Akron Faces First MAC Road Test At Bowling Green Friday

Saturday, January 11

Bowling Green, OH

2 PM

University of Akron

Bowling Green

Akron Faces First MAC Road Test At Bowling Green Friday

January 10 | Women's Basketball

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Akron (7-6, 0-2 MAC) vs. Bowling Green (7-7, 0-2 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 11
Bowling Green, Ohio • Stroh Center • 2 p.m.
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What's Ahead
The Akron women's basketball team travels to Bowling Green, Ohio, for its first road test of the 2019-20 Mid-American Conference schedule to begin a two-game road trip. The Zips take on the Falcons of Bowling Green on Saturday, January 11, at 2 p.m. from inside the Stroh Center. The game can be seen on ESPN3 or heard live on Fox Sports 1350 AM with Bill Morgan on the call.

Scouting the Falcons
As the Zips head into enemy territory for the first time this MAC season, Bowling Green awaits the arrival of Akron holding onto a 7-7 overall record and 0-2 mark in league play. The Falcons dropped its first two MAC contests to Eastern Michigan (61-78) and Ball State (80-86, OT). Through its first 12 match-ups in non-conference play, Bowling Green turned in a 7-5 ledger which matched the same amount of non-league wins for the Falcons in back-to-back seasons.

The Bowling Green offense, which ranks first in the MAC in scoring offense (77.1) and shooting percentage (.467), has three starters scoring in double figures to pace the Falcons attack. Caterrion Thompson, a senior guard, is scoring a team-high 15.2 points per game and dished out 37 assists, but owns 39 turnovers, second-most in the BG lineup. Madisen Parker, the Falcons top sharpshooter is shooting at a .495 clip from long range, has knocked down 49 triples, and scored 13.6 points per game. Angela Perry, a back-court threat for BG, shoots at an efficient .602 clip from the floor, averages 13.5 points per contest, and grabs 4.9 rebounds per game. The Falcons leader in assists (41) and rebounds (7.8/game) is sophomore Kadie Hempfling who is also scoring 9.5 points a game.

In the NCAA, the F rank in the top-50 in eight statistical categories, including 3-point field goal percentage (7th), 3-point field goals made per game (9th), 3-point field goals made (15th), field goal percentage (15th), assists per game (18th), scoring offense (30th), assists (31st), and assist/turnover ratio (45th).

Probable Starters
BGSU: Caterrion Thompson, Madisen Parker, Angela Perry, Kadie Hempfling, Mari Hill. \

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

Series History
In the all-time series between Akron and Bowling Green, the Falcons have seen a lot of success against the Zips since 1979. BG holds a 54-9 overall record against UA, however, the Zips have won the past two encounters between the two sides and is 6-4 in the last 10 match-ups dating back to 2015.

Last Time Out
After scoring just 22 first-half points and trailing 24-22 at the halftime intermission, the Akron women's basketball team scored 61 second-half points powered by a career-night from junior point guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who dropped a career-best 33 points to lead the Zips to an 83-73 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday night.

Despite shooting just 38.8-percent from the floor in for the contest, Akron shot lights out in the second half going 18-for-32 (56.2-percent), including 6-for-12 from long range, and 19-for-25 from the charity stripe. For the contest, Akron ended the game connecting on a season-high 24 free throws on 30 attempts, tallied a season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter, and 61 in the second half.

Behind Edmonds in the scoring column were three more Zips who notched double-figures in the game. Junior guard Shayna Harmon (Ashville, Ohio) turned in an all-around performance scoring 19 points, dropped four assists, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded four steals in the win. Redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) hit her scoring average notching 18 points along with six rebounds and four steals, while junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) chipped in 12 points, reeled in a team-high eight rebounds, grabbed three steals, and tallied a pair of assists.

The Akron offense did a phenomenal job of taking care of the ball and turned the ball over a season-low four times in the contest. On the other side of the ball, the Zips defense hounded the Falcons and forced 21 turnovers, including 16 steals which led to 20 points on the other end of the floor.

Coaches
Bowling Green: Robyn Fralick, is in her second year at the helm of the Bowling Green women's basketball program. In her first two seasons, Fralick has led the Falcons to a 16-28 overall mark but owns a 120-31 ledger as a head coach after leading the Ashland University program.

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 Bowling Green, Akron Would...

Earn its eighth win of the 2019-20 season
Improve to 8-6 on the season and 1-2 in the MAC.
Improves the Zips road record to 5-2.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 25th career win.
Capture the Zips 476th program win.
Win three straight games against Bowling Green and two straight at the Stroh Center.

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.
Akron went 2-0 at the 2019 Puerto Rico Classic defeating Denver and Morgan State. The Zips are 4-0 went participating in December holiday tournaments in the past two seasons and collected a three-game win streak (2019) and four-game win streak (2018) to close out the past two non-conference schedules.
Against the Pioneers, senior Haliegh Reinoehl recorded a career day scoring 26 points while senior Caitlin Vari grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds.
The Zips led by just one point heading into the fourth quarter against Denver before scoring a season-high 34 points and shot 91.6-percent from the floor in the final 10 minutes of play to defeat DU by +16.
Akron set season-highs in points in the paint (50 ) and points off turnovers (34) while tying season-high numbers in points scored (88) and assists (21).
In her first Mid-American Conference contest against CMU, junior Jordyn Dawson scored a career-high 25 points, shot 50-percent from the floor, and grabbed seven rebounds.
In two games, 11 players who checked into the game scored a minimum of 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 four of its eleven games while a minimum of two Akron players have notched double digits in the scoring column in 10 of 11 contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 1/7):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (32nd, 189), turnovers per game (74th, 14.5), turnover margin (73rd, 3.23), assist/turnover ratio (127th, 0.89).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (164th, .693).
Scoring: scoring margin (158th, +2.8), scoring offense (146th, 68.5), field goal percentage (161st, 40.3).
Defense: fewest fouls (75th, 219), steals per game (158th, 8.3),
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 1/7):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 186th rebounds per game (7.5).
Jordyn Dawson - 147th steals per game (2.00), 150th field goal percentage (46.2).
Shaunay Edmonds - 178th steals per game (1.92).
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 (21, Denver.), steals (12, SBU, CSU), blocks (7, Det.)
Individual Game-Highs: Points (26, Reinoehl), field goals made (11 Dawson), three-pointers (4, Martindale), free throws made (8, Harmon), rebounds (17, Vari), assists (6 Edmonds), steals (10, Edmonds).

Up Next
Akron stays on the road for game number four of the Mid-American Conference schedule. The Zips return to northwest Ohio on Wednesday, Jan. 15, to take on MAC West opponent, Toledo, at 7 p.m. from Savage Arena.