In-State Showdown Up Next as Akron Battles Ohio

Saturday, January 30

Athens, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Ohio

January 29 | Women's Basketball

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

GAME NO. 13 - AKRON AT OHIO GAME NOTES (1/30)

Akron (4-8, 1-8 MAC) at Ohio (8-6, 6-4 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 30
Convocation Center
Athens, Ohio • 1 p.m.

Series History: Ohio leads 45-20
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 returns to the road this Saturday, Jan. 30, as the Zips close out the month of January with a matinee affair at Ohio. The 1 p.m. showdown with the Bobcats will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as 99.7 Canton's New Country with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Ohio: Bob Boldon (Walsh, 1997), Overall Record: 254-167 (14th Season)/Ohio Record: 157-79 (Eighth Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 35-38 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Ohio are meeting for the 66th time in program history, with the Bobcats owning a 45-20 series edge. A year ago, Ohio posted a 70-57 home triumph past the Zips on Jan. 27, 2020, before Akron captured a 79-76 victory inside James A. Rhodes Arena on Feb. 22, 2020.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio comes into action this Saturday having won three of its last four games, despite a 69-66 setback at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Senior G Cece Hooks headlines a trio of Ohio players scoring in double figures averaging 26.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Contributing 20.2 points per night is redshirt junior G Erica Johnson, while senior F Gabby Burris tallies 12.6 points per outing. As a team, the Bobcats are registering 79.9 points, 35.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 10.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per outing.

Ohio is 12th in the NCAA in turnover margin (+6.54), 13th in three pointers attempted (378), 22nd in scoring offense (79.9), 24th in free throws made (208), three pointers per contest (8.8) and triples made (115), 27th in steals (131), 29th in free throws attempted (289), 36th in turnovers per game (13.4), 40th in turnovers forced (19.92) and 42nds in steals per tilt (10.1). Individually, Hooks is rated third in field goals made (126) and free throws attempted (121), fourth in scoring (26.1), field goals attempted (266) and total points (339), 12th in free throws made (75), 13th in steals (38), 20th in steals per game (2.92), while Johnson is ranked seventh in three pointers attempted (113), 15th in triples per game (3.00), 22nd in three pointers made (36), 26th in scoring (20.2), 30th in field goals attempted (215) and 50th in minutes played (36.21).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 22, 2020 - AKRON, OHIO)
Facing the top team in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Akron women's basketball team claimed a huge 79-76 win over Ohio in a matinee contest at James A. Rhodes Arena that doubled as Akron For Nakon game, raising support for cancer research and awareness, on Feb. 22, 2020.

Senior F Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W. Va.) led Akron with 20 points and added a career-high 14 rebounds to notch a double-double. Alyssa Clay was close behind with 18 points for the Zips and made 5-of-6 from three-point range. Haliegh Reinoehl, Shayna Harmon and Shaunay Edmonds all reached double figures netting 14, 10 and 10 points, respectively.

Akron held on down the stretch at the foul line, scoring their final four points at the line to close out the contest.

Dawson converted one of two free throws to stake her team to a 77-76 lead and Edmonds provided the final margin with two more charity tosses with 4.4 seconds remaining. A long triple attempt from Ohio's Erica Johnson in the closing seconds was off the mark and Akron secured the rebound to ice the win.

One of the key plays in the latter stages of the game was a second-chance three-pointer by Dawson that gave Akron a brief lead, 68-67, before the teams began trading baskets down the stretch. The play was emblematic of the grit Akron showed all afternoon long, as junior F Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) hauled in a missed shot to set Dawson up for her clutch shot.

On the afternoon, Akron outrebounded Oho 49-33, keeping the potent offense for the Bobcats from getting many second chances. Reinoehl and Dawson each garnered double-figure rebounding numbers, while Neitzel was clutch on the glass in key moments hauling in nine boards, including two offensive rebounds. The other key factor was bench scoring, a category in which the Zips led 23-0.

The final three quarters were back-and-forth after a difficult first quarter in which Ohio's Cece Hooks was able to find success driving to the basket and tallied 14 points. The tide changed in the second period as the Zips settled in defensively and used that improved play to fuel a 15-0 run that included two long-distance, high-arcing three-point bombs by Clay.

The run turned a 25-15 Ohio lead at the end of the first quarter into a 30-25 edge for Akron, shifting the momentum in favor of the home team in a span of 4:53. It was unquestionably the duo of Clay and Harmon who spearheaded the charge for the Zips, combining for 13 points in the second stanza and 22 in the half.

Clay fired away from beyond the arc, draining two triples during her team's big run. Harmon scored on a combination of drives to the hoop and jump shots.

LAST GAME
The University of Akron women's basketball team garnered a career-high 20-point effort from sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.), but it wasn't enough to propel the Zips to victory on the squad's Eighth Annual Education Day as Northern Illinois earned a 76-63 triumph on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Martindale led a trio of Zips scoring in double figures on the strength of a career-best six three pointers. Joining her with 12- and 11-point performances were junior G's Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) and Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio). Jordyn Dawson positioned herself for a triple-double in the affair registering an eight-point, eight-rebound and five-assist effort. Chelby Koker paced the Huskies' attack with a team-high 19 points, while A'Jah Davis added 13 points.

