Zips Host Toledo in Third Annual 'Akron for Nakon' Showdown

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GAME NO. 17 - AKRON VS. TOLEDO NOTES (2/13)

Akron (5-11, 2-11 MAC) vs. Toledo (8-9, 4-9 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 13
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 2 p.m.

Series History: Toledo leads 45-14
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: 640 WHLO AM (Bill Morgan - pxp)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team is set to welcome Toledo to James A. Rhodes Arena for its third annual 'Akron for Nakon' game on Saturday, Feb. 13. The 2 p.m. tilt with the Rockets will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Toledo: Tricia Cullop (Purdue, 1993), Overall Record: 386-259 (20th Season)/Toledo Record: 263-149 (13th Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 36-41 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Toledo are meeting for the 60th time in program history, with the Rockets owning a 45-14 series edge. Toledo registered a 65-57 home triumph over the Zips on Jan. 2, 2021.

SCOUTING TOLEDO
Toledo comes into action this Saturday having dropped its last five games, including an 82-73 home setback to Buffalo on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Sophomore G Quinesha Lockett headlines a pair of Toledo players scoring in double figures averaging 19.1 points, and 5.0 rebounds per game. Contributing 14.4 points per night is sophomore G Sophia Wiard. As a team, the Rockets are registering 69.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 8.1 steals and 2.8 blocks per outing.

Toledo is rated 28th in the NCAA in three pointers attempted (426) and 42nd in triples made (130). Individually, Lockett is rated 23rd in free throw percentage (.883), 37th in field goals made (119), 39th in field goals attempted (256) and total points (324) and 48th in scoring (19.1).

AKRON FOR NAKON
The University of Akron women's basketball team for the third consecutive season has partnered with the Nakon Foundation to host its third 'Akron for Nakon' day in conjunction with the Zips' Breast Cancer Awareness game taking place on Saturday, Feb. 13, as Akron hosts Toledo in a 2 p.m. game at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Beginning on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. a silent auction will be held running through 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. Additionally, 'Akron for Nakon' t-shirts will be sold, and you can donate to 'Akron for Nakon' here, through Sunday, Feb. 14, with all the proceeds benefiting the Nakon Foundation.

Akron For Nakon, is 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 mission of the event is to raise funds to support those suffering from breast cancer, honor the survivors of all cancers, and educate the community. The Nakon Foundation will be the beneficiary of this year's event. All proceeds of the "Nakon for Akron" Game will be donated to this local community foundation.

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.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 2, 2021 - TOLEDO, OHIO)
Sparked by a career-high 21 points from sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio), the University of Akron women's basketball team gave itself an opportunity to garner a road victory, unfortunately for the Zips, a 7-0 run over the final 3:34 propelled Toledo to a 65-57 triumph in Mid-American Conference action on Jan. 2 at Savage Arena.

Brewer posted her first career double-double with a team-best 21-point and 11-rebound performance, while junior G Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) added 10 points.

The Zips' defensive effort limited Quinesha Lockett, the Rockets' leading scorer at 19.0 points per game, to only three points in the contest. Sophia Wiard directed three double-figure scoring efforts for Toledo with a team-high 16 points. Adding 14 and 12 points, respectively, was Mali Morgan-Elliott and Khera Goss.

In a showdown that featured 13 ties and 16 lead changes, Akron concluded the game connecting on 40 percent of its shots from the field on 22-of-55 shooting, while the Rockets made 22-of-53 attempts for a 41.5 percent shooting mark.

The Zips posted a 36-34 overall rebounding edge, including earning a 14-12 advantage on the offensive glass. The 14 offensive rebounds is a season-best effort. Akron also bettered the Rockets in points in the paint, 30-28, and bench points, 14-12.

Toledo's ability to capitalize on Akron miscues provided the final margin in the affair as the Rockets scored 24 points off of Zips' turnovers, while Akron netted13 points off its own courtesy of 12 Toledo turnovers.

The two sides were tied at 46 entering the final quarter before senior F Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) gave Akron a 48-46 lead with a lay-up to open the stanza.

