and 87th in triples attempted (199). Brady's .834 free throw percentage ranks 49th in the nation. As a team, the Golden Eagles rank 11th in free throw percentage (77.4), 17th in free throws made (467), 43rd in three-point field goal defense (.287), and 52nd in three-point field goal percentage.Â
Probable Starters
Tennessee Tech:Â Kentoria Alexander, Jordan Brock, Abby Buckner, Akia Harris, Lacy Cantrell.
Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Megan Sefcik, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.Â
Series History
Akron and Tennessee Tech met for the first time on the hardwood in the 1983-84 season. Since then, the Zips and Golden Eagles have squared off 10 times with TTU holding an all-time series record of 8-2 over UA. Akron's two victories against Tennessee Tech have come in its last two meetings (2012-13, 2013-14).Â
Last Time Out
The University of Akron women's basketball team made history as the Zips cruised to a 118-71 victory over visiting Tennessee Tech at James A. Rhodes Arena.
UA's 118 points set a new school record for a single game, surpassing the previous mark of 109 set on Feb. 6, 1981 against Allegheny. Akron's previous all-time scoring mark against a Division I team was 103 points, reached on the road at Saint Peter's on Nov. 26 of last year.
The Zips placed 12 different players in the scoring column for the game, four of them in double figures. Hanna Luburgh led the scoring blitz, tying a career-high 33 points, including five 3-pointers, while Kacie Cassell distributed nine assists against a single turnover.
Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week Rachel Tecca poured in 23 points with nine rebounds and three steals, and sophomore Anita Brown registered the first double-double of her career (13 points, 11 rebounds) in 20 minutes off the bench.Â
As a team, Akron shot 56.9 percent from the floor, including 12-of-28 from long range, and connected on 24-of-29 free throws. The Zips' 12 3-pointers are the second most all-time for a single game.
CoachesÂ
Tennessee Tech: Kim Rosamond is amidst her third season as the head coach of the Tennessee Tech women's basketball program. Prior to joining the TTU program, Rosamond spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt and has been coaching for the past 25 years.Â
Akron: Melissa Jackson took over the Akron women's basketball team beginning in 2018-19. Jackson spent the previous 10 seasons on the Zips coaching staff as an assistant coach (four seasons) and as the associate head coach (six seasons). Jackson played a pivotal role in the recent Akron women's basketball success and looks to continue to grow the program.Â
With A Win Over Tennessee Tech, Akron Would...
- Advance Akron to the semifinal round of the 2019 WBI.Â
- Earn its 17th victory of the 2018-19 season.
- Give the Zips their first postseason win in program history.
- Defeat Tennessee Tech for the third time.Â
- Become the just seventh team in Akron program history to win at least 17 games in a season and the sixth Zips squad to do so in the Division I era.Â
Zips Postseason Outlook
Under the guidance of Jackson, the Akron women's basketball team ended the 2018-19 regular-season campaign with a 16-14 overall record and 7-11 mark inside the Mid-American Conference. In Jackson's first season as head coach UA improved its record from last season by seven wins and captured four more conference victories.Â
Akron returned a core group of players while including redshirt senior Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) and juniors Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.), Caitlin Vari (Revere, Ohio), Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio), and Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.), who all played a significant role in the Zips on-court success in 2018-19.Â
In her final season in an Akron uniform, Sefcik made it a point to go out in style in her senior season, and she is doing just that. Throughout the season, Sefcik made her mark as one of the best scorers and shooters in program history as she became the 15th Zip to eclipse the 1,000 career points milestone and is now third on the program's all-time made three-pointer list while becoming just the third Akron player to connect on over 200 made triple. Sefcik has turned in career numbers in almost every statistical category, including points (512), rebounds (103), assists (52), steals, (54), blocks (19), made field goals (173), and made three-pointers (94). Next up for Sefcik, her second postseason tournament of her career.Â
Edmonds the Zips starting point guard has started all but two contests that she has played in since her freshman season (84 GP/82GS). The junior guard has the ability to score the ball efficiently while also controlling the floor, facilitate, make the extra pass, and pace the speed of the offense. In 24 games, Edmonds averages 11.3 points per game, has dished out 66 assists, recorded 35 steals, and shoots at a 37-percent clip from the floor and 75-percent from the free throw line. Edmonds scored a career-high 33 points in the Zips win against Bowling Green, dished out a season-best nine assists against Northern Kentucky, and scored in double-figures in 14 games.Â
Reinoehl has become a staple in the frontcourt dating back to her freshman season making 76 consecutive starts for the Zips. The forward is the team's leading rebounder with 248 total rebounds (8.3 per contest) and third-leading scorer averaging 10.1 points per game. One of the Zips two inside forces, Reinoehl has posted 19 double-figure scoring performances, a team-high 9 double-doubles, and led the team in rebounding in 17 games. Reinoehl scored a career-high 23 points in Akron's win over Buffalo, pulled down a career-best 20 rebounds against Kent State, and now ranks ninth all-time in rebounding in program history.Â
Vari, a member of the Zips frontcourt, has played a vital role in the interior for Akron on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Vari is tasked game in and game out with defending the opponent's top frontcourt player, owns a team-high 29 blocks, and according to coach Jackson, is one of, if not the best defender on the Akron roster. On the offensive side of the court, Vari has tallied a career-high 266 points (8.9 points/game) while reeling in a team second-best 6.8 rebounds per contest, including a team-high 86 offensive rebounds and 117 defensive rebounds. Vari has recorded at least two offensive caroms in 22 games and led the Zips in offensive rebounds in 13 games.
Harmon has expanded her game over the course of the 2018-19 season that we did not see in her first two seasons in an Akon uniform. The junior guard has seen time as the Zips point guard, shooting guard, and small forward over the course of the season. With her versatility on the court, Harmon has recorded career-highs in points (205 total, 6.8 points/game), assists (team-high 116), rebounds (103 total, 3.4/game), and steals (32). Harmon is shooting 38.1-percent from the floor, 48.6-percent from long range, and 78.9-percent from the charity stripe.Â
Clay has taken on a sixth-man role for the Zips as one of the first players entering the game as a reserve. After a tough start to the season, Clay picked up her play as the seasoned turned to Mid-American Conference play. The Zips sharpshooter is averaging 4.4 points per game, shoots at a 37.7-percent clip from long range, and .325 from the floor. Heading into the Zips game against Western Michigan, the Zips guard was shooting just 5-of-33 from long range. But in four straight games, Clay went a perfect 10-for-10 from beyond the arc notching 30 of her then-62 points this season. The Zips sharpshooter was four three-pointers shy of tying the NCAA record for most consecutive three-pointers made, 14, that was set in 1996 by Deana Lansing of Portland University. Clay knocked down 46 three-pointers in 2017-18. Clay later scored a career-high 25 points against Ohio.Â
The freshmen trio of Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio), Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio), and Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) have seen significant playing time in their first seasons in an Akron uniform. The three Akron freshmen have played a combined 983 minutes, scored 226 points and tallied 62 assists.Â
Up Next
If the Akron women's basketball team defeats Tennessee Tech at the Eblin Center on Thursday, March 21, the Zips will move on to the semifinals round of the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational. The Zips will face the winner of the Coastal Carolina and Campbell contest. If Akron falls, the 2018-19 women's basketball season will come to a close.
