Akron Hosts Northern Illinois on Eighth Annual Education Day

Wednesday, January 27

Akron, Ohio

12:00 PM

University of Akron

Northern Illinois

Akron Hosts Northern Illinois on Eighth Annual Education Day

January 26 | Women's Basketball

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GAME NO. 12 - AKRON VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS GAME NOTES (1/27)

Akron (4-7, 1-7 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois (6-6, 4-3 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 27
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 12 p.m.

Series History: Northern Illinois leads 23-11
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 Canton's New Country (Bill Morgan - pxp)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team will close out a two-game homestand on Wednesday, Jan. 27, as the Zips welcome Northern Illinois to James A. Rhodes Arena for Education Day 2021. The 12 p.m. showdown with the Huskies will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as 99.7 Canton's New Country with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Northern Illinois: Lisa Carlsen (NW Missouri State, 1992), Overall Record: 267-247 (18th Season)/NIU Record: 83-84 (Sixth Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 35-37 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Northern Illinois are meeting for the 35th time in program history, with the Huskies owning a 23-11 series edge. Northern Illinois registered an 70-65 triumph over the Zips on Jan. 18, 2020, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters play this Wednesday having won four of its last five contests,despite a 67-62 setback at Toledo on Jan. 20.

Sophomore G Chelby Coker headlines a pair of Northern Illinois players scoring in double figures averaging 20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Contributing 10.1 points per night is sophomore F A'Jah Davis. As a team, the Huskies are registering 76.1 points, 43.3 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 5.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per outing.

Northern Illinois is fifth in the NCAA in three pointers per game (10.2), 12th in three-point percentage (.386), 14th in triples made (122), 32nd in rebounding (43.25), 38th in three pointers attempted (316) and 41st in scoring (76.1). Individually, Koker is rated 15th in free throw percentage (.921), 25th in scoring (20.2), 41st in free throws made (58) and 50th in total points (243).

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.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 18, 2020 - AKRON, OHIO)
The Akron women's basketball team could not overcome a game of runs as Northern Illinois edged the Zips, 70-65, on Jan. 18, 2020 inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

Haliegh Reinoehl led Akron with 19 points and nine rebounds. Shaunay Edmonds tallied 12 points and five rebounds. Junior G Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) emerged as the third Zip in double figures scoring a then career-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Combined, the Zips and Huskies shot just 27.5 percent (11-of-40) from three-point range.

The difference-maker down the stretch was the defense for the Huskies, as Akron scored just three points in the game's final three minutes as the visitors erased a late two-point lead by the Zips.

It was a contest where momentum swung back and forth as neither team could manage a double-digit lead. Each time one side seemed poised to pull away, the other would get a defensive stop and use that momentum to propel them offensively.

The game began to turn in Akron's favor at the outset of the second quarter when Miller reeled off seven consecutive Akron points as part of an 11-2 run that saw the Zips claim their first lead of the day and end the spurt ahead 25-19.

Reinoehl helped capped the run with consecutive buckets and improved Akron defense held the Huskies to 12 points in the second period. That improved defense allowed the Zips to head into intermission down just two, 29-27, despite shooting just 2-of-14 from beyond the arc prior to the break.

Miller's efforts were part of an 11-3 bench scoring edge for the Zips in the half.

LAST GAME
The University of Akron women's basketball ran into a hot-shooting Central Michigan squad in Mid-American Conference action on Saturday, Jan. 23, as the Chippewas registered a 92-69 triumph past the Zips at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron finished the contest shooting more than 45 percent (.452) from the field, including making nine three pointers, but Central Michigan's accuracy was even better shooting 52.2 percent on the afternoon, while connecting on 10 triples.

Kendall Miller and sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) netted a team-high 12 points apiece for the Zips, while sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio) rounded out a trio of Akron players scoring in double-figures with a 10-point effort.

Molly Davis poured in a game-high 32 points for the Chippewas, including dialing long distance on six three pointers. Micaela Kelly added 17 points, while Anika Weekes recorded a double-double with an 11-point and 10-rebound performance.

Sparked by 12 points from Martindale, nine from redshirt freshman G Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio), and a career-high six points from freshman G Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario), the Zips' bench outscored the Chippewas' reserves, 30-19.

Central Michigan garnered the edge in rebounding, 42-26, including an 11-3 margin on the offensive glass. The Chippewas parlayed the advantage into a 15-3 margin in second-chance points and 48-34 difference in points in the paint.

Central Michigan ultimately decided the outcome of the affair from the start jumping out to a 9-0 lead en route to leading by as many as 21 points in the opening quarter. The Chippewas shot 65 percent from the field in the initial 10 minutes, including making five three pointers to lead 32-12. Conversely, Akron made just under 38 percent (.375) of its opening-quarter attempts and didn't hit a three pointer.