Toledo answered with a 5-0 run of its own before a lay-up from junior G Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) and a made free throw by Brewer knotted the score at 51 at the 7:39 mark.

The two sides exchanged the next two baskets before a pair of free throws from Brewer vaulted Akron into a 55-53 lead with 5:24 remaining in regulation.

The Rockets had a scoring answer of their own netting 12 of the final 14 points in the game to secure the league victory.

The Zips led at halftime, 33-32, as Akron connected on 52 percent of their first-half attempts, including going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. The opening 20 minutes of play was highlighted by four ties and nine lead changes.

LAST GAME
Akron was unable to complete its second-half comeback attempt as Western Michigan earned a 74-66 triumph past the Zips on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

The Broncos garnered the victory in large part on the strength of a dominating 30-point, 21-rebound effort from Taylor Williams.

Jordyn Dawson led the offensive efforts for the Zips registering a team-high 20-point performance. Lonasia Brewer added 19 points, while redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) led Akron to a 23-5 advantage in bench scoring pouring in career-high marks in scoring (10) and rebounding (6).

Each side finished the affair shooting just under 44 percent from the field, with the Zips connecting on 43.9 percent of their attempts, including eight three pointers, while the Broncos dialed it in at a .438 clip.

A deciding factor in the contest was turnovers as Akron and Western Michigan combined to commit 45 miscues which the Broncos converted into a 27-21 scoring advantage. Western Michigan registered a 38-36 advantage in rebounds, which it parlayed into a 42-32 margin in scoring in the paint, while also holding a 22-11 edge in second-chance points.

The Zips opened the game making five of their first seven shots from the field to jump out to an 11-4 lead after Dawson buried a three pointer at the 6:11 mark.

Western Michigan answered with an 11-0 run of their own over the next 2:09 to assume a 15-11 advantage. Another three pointer from Dawson and a lay-up by Brewer cut the deficit to four, 20-16, after the opening stanza.

Sparked by triples from Ferrell, sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Brewer, the Zips opened the second quarter on a 13-4 run to regain the lead, 29-24, following a three pointer from Brewer with 7:16 remaining before halftime.

The Broncos responded with a scoring run of their own, nine unanswered tallies, to retake the lead, 35-29, at the 5:17 mark.

The two teams battled back-and-forth to close the quarter before Akron entered the halftime break trailing Western Michigan, 41-37.

The Broncos scored the first five points of the second half before a lay-up by Brewer at the 6:58 marked moved the Zips within six, 48-42. Western Michigan responded with an 8-0 run to extend its margin to 14, 56-42, before the Zips closed the stanza on a 10-2 run fueled by five points from Dawson and a triple courtesy of Martindale.

