The Rivalry Continues As Akron Travels To Kent State For Midweek MACtion

Wednesday, February 26

Kent, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

Kent State

The Rivalry Continues As Akron Travels To Kent State For Midweek MACtion

February 25 | Women's Basketball

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Akron (13-12,6-8 MAC) vs. Kent State (15-10, 8-6 MAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Kent, Ohio • M.A.C. Center • 7:00 p.m.
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What's Ahead
The Akron women's basketball team looks to keep its momentum rolling into week nine's midweek Mid-American Conference contest as the Zips take on Kent State on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the M.A.C Center. The game marks the second meeting between UA and the Golden Flashes and part two of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge. All the action can be seen live on ESPN+ or heard live on Fox Sports 1350 AM.

Scouting the Golden Flashes
With four games remaining in the 2019-20 regular season, Kent State sits fifth overall at 8-6 in the Mid-American Conference while holding a 15-10 overall record. After opening league play with back-to-back losses to Ball State (62-66) and Eastern Michigan (69-74), the Golden Flashes reeled off three straight wins against Western Michigan (75-63), Northern Illinois (79-71), and Miami (78-75). KSU has since gone 5-4 over its last nine games including their most recent 80-75 win against the RedHawks.

The Golden Flashes offense flows through their starting five of Nila Blackford, Asiah Dingle, Megan Carter, Katie Shumate, and Lindsey Thall who have scored 1,439 of their 1,736 total points. Blackford, a freshman forward, has made a huge impact for Kent State in her first season as the Golden Flashes leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and leading rebounder (7.6 rpg). The backcourt duo of Dingle and Carter have tallied a combined 105 assists while Dingle averages 13.3 points and a 46.5-percent clip from the floor and Carter averages 12.0 points per game along with 24 steals. Shumate, another freshman for the Golden Flashes, is scoring 12.3 points per game and grabbing 6.7 rebounds as a guard. Sophomore forward Lindsey Thall rounds out the scoring threats for Kent State and averages 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and has garnered a team-high 53 made three-pointers.

In the NCAA, Kent State ranks in the top-100 in eight statistical categories, including blocked shots (89th), blocked shots per game (67th), fewest turnovers (23rd), free throw attempts (94th), free throws made (82nd), scoring offense (87th), turnover margin (66th), turnovers per game (37th).

Probable Starters
Kent State: Nila Blackford, Asiah Dingle, Megan Carter, Katie Shumate, Lindsey Thall.

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

Series History
The Akron and Kent State women's basketball rivalry dates back to 1975 in which the Zips won the inaugural meeting against the Golden Flashes, 85-67. Since then, the two sides have met 79 times on the hardwood with the Zips holding a 16-53 overall mark against KSU. Dating back to 2013, Akron is 9-6 including 4-3 at the M.A.C. Center.

Last Time Out
It was the kind of game that you knew would go down to the very end. Playing the first of two games against their biggest rival this season, the Akron women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with the Kent State Golden Flashes and came up just short in a 60-55 loss on Wednesday night inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

Senior guard Shaunay Edmonds (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led Akron with 19 points, added four rebounds, three steals and two assists, while senior forward Haliegh Reinoehl (Westfield, Ind.) contributed 13 points and seven rebounds in a game that was a nail biter from beginning to end.

The Zips (10-12, 3-8 MAC) and Flashes traded big shot after big shot as the game wore on, swapped major defensive stands and emptied their respective gas tanks in search of a big Mid-American Conference win.

From Edmonds' clutch layups in the final two minutes to a key 3-pointer and conventional three-point play by Kent State, there were plenty of heart-stopping twists and turns down the stretch.

It wasn't until a heavily contested three-pointer for the Zips with seconds left came up just short, and two free throws by Kent State following a foul on the ensuing play, that either side could fully seize control in the closing minutes.

Coaches
Kent State: Todd Starkey is in his fourth year as the sixth head coach in Kent State women's basketball program history. Starkey has led the Golden Flashes to 67-55 overall mark, a 20 win campaign in 2018-19, and was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2017.

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 Kent State, Akron Would...

Earn its 14th win of the 2019-20 season.
Improve to 14-12 on the season and 7-8 in the MAC.
Improves the Zips road record to 8-6.
Hand head coach Melissa Jackson her 30th career win.
Capture the 482nd win in program history.
Move to 5-2 in MAC East play.
Split the season series with the Golden Flashes.
Win its fourth straight contest

Clicking At The Right Time
The Akron women's basketball team has won three-straight games (vs. EMU, 64-53/vs. UB, 69-63/vs. OU, 79-76) for the second time this season and first time inside Mid-American Conference play. As the Zips prepare for the final stretch of the regular-season UA has turned in its best basketball of the season over the course of the last three games posting averages of 70.7 ppg, 46.0 rpg, .417 shooting percentage, .367 three-point clip, 39 assists, and 18 steals.