Down, but not out, the Zips flipped the script in the second quarter connecting on 60 percent of their attempts in the period, while limiting Central Michigan to a 31.6 percent shooting effort in the second stanza.

Trailing 39-14 at the 7:42 mark before the intermission, the Zips began a 15-4 run over a five-minute stretch with the first of three triples on the afternoon from Tecca. The run also featured four points from senior F Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) and a pair of three pointers courtesy of Martindale.

Akron enter halftime trailing the Chippewas, 46-33, having shot more than 48 percent (.484) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes of play.

The Zips cut the deficit to 10, 53-43, on a three pointer from junior G Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter.

Central Michigan thwarted the rally outscoring Akron, 15-3, to close the period and assume a 68-46 lead after three periods of play.

Playing with a younger line-up in the fourth quarter, the Zips found some offensive rhythm firing at a 53.3-percent clip, including making a trio of three pointers. Unfortunately, the Chippewas shot even better making 69.2 percent of their attempts over the final 10 minutes of play to secure the victory.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron is in a stretch of playing two straight home games at James A. Rhodes Arena and three of four overall.
• The Zips own a 5-2 record in Education Day games at James A. Rhodes Arena since the concept debuted during a 118-71 triumph over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 12, 2013. Akron has garnered victories over Northern Iowa (82-72, 2014), Winthrop (76-59, 2015; 69-43, 2017) and St. Bonaventure (67-58, 2019).
• The Zips have averaged 74.6 points per game in the seven previous Education Day tilts, while allowing the opposition to score 64.7 per outing.
• Akron is shooting nearly 41 percent (.407) from the floor (190-of-467) in its seven previous Education Day contests, including a 34.5 percent shooting mark (49-for-152) from beyond the arc. The Zips have held their opponents to a .379 shooting clip overall and 31.2 percent mark from distance.
• The top-five Akron scoring efforts on Education Day belong to Hannah Luburgh (33-2013), Sina King (27-2014), Rachel Tecca (23-2013), Shayna Harmon (21-2018) and Megan Sefcik (20-2018; 20-2017).
• Emma Tecca has connected on a trio of three pointers in back-to-back contests and four overall on the campaign, including making a career-high four three pointers against Ball State (Dec. 20).
• Akron is in search of its first home victory over the Huskies since posting a 89-75 triumph on Feb. 19, 2014. Rachel Tecca eclipsed 30 points and Hanna Luburgh posted a double-double as Akron earned a 89-75 victory. The triumph extended the Zips' winning streak to nine games, as part of an overall 13-game run, the longest in the 40-year history of the program.
• 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 fourth in the MAC in free throw percentage making 72.6 percent of their attempts.
• Emma Tecca has made 52.9 percent of her three-pointers for her career having connected on 21-of-39 attempts from beyond the arc this season, good for the third-best mark in the NCAA.
• Akron owns a 25-15 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 4-3 record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 20-13 mark, including a 4-1 ledger this season.
• Emma Tecca, sophomore G Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) and Rachel Martindale have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 6.8, 4.8 and 4.7 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting nearly 39 percent (.388) from the field and at a .359 clip beyond the arc this season. Redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio), Tecca and Neitzel are all connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the trio owns field goal percentages of .556, .440 and .409, respectively.
• Eight different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson and Lonasia Brewer tallying 10 or more points in eight contests this year. They are joined by junior G Kendall Miller (3), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (2), Rachel Martindale (2), junior F Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) (2), Molly Neitzel (2) and Emma Tecca (2).
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 56 of her 113 shots this season for 49.6 percent shooting mark, the top mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Kendall Miller leads the Zips in assist/turnover ratio this season at 1.8 having dished out 25 assists against 14 turnovers.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging 6.55 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 7.36 overall rebounds this season. Her 7.36 caroms per game is rated seventh in the MAC.
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 15 of Akron's last 18 games, including eight of 11 contests this season.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 11 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .552 (Miami-1), 40 percent: .474 (Dayton), .452 (Central Michigan-2), .447 (Bluefield State), .446 (Northern Kentucky), 435 (Buffalo-1), .400 (Toledo-1), 30 percent: .393 (Central Michigan-1), .385 (Ball State-1), .379 (Bowling Green-1), 20 percent: .270 (Eastern Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 11 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .525 (Miami-1), .522 (Central Michigan-2), 40 percent: .469 (Central Michigan-2), .431 (Buffalo-1), .415 (Toledo-1), .406 (Dayton), 30 percent: .397 (Ball State-1), .373 (Bowling Green-1), .367 (Northern Kentucky), .364 (Eastern Michigan-1), .306 (Bluefield State), 20 percent: NA.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to travel to face Ohio on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Convocation Center. The 1 p.m. tilt with the Bobcats will be broadcast on the Akron Radio Network 99.7 Canton's New Country with Bill Morgan calling the action.