Zips Close Home Campaign Hosting Ohio

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GAME NO. 20 - AKRON VS. OHIO NOTES (3/2)

Akron (6-13, 3-13 MAC) vs. Ohio (12-6, 10-5 MAC)
Wednesday, March 3
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 6 p.m.

Series History: Ohio leads 46-20
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: 640 WHLO AM (Bill Morgan - pxp)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team draws its home campaign to a close on Wednesday, March 3, as the Zips welcome Ohio to James A. Rhodes Arena. The 6 p.m. tilt with the Bobcats will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Ohio: Bob Boldon (Walsh, 1997), Overall Record: 258-168 (14th Season)/Ohio Record: 161-80 (Eighth Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall/Akron Record: 37-43 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Ohio are meeting for the 67th time in program history, with the Bobcats owning a 46-20 series edge. Earlier this season, Ohio earned an 85-55 decision past the Zips on Jan. 30 in Athens, Ohio.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio comes into action this Wednesday having won four of its last five games, following a 74-52 victory over Western Michigan on Feb. 13.

Senior G Cece Hooks headlines a trio of Ohio players scoring in double figures averaging 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Contributing 19.5 points per night is redshirt junior G Erica Johnson, while senior F Gabby Burris tallies 13.3 points per outing. As a team, the Bobcats are registering 79.1 points, 36.7 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 10.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per outing.

Ohio is 17th in the NCAA in scoring offense (79.1) and turnover margin (5.89), 20th in steals per game (10.6), 21st in triples per contest (8.9), 24th in turnovers forced (20.11), 29th in three pointers attempted (527), 49th in steals (191) and 50th in three pointers made (160). Individually, Hooks is rated fourth in scoring (25.7), 10th in steals per game (3.11), 11th in free throws attempted (158), 12th in field goals made (171), 14th in total points (462), 19th in steals (56), 21st in field goals attempted (355) and 23rd in free throws made (102).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 30, 2021 - ATHENS, OHIO)
The University of Akron women's basketball team was unable to overcome a talented Ohio squad in the second half as the Bobcats pulled away for an 85-55 Mid-American Conference triumph on Jan 30, inside the Convocation Center.

The Zips shot just 20 percent from the field in the second half and that proved to be the deciding factor in the outcome as Ohio connected at a 40-percent clip to extend an 11-point halftime edge into a league victory.

Senior F Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) led Akron with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while sophomore G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and junior F Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) added 11 and 10 points, respectively, in reserve duty.

Cece Hooks directed the Bobcats' offensive attack with a game-high 31 points to highlight three Ohio players finishing in double figures. Gabby Burris and Erica Johnson added 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Bobcats.

The Zips concluded the contest shooting 33.3 percent from the field, including connecting on six three pointers, while Ohio made 47.3 percent of its shots, with 12 triples hitting their mark.

Led by the scoring efforts of Martindale and Colleen Neitzel, the Zips garnered a 30-18 advantage in bench scoring. Additionally, Akron forced 20 turnovers and converted the miscues into 14 points.

After seeing Ohio race out to a 30-12 start to begin the game, Akron chipped away at the Bobcats' lead with an 8-4 run to close the quarter, to trail, 34-20, after the opening stanza. Fueling the run were three pointers from Martindale and Colleen Neitzel and a pair of free throws from Dawson.

Ohio scored the opening basket of the second quarter before the Zips used another 7-0 run sparked by a pair of buckets from Dawson and a triple from Martindale to move to within nine, 36-27, at the 7:11 mark. Akron was unable to get any closer to close the half trailing the Bobcats at halftime, 46-35.

Both sides struggled offensively to start the third quarter as the teams shot a combined 2-of-17 over the first five minutes of the period, including the Zips missing their first eight attempts, before redshirt freshman G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) connected on a lay-up at the 3:11 mark.

The Bobcats extended their lead in the fourth quarter to as many as 36 points en route to securing the victory.

LAST GAME
The University of Akron women's basketball team placed itself in position to garner the upset of league-leading Bowling Green, but the Falcons outscored the Zips by 12 over the final quarter to deal Akron a 79-64 setback on Saturday, Feb. 27, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Sophomore F Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) turned in a career game for the Zips with a career-best 22-point performance on 11-of-14 shooting, while pulling down five rebounds.

Jordyn Dawson narrowly missed posting a triple-double with a nine-point, nine-assist and eight-rebound effort. Her nine assists stand as a career-high mark and a season-best single-game total for Akron.

Layne Ferrell continued her strong play scoring seven points, dishing out four assists and recording a career-high six blocks. Her six rejections, all in the second half, are the most for a Zip since Sarah Leyendecker registered eight blocks against Ohio Christian on Dec. 16, 2017.

Kadie Hempfling directed the Falcons with a team-high 19 points, while Elissa Brett and Lexi Fleming added 18 and 14 points, respectively.

The Zips finished the contest shooting 47.3 percent from the field, while Bowling Green connected on 48.3 percent of their attempts.

The Falcons garnered the early momentum in the game shooting nearly 52 percent (.517) over the opening 20 minutes of play to assume a 10-point advantage, 41-31, at halftime. Molly Neitzel paced Akron with 16 first-half points.

Three-point shooting propelled the Zips in the third quarter as triples from Colleen Neitzel and junior G Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio) cut Akron's deficit to three points on two different occasions, before entering the final quarter down three, 56-53, after a pair of free throws from sophomore F Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio).

An 8-3 run to open the final period and a 7-0 scoring surge in the middle of the fourth quarter by Bowling Green proved too much for the Zips to overcome as the Falcons recorded a 79-64 triumph.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips own victories in two of their last three home games versus Ohio, including a 79-76 triumph a year ago where Jordyn Dawson scored 20 points and added a career-high 14 rebounds.
• Akron has split the regular-season series with Ohio in two of the last three campaigns.
• 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, while setting career-best marks in assists (4) and blocked shots (6) against Bowling Green (Feb. 27).
• Layne Ferrell's six blocked shots versus Bowling Green on Feb. 27, all in the second half, are the most for a Zip since Sarah Leyendecker registered eight blocks against Ohio Christian on Dec. 16, 2017. The performance is also the top-single game effort in the Mid-American Conference this season.
• Jordyn Dawson surpassed the 700-point plateau for her Akron career against Bowling Green on Feb. 27. Dawson has recorded 706 points, 344 rebounds and 146 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 (9 vs. Bowling Green), while Lonasia Brewer own the top mark in steals (6 at Ball State).
• Lonasia Brewer has connected on 85 of her 176 shots this season for 48.3 percent shooting mark, the fifth-best mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• Jordyn Dawson is averaging 6.00 defensive rebounds as part of a team-high 7.11 overall rebounds this season. Her 7.11 caroms per game is rated seventh in the MAC.
• Jordyn Dawson has scored in double figures in 21 of Akron's last 26 games, including 14 of 19 contests this season.
• Akron owns a 27-17 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 6-5 record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 21-14 mark, including a 5-2 ledger this season.
• Kendall Miller, Emma Tecca, Rachel Martindale, and Molly Neitzel have led the efforts of the Zips' reserves this season averaging 8.5, 6.8, 6.3 and 5.8 points, respectively. The Akron bench is shooting nearly 39 percent (.389) from the field and at a .347 clip beyond the arc this season. Layne Ferrell, Molly Neitzel, Colleen Neitzel and Tecca are connecting on 40 percent or better of their attempts as the quartet owns field goal percentages of .600, 463, .444 and .440, respectively.
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson tallying 10 or more points in 14 contests this year. She is joined by Lonasia Brewer (10), Kendall Miller (5), