Akron Eyes Road Win Traveling to Eastern Michigan

Saturday, January 16

Ypsilanti, Mich.

12:00 PM

University of Akron

Eastern Michigan

Akron Eyes Road Win Traveling to Eastern Michigan

January 15 | Women's Basketball

Follow Akron Women's Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Follow Coach Jackson on Twitter

GAME NO. 9 - AKRON AT EASTERN MICHIGAN GAME NOTES (1/16)

Akron (4-4, 1-4 MAC) at Eastern Michigan (6-5, 3-3 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 16
Convocation Center
Ypsilanti, Mich. • 12 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 25-18
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Radio: 99.7 FM (Bill Morgan - pxp)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team opens a two-game road swing with a visit to Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 16. The noon tilt with the Eagles will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as 99.7 Canton's New Country with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Eastern Michigan: Fred Castro (Oklahoma, 2004), Overall/Eastern Michigan Record: 53-82 (Fifth Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 35-34 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Eastern Michigan are squaring off for the 44th time in program history, with the Zips owning a 25-18 series edge. Akron swept the season series versus the Eagles a season ago as the Zips netted a 88-81 triumph at James A. Rhodes Arena on Feb. 1, 2020, before edging Eastern Michigan, 64-53, at the Convocation Center on Feb. 15, 2020.

SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan is riding a two-game winning streak entering play against Akron on Saturday, Jan. 16, following the Eagles' 61-41 road triumph past Miami on Jan. 13.

Senior G Areanna Combs headlines a trio of Eastern Michigan players scoring in double figures averaging 19.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.6 assists per game. Contributing 16.6 and 10.5 points, respectively, per night is redshirt sophomore F Ce'Nara Skanes and junior G Jenna Annecchiarico. As a team, the Eagles are registering 65.5 points, 39.4 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 9.8 steals and 2.8 blocks per outing.

Eastern Michigan is 24th in the NCAA in free throws made (157) and steals (108), 32nd in free throws attempted (220), 42nd in rebounds (433) and 44th in turnover margin (4.18). Individually, Skanes is eighth in total rebounds (116), 19th in free throws attempted (65), 20th in double-doubles (5), 24th in rebounds per game (10.5), 52nd in total points (183), while Combs is third in steals (35), fifth in field goal attempts (207), 14th in minutes played (388:57), 17th in total points (219), 18th in field goals made (80), 19th in steals per game (3.18), 25th in free throws attempted (65) and 37th in scoring (19.9). Additionally, Annecchiarico is fifth in minutes played (414:34), 10th in steals (31), 39th in assists (47) and 42nd in steals per game (2.82).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 15, 2020 - YPSILANTI, MICH.)
Courtesy of a big first-half lead and lock-down defense in the fourth quarter, the Akron women's basketball team defeated Eastern Michigan, 64-53 on Feb. 15, 2020 inside the Convocation Center.

Haliegh Reinoehl scored her seventh point of the game at the 2:05 mark of the third quarter knocking down a pair of free throws at the charity stripe to score her 1,000-career point at Akron. She became the 19thplayer in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. It marked just the fourth time in program history that two Zips accomplished the feat in the same season as Shaunay Edmonds broke the 1,000-point threshold on Jan. 22, 2020. The pair joins Pam Arnold and Dianne Hollish (1987-88), Rachel Tecca and Sina King (2012-13), and Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon (2015-16) in program history.

Eastern Michigan turned a 13-point deficit, 37-24, at the halftime break into as little as a one-point deficit, 45-44, with 2:23 to play in the third quarter, before the Zips rattled off seven straight points to take a 51-44 advantage into the final period of play.

In the fourth quarter, the Zips turned up the defensive intensity holding Eastern Michigan to 2-of-16 shooting. Offensively, junior Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) took over for Akron in the fourth scoring seven straight points for Akron sparking 13-5 run for the Zips and an eventual 64-53 victory.

Three players scored in double figures to direct the Zips offensively, including Edmonds, Reinoehl, and Miller. Edmonds led all Akron players scoring 15 points, while adding two assists, and a steal. En route to her 1,000-career point, Reinoehl scored 13 points on the day and picked up a double-double grabbing 13 rebounds. Miller scored 10 points with seven coming in the fourth and added three boards.

