Akron Battles League-Leading Bowling Green

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GAME NO. 19- AKRON VS. BOWLING GREEN NOTES (2/27)

Akron (6-12, 3-12 MAC) vs. Bowling Green (16-4, 12-3 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 27
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 2 p.m.

Series History: Bowling Green leads 55-11
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: 640 WHLO AM (Bill Morgan - pxp)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team welcomes league-leading Bowling Green to James A. Rhodes Arena in the penultimate home game of the season for the Zips on Saturday, Feb. 27. The 2 p.m. tilt with the Falcons will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Bowling Green: Robyn Fralick (Davidson, 2004), Overall Record: 139-49 (Sixth Season)/Bowling Green Record: 35-46 (Third Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 37-42 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Bowling Green are meeting for the 67th time in program history, with the Falcons owning a 55-11 series edge. The Falcons registered a 66-57 triumph past the Zips on Jan. 20 at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.

SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green comes into play on Saturday, Feb. 27, having won three straight and eight of nine overall following a 76-67 victory over Central Michigan on Feb. 17.

Freshman G Lexi Fleming headlines a trio of Bowling Green players scoring in double figures averaging 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Contributing 12.2 and 10.3 points per contest, respectively, is junior G Kadie Hempfling and sophomore G Elissa Brett. As a team, the Falcons are registering 73.7 points, 35.3 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 11.2 steals and 2.2 blocks per outing.

Bowling Green is ranked 10th in the NCAA in steals (224), 12th in turnover margin (6.25), 14th in steals per game (11.2), 18th in forced turnovers (20.45), 33rd in free throw percentage (75.8), 34th in winning percentage (.800), 36th in triples made (161), 42nd in three pointers per contest (8.1), 44th in scoring margin (10.7), 46th in three pointers attempted (464) and 48th in free throws made (272). Individually, Fleming is rated 18th in steals (53) and 38th in steals per game (2.65).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 20, 2021 - BOWLING GREEN, OHIO)
University of Akron women's basketball sophomore F Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) scored a then career- and team-high 12 points in her first collegiate start, but the Zips were unable to overcome Bowling Green as the Falcons earned a 66-57 Mid-American Conference victory at the Stroh Center on Jan. 20.

Neitzel paced the Zips with a team-leading 12 points, including a pair of three pointers, while junior G Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio) and redshirt freshman G Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio) added nine points apiece for Akron.

Elissa Brett and Madison Parker directed the offensive efforts for the Falcons netting a game-high 13 points apiece. Joining the duo with double-digit scoring performances with 11 and 10 points, respectively, was Kadie Hempfling and Lexi Fleming.

The two sides registered nearly identical 40-minute shooting marks with the Falcons attempting one more field goal in the contest. Akron finished the evening shooting just under 38 percent (.379) from the field and connected on seven three pointers. Conversely, Bowling Green was under its season average with a 37.3-percent shooting mark.

The Falcons earned a 42-34 edge in rebounding, including a 12-7 margin on the offensive glass. The Zips limited the damage holding Bowling Green to only a pair of second-chance points on the evening. Akron posted advantages in the game in assists (14-13), blocks (4-2) and second-chance points (7-2), while points in the paint were even at 28 points per team.

The close of the opening quarter and start of the second ultimately may have proven to be the deciding stretch in the tilt. During a span of more than six minutes (6:17), Bowling Green held the Zips without a field goal, as part of an overall 16-2 run, to extend a 12-10 lead to a 28-12 advantage with 6:20 left before halftime.

Senior F Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) broke the scoring drought converting a lay-up at the 6:04 mark of the second quarter to begin a 7-0 run for Akron that brought the Zips within nine, 28-19, following a pair of made free throws from Molly Neitzel. Akron continued to chip away at the deficit and entered the halftime intermission trailing Bowling Green, 38-25. Molly Neitzel paced the Zips' attack in the opening 20 minutes with a team-high nine points.

Akron opened the second half on an 8-3 run to move to within eight, 41-33, following a lay-up by junior G Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) at the 5:58 mark of the third quarter. Fueling the surge was a three pointer from Molly Neitzel and baskets from sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio) and Miller.

The two sides seemingly exchanged points over the remainder of the quarter with the Falcons assuming a 51-40 lead heading into the final period.

Bowling Green began the final quarter on a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the evening, 60-42, with 4:47 left on the clock. The Zips continued to battle outscoring the Falcons down the stretch, 15-6, but Bowling Green held on to secure the triumph.