Martindale's career day led Akron to a 25-22 advantage in bench scoring.

Akron finished the afternoon connecting on 32.4 percent of its shots, while faring slightly better beyond the arc with at 34.5 percent. Northern Illinois shot 44.4 percent from the field in the contest.

The transition game proved to be a kick-starter all afternoon long for Akron as it outscored the Huskies in fast-break points, 22-3. The Zips were able to use those transition opportunities to find open looks from beyond the arc, posting a 30-24 scoring edge from distance.

Akron forced the Huskies into 22 turnovers, including 14 in the opening half, and converted those miscues into a 14-9 advantage in points off of turnovers.

The opening quarter proved to be a back-and-forth affair, one that featured a pair of ties and ended all square at 15 with Brown-Mitchell and Miller each scoring four points.

Following a made free throw by Brown-Mitchell at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter, the Huskies parlayed a 7-0 run over a 2:34 stretch to assume a 29-23 edge.

The Zips responded with a 7-0 run of their own fueled by a pair of baskets from Dawson and a three pointer from Martindale to regain the lead, 30-29. Northern Illinois scored the final basket of the half to take a 31-30 advantage into the intermission.

Brown-Mitchell paced the Akron attack with seven first-half points, while Davis led the Huskies with nine points in the opening 20 minutes of play.

The third quarter proved to be the decisive stretch for the visitors as Northern Illinois outscored the Zips in the period, 26-17, t0 extend their lead to 10, 57-47, entering the final period.

After Dawson made a pair of free throws to inch the Zips within one, 33-32, the Huskies used a 7-1 run extend their edge to seven, 40-34, at the 6:43 mark.

Northern Illinois saw its lead pushed to nine, 50-41, when Martindale connected on back-to-back triples to cut the Zips' deficit to three, 50-47, with 2:32 left in the quarter. The Huskies finished the stanza on a 7-0 run to lead 57-47 entering the final period. In the fourth quarter, Northern Illinois outscored the Zips, 19-16, to earn the victory.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips are in search of their first road victory over Ohio since posting an 88-76 victory past the Bobcats on Feb. 22, 2014. Five Akron players scored in double figures that game as Hanna Luburgh recorded a game-high 31-point effort. She was joined in double figures by Rachel Tecca (12 points), Anita Brown (11), Hannah Plybon (10) and Carly Young (10).
• Akron has split the regular-season series with Ohio in two of the last three campaigns.
• Freshman G Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio) has connected on a trio of three pointers four overall contests on the campaign, including making a career-high four three pointers against Ball State (Dec. 20).
• Emma Tecca has made 48.9 percent of her three-pointers for her career having connected on 22-of-45 attempts from beyond the arc this season, good for the 11th-best mark in the NCAA.
• Emma Tecca, Rachel Martindale and sophomore G Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 6.8, 6.0 and 4.8 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting nearly 39 percent (.388) from the field and at a .373 clip beyond the arc this season. Redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) and Tecca are connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the duo owns field goal percentages of .556 and .440, respectively.
• Eight different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson and sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio) tallying 10 or more points in eight contests this year. They are joined by Kendall Miller (4), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (3), Rachel Martindale (3), Colleen Neitzel, Molly Neitzel (2) and Emma Tecca (2).
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 58 of her 120 shots this season for 48.3 percent shooting mark, the third-best mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Kendall Miller leads the Zips in assist/turnover ratio this season at 2.1 having dished out 29 assists against 14 turnovers.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging 6.50 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 7.42 overall rebounds this season. Her 7.42 caroms per game is rated seventh in the MAC.
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 15 of Akron's last 19 games, including eight of 12 contests this season.
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 10 of its 12 games this season, and 22 of its last 25 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 13 triples in a 77-74 win at Dayton on Dec. 6, the best single-game effort for Akron since making 16 three pointers in the opening round of the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament on March 5, 2018.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 12 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), .324 (Northern Illinois-2), 20 percent: .270 (Eastern Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 12 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), .444 (Northern Illinois-1), .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.

AKRON FOR NAKON
Akron For Nakon. The day the Akron women's basketball team and the Akron community comes together for a game of basketball but more importantly to help raise awareness and donations for all cancer survivors and fighters.

The Zips held its annual Akron For Nakon day on Feb. 22, 2020, in conjunction with a MAC East showdown against divisional rival, Ohio. While Akron defeated the Bobcats on the court that day, the real winners are the people who will be affected by the generous donations that were made.

To date with the help of the Akron community, the Zips have raised just over $15,000 with all proceeds going to the Nakon Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is raise funds to support those suffering from breast cancer, honor the survivors of all cancers, and educate the community.

The Zips will host its 2021 Akron for Nakon game on Feb. 13, 2021, as the Zips host Toledo in a 2 p.m. tilt.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to host Buffalo on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at James A. Rhodes Arena. The 7 p.m. tilt with the Bulls will be broadcast on the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.