A balanced offensive and defensive attack for the Zips allowed Akron to control the game in the first half. The Zips shot 44.1-percent from the floor (15-of-34) including shooting 47.1-percent (8-of-17) in the opening quarter. On the opposite end of the floor, suffocating defense limited the Eagles' offense to just a 24.1-percent clip from the field, a low 14.3-percent from beyond the arc, forced nine turnovers, three steals, and scored six points off of Eastern Michigan's miscues.

Akron held a 9-7 advantage at the first media break of the game. In the final 4:30 of the quarter, Akron went on a 10-4 run to extend its advantage to +8 at the conclusion of the first 10 minutes of play.

The Zips came out of the gates of the second quarter attacking on the offensive end of the floor in hopes to begin to put the game out of reach. Akron succeeded as the Zips blitzed the Eagles with an 8-2 scoring run that included back-to-back triples by Edmonds and Miller.

Eastern Michigan used a 7-2 offensive spurt to trim its deficit to single digits, 29-20, but four straight points for Akron from Caitlin Vari and Dawson lifted the Zips' lead back to 13-points, 33-20.

From that point on, the Zips and Eagles went back-and-forth in the closing minutes of the half with Akron heading into the locker room with a 37-24 lead.

LAST GAME
A career-high 30 points from Jordyn Dawson, including 16 in the decisive second half, propelled the University of Akron women's basketball team to it first Mid-American Conference victory of the season, an 84-77 triumph over Miami (1-8, 0-5 MAC) on Jan. 9, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Dawson stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and numerous game-changing plays on the afternoon. She had plenty of help from junior G Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) and Kendall Miller, who scored 13 and 10 points, respectively. Adding nine points for Akron was sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio).

The Zips (4-4, 1-4 MAC) shot a sparkling 55.2 percent from the field, a season-high mark, and harassed the visiting RedHawks into 21 turnovers en route to the triumph. Akron turned the miscues into 31 points on the afternoon.

Kelly McLaughlin led Miami with 27 points, while Peyton Scott added 22 in the setback.

Play in the paint was dominant for both sides in the affair as each team scored 52 points, while the Zips posted a 16-14 edge in bench points and 19-8 in fast-break opportunities.

Playing at home for the first time in nearly three weeks and for the initial time in 2021, Akron fell behind early, but never panicked, steadily fighting its way back into the game behind Dawson's stellar play and red-hot shooting from the entire roster.

The latter stages of the third quarter proved to be the tipping point in the contest as the Zips closed the stanza on a 7-0 run over the final 1:46 to take a 56-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Dawson contributed a lay-up and a steal, junior F Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) added lay-up, while redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) scored the final three points of the period to fuel the scoring run.

When Miami staged a fourth-quarter rally, it was again Dawson who delivered the crucial rebuttal, converting an acrobatic lay-up with 4:48 remaining to stake the Zips to a 67-59 advantage. She added four clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the triumph.

With her team trailing by nine points early in the second quarter, Dawson willed the Zips back into the game, banking in a long three-pointer from the top of the key, adding a driving lay-up on Akron's ensuing possession and forcing a Miami turnover at the other end of the court. Her efforts sparked a 7-0 run that narrowed the RedHawks' lead to two, 23-21, in the span of 1:41.

Even after Miami was able to build its lead back to seven, Akron's reserves were able to power the Zips back into the game as freshman G Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) and Ferrell both tallied baskets in a burst that tied the game at 36-all in the final minute of the first half.

