Akron Women's Basketball Returns Home Against Northern Illinois On Alumnae Day

Saturday, January 18

Akron, OH

4:30 PM

University of Akron

Northern Illinois

Akron Women's Basketball Returns Home Against Northern Illinois On Alumnae Day

January 17 | Women's Basketball

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Akron (8-7,1-3 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois (4-11, 0-4 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 18
Akron, Ohio • James A. Rhodes Arena • 4:30 p.m.
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What's Ahead
The Zips return to the friendly confines of James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, January 18, as the Akron women's basketball team hosts Northern Illinois during UA's 2020 Alumnae Day. The contest between the Zips and Huskies is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. as part two of an Akron basketball doubleheader following UA's men's basketball game at 2 p.m. All the action between UA and NIU can be seen on ESPN3 or heard on Fox Sports 1350.

Scouting the Huskies
After being predicted to finish second in the MAC West division in the 2019-20 preseason poll, Northern Illinois enters the contest against Akron with a 4-11 overall record and an 0-4 mark inside MAC play. The Huskies have dropped its first four league contests to Ohio (67-87), Miami (64-66), Toledo (51-63), and Kent State (71-79. NIU has dropped six straight match-ups dating back to its final two non-conference match-ups against Southern Illinois (61-80) and Drake (49-73).

The Northern Illinois offense that is averaging 63.7-points per game and shooting 37-percent from the floor as a unit, is led by senior Courtney Woods. Woods, named to the MAC West preseason team, averages a team-high 16.9 points per game, is shooting 38.4-percent from the floor, made a team-best 64 free throws, and has dished out a team-best 44 assists. A freshman guard, Chelby Koker, has turned in an impressive first rookie campaign 15 games into the season averaging 8.6 points, shoots at a 37.3-percent clip from distance, and has grabbed 51 rebounds. Riley Blackwell, the Huskies leading rebounder, is pulling down 5.7 boards per match-up and has tallied a team-high nine blocked shots.

As a unit, NIU ranks 13th in defensive rebounds per game (30.3), 77th in fewest fouls (249), 68th in three-point field goals per game (7.4), 76th in three-point field goals attempted (362), and 87th in rebounds per game (40.5). Woods is rated in the top 150th in the NCAA in five statistical categories, including 23rd in free-throw percentage and 52nd in free throws made.

Probable Starters
NIU: Courtney Woods, Myia Starks, Riley Blackwell, Grace Hunter, A'Jah Davis.

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

Series History
Dating back to 1989, the Akron women's basketball team has squared-off against Northern Illinois 33 times. The Huskies own a 22-11 record over the Zips in each program's respective history. UA last defeated NIU in 2017 by a score of 84-55 and the last time Akron defeated the Huskies at home was 2014 (89-75).

Last Time Out
Twenty-five hours following its originally scheduled contest, the Akron women's basketball team falls in Mid-American Conference action to Northern Illinois, 70-59, as a late fourth-quarter comeback falls short inside the Convocation Center.

Akron held a 30-29 lead at the halftime intermission limiting the Huskies high-powered offense. However, NIU would take over in the second half outscoring the Zips 41-29 en route to the victory.

UA's offense was led by the duo of redshirt senior Megan Sefcik (Austintown, Ohio) and junior Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ohio) scoring a combined 30 points for the Zips. Sefick led all Akron players with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting and 3-of-9 from long distance. Reinoehl turned in her ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season and nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. On top of her in-game performance, Reinoehl reached a milestone in her career when she hit her first triple of the game posting her 500thcareer point. Juniors Caitlin Vari (Richfield, Ohio), Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and Alyssa Clay (Indianapolis, Ind.) combined add 21 points on the afternoon.

Coaches
Northern Illinois: Lisa Carlson, in her fifth season as head coach of the Northern Illinois women's basketball team, owns an overall record of 254-233 in her career and a 70-77 mark with the Huskies.

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 Northern Illinois, Akron Would...

Earn its ninth win of the 2019-20 season
Improve to 9-6 on the season and 2-3 in the MAC.
Improves the Zips home record to 4-4.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 26th career win.
Capture the Zips 477th program win.
End a two-game losing streak to the Huskies.

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.
Haliegh Reinoehl matched a career-high 26 points against BGSU and recorded her fourth double-double of the season.
Caitlin Vari pulled down 16 rebounds against Bowling Green and scored 14 points for her second double-double of the season.
Haliegh Reinoehl recorded a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time this season against Bowling Green (26/11) and Toledo (15/10).
Akron outscored Toledo 42-27 in the second half and 22-13 in the fourth quarter.
Down by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, Akron rallied in the third and fourth quarter to claim its first lead over Toledo at the 4:10 mark. The Zips outscored the Rockets 28-7 which included 11 straight points beginning at 3:36 in the third and ended at 4:09 in the fourth.
Alyssa Clay scored a season-high nine points against the Rockets going 3-for-6 from distance.
Caitlin Vari has scored in double figures in all four MAC contests and in five of the Zips last six games.
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 15 games while a minimum of two Akron players have notched double digits in the scoring column in 13 of 15 contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 1/17):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (41st, 218), turnovers per game (74th, 14.5), turnover margin (85th, 2.73), assist/turnover ratio (129nt, 0.90).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (144th, .699).
Scoring: scoring margin (165th, +2.3), scoring offense (144th, 67.6), field goal percentage (145th, 40.5).
Defense: fewest fouls (118th, 262), steals per game (155th, 8.2).
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 1/17):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 152nd rebounds per game (7.9), 216th field goal percentage (42.5), 244th points per game (14.4)
Jordyn Dawson - 139th steals per game (2.00), 150th field goal percentage (46.0).
Shaunay Edmonds - 201st steals per game (1.87).
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).

To The Final Whistle
There is no quit in Akron women's basketball team as the Zips are determined to fight until the final buzzer goes off in the fourth quarter. UA is outscoring its opponents in the fourth quarter, 290-243 (+37). Akron scored a season-high 34 points in the fourth against Denver, scored 14 unanswered points in the final 2:29 of the fourth quarter against Bowling Green, and 11 straight points in the fourth quarter against Toledo. Akron has scored 20+ points in the fourth quarter in eight of its 15 contests and has outscored its opponent in 11 of 15 games.

Up Next
Akron's two-game homestand continues as the Zips return to the hardwood on Wednesday, Jan. 22, against Miami. UA hosts the RedHawks at James A. Rhodes Arena for a 7 p.m. tilt.