The teams seemingly exchanged baskets over the game's final 10 minutes before Western Michigan escaped with a 74-66 victory.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Layne Ferrell turned in a career game against Western Michigan on Feb. 10 registering career-high marks in points (10), rebounds (6), steals (3) and minutes played (20).
• A season ago, Jordyn Dawson led five Zips scoring in double figures with 20 points in the second annual 'Akron for Nakon' game versus Ohio on Feb. 22, 2020, a 79-76 victory by the Zips.
• Jordyn Dawson's 34-point effort represents the ninth-best single-game scoring performance in program history equaling a 34-point night from Hanna Luburgh on Feb. 2, 2014. It also marked the most points scored by a Zip since Hannah Plybon netted 39 at Canisius on Nov. 20, 2016.
• Jordyn Dawson is the first Akron player to post 30 or more points in two games in a season since Anita Brown scored 36 in a 102-101 win at Toledo on Jan. 14, 2015 and 31 in an 87-81 setback at Buffalo on Feb. 28, 2015. It is also the high-water mark since Rachel Tecca and Hanna Luburgh recorded six and five games, respectively, scoring 30 or more points during the 2013-14 campaign.
• Akron is in search of its second straight regular season home victory over Toledo when the Zips host the Rockets on Saturday, Feb. 13.
• Lonasia Brewer set career-high marks in steals (6) and assists (3) versus Ball State on Feb. 6. Her six steals are the most for an Akron player in a game since Shaunay Edmonds recorded a 10-steal effort against St. Bonaventure on Nov. 10, 2019.
• Rachel Martindale pulled down a career-best five rebounds at Ball State on Feb. 6.
• Junior F Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds against Buffalo on Feb. 3, while playing in a career-high 30 minutes.
• Redshirt freshman G Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio) posted career-high marks in rebounds (5) and assists (3) versus Buffalo on Feb. 3, en route to scoring nine points, all on three pointers.
• On the strength of an 89-84 overtime victory on Feb. 6, Akron registered its first road win at Ball State since Hanna Luburgh scored a game- and team-high 22 points to lead five Zips scoring in double figures in an 87-64 triumph on Feb. 15, 2014. Joining Luburgh with double-figure scoring efforts with 15, 13, 13 and 13 points, respectively, was Hannah Plybon, Kacie Cassell, Rachel Tecca and Carly Young.
• Emma Tecca has connected on a trio of three pointers in five overall contests on the campaign, including making a career-high four three pointers against Ball State (Dec. 20).
• Jordyn Dawson's 30-point effort against Miami (Jan. 9) 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.
• Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell registered a career-high mark in scoring against Miami (Jan. 9) posting 13 points in the Zips' victory.
• 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 656 points, 321 rebounds and 132 career assists as a Zip.
• Jordyn Dawson owns Akron season-best single-game marks in points (34 at Ball State), field goals made (11 vs. Miami/at Ball State), field goals attempted (20 at Ball State), rebounds (12 vs. Bluefield State), assists (7 vs. Buffalo/at Ball State), while Lonasia Brewer own the top mark in steals (6 at Ball State).
• Emma Tecca has made 44.1 percent of her three-pointers for her career having connected on 26-of-59 attempts from beyond the arc this season.
• Rachel Martindale, Emma Tecca and sophomore F Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 6.9, 6.8 and 4.8 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting nearly 38 percent (.378) from the field and at a .345 clip beyond the arc this season. Layne Ferrell, Tecca and Molly Neitzel are connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the trio owns field goal percentages of .548, 440 and .424, respectively.
• Eight different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson and tallying 10 or more points in 12 contests this year. They are joined by Lonasia Brewer (10), Kendall Miller (4), Rachel Martindale (5), Colleen Neitzel (5), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (3), Molly Neitzel (3) and Emma Tecca (2).
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 76 of her 155 shots this season for 49.0 percent shooting mark, the fourth-best mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging 6.06 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 7.00 overall rebounds this season. Her 7.00 caroms per game is rated eighth in the MAC.
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 19 of Akron's last 23 games, including 12 of 16 contests this season.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 16 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .552 (Miami-1), 40 percent: .474 (Dayton), .473 (Ohio-1), .452 (Central Michigan-2), .447 (Bluefield State), .446 (Northern Kentucky), .439 (Western Michigan), .435 (Buffalo-1), .413 (Ball State-2), .400 (Toledo-1), 30 percent: .393 (Central Michigan-1), .385 (Ball State-1), .379 (Bowling Green-1), .333 (Ohio-1), .328 (Buffalo-2), .324 (Northern Illinois-2), 20 percent: .270 (Eastern Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 16 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), .438 (Western Michigan), .431 (Buffalo-1), .415 (Toledo-1), .406 (Dayton), .400 (Ball State-2) 30 percent: .397 (Ball State-1), .373 (Bowling Green-1), .367 (Northern Kentucky), .364 (Eastern Michigan-1), .328 (Buffalo-2), .306 (Bluefield State), 20 percent: NA.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to travel to face Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio. The 2 p.m. tilt with the RedHawks will be broadcast on the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

Zips Host Toledo in Third Annual 'Akron for Nakon' Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Lonasia Brewer

Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell

Jordyn Dawson

Shaunay Edmonds

Layne Ferrell

Rachel Martindale

Kendall Miller

Colleen Neitzel

Molly Neitzel

Emma Tecca

The University of Akron Athletics