Akron Women's Basketball Closes Out Road Swing At Toledo

Wednesday, January 15

Toledo, OH

7 PM

University of Akron

Toledo

Akron Women's Basketball Closes Out Road Swing At Toledo

January 14 | Women's Basketball

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Akron (8-6,1-2 MAC) vs. Toledo (7-7, 2-1 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Toledo, Ohio • Savage Arena • 7 p.m.
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What's Ahead
Akron women's basketball is back on the road as the Zips close out their two-game road swing in northwest Ohio. UA heads to the glass city of Toledo, Ohio to take on MAC West opponent, the Toledo Rockets, on Wednesday, January 15, at 7 p.m. inside Savage Arena. All the MACtion between Akron and Toledo can be seen on ESPN+ or heard live on Fox Sports 1350 with Bill Morgan on the call.

Scouting the Rockets
Coming off a two-game win streak, Toledo enters its contest against the Zips at 7-7 overall and 2-1 through the first three games of Mid-American Conference play. After suffering a league opening loss to Western Michigan (72-84), the Rockets have since dropped Buffalo (71-59) and Northern Illinois (63-51) in back-to-back games. When playing in front of its home crowd at Savage Arena, Toledo is 3-3.

The Toledo Rockets are scoring 66.1 points per game while shooting an efficient 41.0-percent from the floor and 29.4-percent from long range. On the defensive side of the ball, the Rockets have recorded 89 steals, 30 blocks, and has forced 90 turnovers. The team leader in scoring for Toledo is junior guard Nakiah Black who scores 11.8 points per game and is shooting 37.8-percent from the floor. Tanaya Beacham, who owns a team-high 59.8-percent from the floor working in the interior, averages 9.6 points per contest and grabs 4.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Mariella Santucci, ranks seventh in program history in the assist category and leads the Rockets in 2019-20 with 64 assists while also posts a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game.

As a unit, Toledo ranks 76th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers. Individually, Santucci ranks in three offensive categories including assists per game (73rd, 4.6 apg), total assists (110th, 64), and (assist/turnover ratio (168th, 1.49), while Black is rated 233rd in three-point field goal percentage.

Probable Starters
UT: Nakiah Black, Tanaya Beacham, Mariella Santucci, Tatyana Davis, Quinesha Lockett.

Akron: Shaunay Edmonds, Shayna Harmon, Jordyn Dawson, Haliegh Reinoehl, Caitlin Vari.

Series History
Since 1975, Akron and Toledo have met in competition 56 times on the hardwood. In the history between the Zips and Rockets, UT has tallied a 42-14 record against UA. Akron is coming off a win against Toledo in 2018-19, which snapped a three-game losing streak to the Rockets. Since 2014, Akron is 7-3 against UT which included a six-game win streak.

Last Time Out
Thanks to an impressive second-half comeback and an exceptional effort in overtime, the Akron women's basketball team scored 49 second half/OT points en route to a 70-64 overtime decision over the Toledo Rockets at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The Zips overcame a 12 point deficit, which is the largest come-from-behind win of the season for Akron. In the overtime period alone, Akron scored 17 points in just five minutes which almost equaled the team's point total in the first half.

Redshirt senior guard Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) led the Zips with a season-high 29 points, including 25 in the second half alone. Additionally, Sefcik drained six three-point attempts, her second game of six or more made triples on the season. Junior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) had her second double-double of the season and sixth of her career, scoring 11 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Junior forward Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio) rounded out the double-figure scoring for the hosts with 11 points to go along with six rebounds, including two key offensive rebounds down the stretch.

Coaches
Toledo: Tricia Cullop, one of the longest-tenured coaches inside the Mid-American Conference, is in her 12th season at the helm of the Toledo women's basketball program. Since taking over, Cullop has led the Rockets to one MAC Championship, two regular-season MAC titles, and four MAC West titles. Cullop's all-time record with Toledo is 371-240 overall and 201-133 in the MAC.

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 Toledo, Akron Would...

Earn its ninth win of the 2019-20 season
Improve to 10-6 on the season and 2-2 in the MAC.
Improves the Zips road record to 4-4.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 26th career win.
Capture the Zips 477th program win.
Win two straight contests against Toledo and first at Savage Arena since 2015.

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.
Akron scored 14 unanswered points against Bowling Green in the final 2:29 of the fourth to complete a come-from-behind 76-73 victory over the Falcons.
Defensively, the Zips shutdown the Falcons offense in the closing minutes of the fourth as BG went 0-for-3, turned the ball over twice, and committed three fouls sending UA to the line.
In the fourth quarter alone, Akron outscored BGSU, 27-17, shot a game-high 55.6-percent from the floor, 5-for-6 from the charity stripe, scored 16 points in the paint, 10 points off turnovers, eight second-chance points, and seven fastbreak points.
The Zips starting five of Edmonds, Dawson, Harmon, Reinoehl, and Vari accounted for 71 of Akron's 76 points against Bowling Green.
Senior Haliegh Reinoehl matched a career-high 26 points against BGSU and recorded her fourth double-double of the season.
Senior Caitlin Vari pulled down 16 rebounds against Bowling Green and scored 14 points for her second double-double of the season.
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 12 of 14 contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 1/14):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (33rd, 202), turnovers per game (70th, 14.4), turnover margin (69th, 3.14), assist/turnover ratio (112th, 0.92).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (143rd, .700).
Scoring: scoring margin (158th, +2.8), scoring offense (139th, 68.1), field goal percentage (151st, 40.3).
Defense: fewest fouls (88th, 241), steals per game (151st, 8.3).
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 1/14):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 165th rebounds per game (7.7).
Jordyn Dawson - 143rd steals per game (2.00), 151st field goal percentage (46.1).
Shaunay Edmonds - 180th steals per game (1.93).
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).

History in the Making
27 is the magic number for senior Shaunay Edmonds. The Zips point guard is 27 points away from becoming the 16th player in Akron women's basketball history to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark. Edmonds would be the second Zip in as many seasons to reach the career milestone as Megan Sefcik etched her name in program history in 2018-19 and ended her career with 1,038 points.

Up Next
The Akron women's basketball team returns home to James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Jan. 18, as part of an Akron Basketball doubleheader. The Zips are scheduled to take one Northern Illinois tentatively at 4:30 p.m., or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Akron men's basketball game against Toledo at 2 p.m.