Individually, three Zips have averaged double-digit scoring including Haliegh Reineohl (17.0), Jordyn Dawson (13.7), and Shaunay Edmonds (11.3). Reinoehl and Dawson average a double-double posting 11.7 reb/game and 10.3 reb/game to go along with their respective point totals. The duo of Dawson and Edmonds have recorded a combined 27 assists and 10 steals.

#MACtion
Inside 14 Mid-American Conference contests, four Zips have totaled over 100 points including Haliegh Reinoehl (223), Jordyn Dawson (173), and Shaunay Edmonds (139), and Caitlin Vari (100). Reinoehl averages team-highs in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounds (9.6 rpg), including 31 offensive rebounds. Dawson, in her first season competing in the MAC, averages 13.3 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per contest, 40 assists, and 22 steals. The duo of Reinohel and Dawson are shooting an efficient 142-336 (42.3-percent) from the floor. Edmonds is posting 9.9 points per game to go along with 35 assists and 19 steals.

2-for-1(K) Special
On Jan. 22, 2020 against Miami at James A. Rhodes Arena, Shaunay Edmonds knocked down a pair of free throws in the third quarter that marked her 999th and 1,000 career point. Edmonds became the 18th Zip in program history to accomplish the career milestone. In the Zips 23rd game of the 2019-20 season, in the same fashion as Edmonds, senior Haliegh Reinoehl stepped to the free throw line in the third quarter against Eastern Michigan, knocked down a pair of free throws, and on the second make became the 19th player in program history to reach the 1,000 career point milestone. Additionally, Edmonds and Reinoehl became the fifth duo in program history to reach the career point total in the same season

1987-88 - Pam Arnold & Diane Hollish | 2012-13 - Rachel Tecca & Sina King | 2013-14 - Hanna Luburgh & Carly Young | 2015-16 - Anita Brown & Hannah Plybon

On The Road Again
In 2019-20, the Akron Zips are 7-6 when playing away from Akron, Ohio and the JAR. In 13 contests, the Zips are averaging 65.5 points per game, shooting 40-percent from the floor, 32.8-percent from long range, makes 13.4 free throws per contest, have pulled in 486 rebounds, 162 assists, and 104 steals.

Individually, three Zips pace the offensive attack on the road including, Haliegh Reineohl (15.7 ppg), Jordyn Dawson (10.5 ppg), and Shauney Edmonds (9.8 ppg). Caitlin Vari owns second-most rebounds (7.3) per game while chipping in 7.7 points per contest.

Rebound Machine
A year ago, Reinoehl surpassed Anita Brown and Alisa Peddicord on the program's all-time top-ten rebounding list. The seniior who owns a team-high 878 career rebounds and a career 7.5 average per game, is now fourth all-time in career-rebounds in program history and needs two rebounds to move into third all-time.

Reinoehl's 20 rebounds against the Golden Flashes last year are tied for seventh-most in a single-game by an Akron player. Reinoehl is tied with Kim Knowles, Kerry Mossburg, and Cheryl Bowles.