LAST GAME
Sparked by a 21-point and 11-rebound performance from Jordyn Dawson, the University of Akron women's basketball team registered a resounding 84-63 road triumph over Miami in Mid-American Conference action on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Millett Hall.

Dawson directed four Zips scoring in double-figures with a team-high 21 points to record her ninth career double-double. Molly Neitzel, redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) and Kendall Miller added 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Neitzel posted a career-high in scoring, while Ferrell, in her first career start, equaled a career-best 12 points, en route to scoring in double figures for the third consecutive contest.

Peyton Scott directed Miami's offensive efforts pouring in a game-high 27 points.

The Zips finished the contest shooting 53.7 percent from the field and better than 47 percent (.471) from beyond the arc, while limiting the RedHawks to an overall 36.2 percent shooting mark on the night.

Akron posted a 34-33 edge in rebounding, which the Zips parlayed into a 40-24 margin in points in the paint and 11-8 edge in second-chance points. Led by 13 and 11 points from Molly Neitzel and Miller, Akron garnered a 34-14 margin in bench scoring.

The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair as neither team led by more than four points in the stanza, one that featured four lead changes and two ties as Miami took a 17-15 lead into the second quarter.

Four more ties occurred in the opening five minutes of the second quarter before the Zips' offense broke open a 25-all stalemate with a 16-3 run to close to half to take a 41-28 lead into the half. Fueling the run with six points was Molly Neitzel, while sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Emma Tecca each connected on a three pointer.

Akron was 10-of-17 from the field in the second quarter to finish the period shooting 58.8 percent, including connecting on a trio of three pointers.

A 9-0 run midway through the third quarter fueled by six points from Dawson extended the Zips' lead to 21 following a three pointer from Ferrell at the 5:48 mark.

Akron extended its advantage to as many as 23 points in the quarter to enter the final period owning a 65-42 lead. Dawson registered eight points and five rebounds in the stanza.

Directed by six fourth-quarter points from Miller, the Zips led by as many as 29 points in the final period en route to collecting an 84-63 victory to secure the season sweep of the RedHawks.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron has registered victories in four of its last five games with Bowling Green, including two straight at James A. Rhodes Arena.
• Layne Ferrell has now turned in back-to-back career-high 12-point efforts against Miami and Toledo on Feb. 24 and Feb. 13, respectively. She also registered career-high marks in rebounds (6) and steals (3) at Western Michigan on Feb. 10.
• The 21-point win at Miami on Feb. 24 marked the second-largest margin of victory for the Zips all-time against the RedHawks in Millett Hall.
• Emma Tecca has made 45.5 percent of her three-pointers for her career having connected on 30-of-66 attempts from beyond the arc this season.
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 83 of her 170 shots this season for 48.8 percent shooting mark, the fourth-best mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging 6.00 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 7.06 overall rebounds this season. Her 7.06 caroms per game is rated ninth in the MAC.
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 21 of Akron's last 25 games, including 14 of 18 contests this season.
• Kendall Miller, Emma Tecca, Rachel Martindale, and Molly Neitzel have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 11.0, 6.8, 6.5 and 5.8 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting nearly 39 percent (.389) from the field and at a .346 clip beyond the arc this season. Layne Ferrell, Molly Neitzel and Tecca are connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the trio owns field goal percentages of .600, 464 and .440, respectively.
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson and tallying 10 or more points in 14 contests this year. They are joined by Lonasia Brewer (10), Kendall Miller (5), Rachel Martindale (5), Colleen Neitzel (5), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (3), Molly Neitzel (4), Layne Ferrell (3) and Emma Tecca (2).
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 16 of its 18 games this season, and 28 of its last 31 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 18 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .552 (Miami-1), .537 (Miami-2), 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), .375 (Toledo-2), .333 (Ohio-1), .328 (Buffalo-2), .324 (Northern Illinois-2), 20 percent: .270 (Eastern Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 18 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .525 (Miami-1), .522 (Central Michigan-2), 40 percent: .492 (Toledo-2), .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), .362 (Miami-2), .328 (Buffalo-2), .306 (Bluefield State), 20 percent: NA.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to close its regular season home campaign welcoming Ohio to James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday, March 3. The 6 p.m. tilt with the Bobcats will be broadcast on the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lonasia Brewer

Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell

Jordyn Dawson

Layne Ferrell

Rachel Martindale

Kendall Miller

Colleen Neitzel

Molly Neitzel

Emma Tecca

The University of Akron Athletics