Despite both teams struggling with turnovers in the first two quarters, Akron scorched the nets at a 51.9-percent clip, including 64.3-percent (9-of-14) shooting in the second quarter. Additionally, the Zips forced 11 Miami turnovers before intermission and converted those miscues into 18 points on the offensive end.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Jordyn Dawson's career-high 30-point effort marked the first 30-point performance by a Zip since Shaunay Edmonds posted 33 points in a 83-73 victory over Bowling Green on Feb. 27, 2019.
• Jordyn Dawson, Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell and Layne Ferrell registered career-high marks in scoring against Miami (Jan. 9) as the Zips' trio posted 30, 13 and five points, respectively.
• Jordyn Dawson surpassed the 500-point plateau for her Akron career with a first-quarter jumper at Central Michigan on Jan. 6. Dawson has recorded 541 points, 275 rebounds and 103 career assists as a Zip.
• Akron connected on a season-best 88.9 percent of its attempts at the charity stripe against Central Michigan hitting 8-of-9 attempts. The Zips are rated third in the MAC in free throw percentage making 72.2 percent of their attempts.
• Jordyn Dawson owns Akron season-best single-game marks in points (30 vs. Miami), field goals made (11 vs. Miami), field goals attempted (19 at Central Michigan/at Buffalo), rebounds (12 vs. Bluefield State), assists (6 vs. Ball State/Miami) and steals (4 vs. Bluefield State/Miami).
• As a team, Akron is rated 41st in the NCAA in three-point percentage (.365) and 56th in three pointers per contest (7.6).
• Freshman G Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio) has made 60.9 percent of her three-pointers for her career having connected on 14-of-23 attempts from beyond the arc this season, a mark that is good for second in the NCAA this season.
• Akron owns a 25-14 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 4-2 record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 20-12 mark, including a 4-0 ledger this season.
• Emma Tecca, sophomore G Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) and sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 6.7, 4.9 and 4.8 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting more than 41 percent (.413) from the field and at a .379 clip beyond the arc this season. Layne Ferrell, freshman F Sabhbh Edwards Murphy (County Clare, Ireland), Tecca and Neitzel are all connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the quartet owns field goal percentages of .538, .500, .484 and .432, respectively.
• Eight different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson tallying 10 or more points in seven contests this year. She is joined by Lonasia Brewer (6), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (2), Kendall Miller (2), Colleen Neitzel (2), Emma Tecca (2), Rachel Martindale (1) and Molly Neitzel (1).
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 41 of her 81 shots this season for 50.6 percent shooting mark, the second-best mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Kendall Miller leads the Zips in assist/turnover ratio this season at 2.5 having dished out a team-best 20 assists against only eight turnovers.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging a league-best 7.25 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 8.3 overall rebounds this season. Her 8.3 caroms per game is rated fourth in the MAC.
• The Zips rank second in the MAC in field goal percentage (.441), while rating third in assists (13.75).
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 14 of Akron's last 15 games, including seven of eight contests this season.

AKRON HOSTS EIGHTH-ANNUAL EDUCATION DAY
The University of Akron Women's Basketball team will hold its eighth-annual Education Day on Wednesday, Jan. 27, as the Zips host Northern Illinois. Game time at James A. Rhodes Arena is set for noon.

The inaugural Education Day in 2013 drew approximately 400 students and teachers. Unfortunately, this season due COVID-19 restrictions, the Zips have reinvented their Education Day into a virtual version, one that will include students from the IPromise School in Akron.

Students will have pre-, in-, and post-game "homework" that they will complete based on the outcome of the game. Questions have been integrated into the assignments relating to the game of basketball for example: score at halftime, leading scorer, scoring percentages, etc. as well as a portion about promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.

The students will watch the game from their virtual classrooms and play basketball BINGO. The winners will be put into a raffle with names drawn to receive post-game prizes.

During halftime of the game, students will get to watch a video that describes "A Day in the Life of an Akron Zip."

The importance of staying active and eating healthy is the overriding theme of the event as teachers will share a nutrition sheet that talks about the Zips' pre-game meals.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's eight games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .552 (Miami-1), 40 percent: .474 (Dayton), .447 (Bluefield State), .446 (Northern Kentucky), 435 (Buffalo-1), .400 (Toledo-1), 30 percent: .393 (Central Michigan-1), .385 (Ball State-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' eight games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .525 (Miami-1), 40 percent: .469 (Central Michigan-2), .431 (Buffalo-1), .415 (Toledo-1), .406 (Dayton), 30 percent: .397 (Ball State-1), .367 (Northern Kentucky), .306 (Bluefield State), 20 percent: NA.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to travel to Bowling Green for a showdown with the Falcons on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The 7 p.m. tilt with Bowling Green will be broadcast on the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.