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 then 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 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.
Sophomore Kendall Miller scored a career-high 11 points against Northern Illinois on 5-of-7 shooting and 1-of-2 from long range.
Shaunay Edmonds became the 18th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
Akron stole a season-high 14 steals against Miami and forced 18 RedHawk turnovers.
UA snapped a six game losing streak against Miami dating back to 2016.
Jordryn Dawson recorded a career-high 13 rebounds and notched the third double-double of her career in the Zips win over the RedHawks.
The four-headed attack of Jordyn Dawson, Shaunay Edmonds, Haliegh Reinoehl, and Shayna Harmon scored 56 of UA's 71 points.
Akron tallied a shooting percentage of 60-percent in the fourth quarter against the Broncos.
Jordyn Dawson turned in her best two-game stretch of the season against Miami and Western Michigan. Dawson scored 20.5 points per game, pulled down 7.5 rebounds per match-up, ripped 4.0 steals per contest, and averaged 2.0 assists per game while shooting 60-percent from the floor and 76.9-percent from the free-throw line.
The Zips turned the ball over a season-high 25 times against Ohio. It was the first time this season Akron ended the game with 20+ turnovers.
Senior Alyssa Clay tallied a season-high 18 points against the Bobcats that included five three-pointers and a trio of free throws. In her career, Clay has scored 61 points against Ohio that included a career-high 25 points in 2018-19.
Defensively, Akron held a high-powered Ohio offense to just 32 first-half points and a low 29-percent field goal percentage. The Zips held three of the top scorers inside the MAC to a combined 21 points including just five points for Erica Johnson, the reigning Freshman of the Year.
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.
In the Zips first overtime contest of the season against Eastern Michigan, Akron picked up the victory against the Eagles outscoring EMU 12-5. The Zips shot 4-for-7 from the floor in the extra five minutes of play including two three-pointers from senior Alyssa Clay.
Clay scored 35 points in Akron's games against Ohio and Eastern Michigan. Going into the Zips contest against Ohio (1/29), Clay had scored just 32 points.
Against OU and EMU, Clay shot 10-for-20 from long range connecting on five triples in each game.
Akron pulled down a season-high 53 rebounds against the Eagles including 15 offensive rebounds.
Three Zips including Haliegh Reinoehl, Jordyn Dawson, and Caitlin Vari recorded a double-double against EMU.
Seven Zips scored in the first quarter of the Ball State game as UA jumped out to an early 22-12 lead over the Cardinals.
Akron's 22 points in the first quarter against the Cardinals was the second-highest point total for the Zips in the first quarter all season.
Sophomore Kendall Miller scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in career scoring 10 points against Eastern Michigan and matched a career-high 11 points vs. Ball State.
The Zips swept Eastern Michigan in its regular-season series for the first time since 2016.
Kendall Miller scored the first seven points for Akron in the fourth quarter against Eastern Michigan that sparked a 13-9 advantage for the Zips in the period.
Akron took down Buffalo at Alumni Arena and defeated the Bulls in two straight meetings for the first time since 2016.
The Zips won back-to-back road games inside MAC play for the first time in 2019-20 after defeating Eastern Michigan and Buffalo.
For just the second time this season, Akron captured three-straight wins and for the first time in during MAC play.
Following the Zips win over the Bobcats, UA returned back over. 500 (13-12) for the first time since going 9-8 after defeating Miami on Jan. 22.
Akron defeated Ohio and Buffalo in the same season for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Haliegh Reinoehl and Jordyn Dawson have tallied a double-double in the same game four times in 2019-20. In those games, the pair scored a combined 143 points and 98 rebounds. Reinoehl (76-51), Dawson (67-47).
Sophomore Colleen Neitzel hauled in a career-high nine rebounds against Ohio.
For the first time in her career, Reinoehl played an entire 40 minute contest against the Bobcats.
In two games, senior Alyssa Clay has scored 36 points and shot 10-for-17 from long range vs. Ohio.
UA's +16 advantage in rebounds (49-33) against Ohio is the largest positive differential for the Zips in MAC play and tied for the teams second-largest advantage.
The Zips have had four players score in double figures in six of its 25 games while a minimum of two Akron players have notched double digits in the scoring column in 23 of 25 contests and a season-best five Zips tallied double figures against YSU and Eastern Michigan.
Haliegh Reinoehl has now scored in double figures in 12 straight games, in 15 of the Zips last 17 games, and 21 of UA's 25 total contests, while leading UA in scoring in 14 contests.
The Zips in the NCAA (stats as of 2/24):
Turnovers: Fewest turnovers (109th, 391), turnovers per game (155th, 15.6), turnover margin (154th, 0.72), assist/turnover ratio (184th, 0.80).
Free Throws: free-throw percentage (175th, .693).
Scoring: scoring margin (175th, +1.2), scoring offense (130th, 67.4), field goal percentage (132nd, 40.6).
Defense: fewest fouls (206th, 460), steals per game (186th, 7.6).
Zips players in the NCAA (stats as of 2/24):
Haliegh Reinoehl - 101st rebounds per game (8.4), 125th rebounds (211), 197th field goal percentage (42.9), 192nd in total points (380), 155th points per game (15.2), 228th free-throw percentage (74.3).
Jordyn Dawson - 155th steals per game (1.9), 222nd rebounds per game (7.2)
Shaunay Edmonds - 237th steals per game (1.72).
Team Game-Highs: Points (91, YSU), field goals made (33, YSU), three-pointers (12), free throws made (25, SBU), rebounds (52, EMU), assists (21, Denver.), steals (14, Miami), blocks (7, Det.)
Individual Game-Highs: Points (26, Reinoehl 3X), field goals made (11 Dawson), three-pointers (5, Clay), free throws made (9, Reinoehl), rebounds (17, Vari), assists (8 Dawson), steals (10, Edmonds).

Up Next
Akron hits the road for its final away contest of the 2019-20 women's basketball regular-season as the Zips head to Oxford, Ohio, to take on Miami. UA and the RedHawks are scheduled to tip-off inside Millett Hall at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29.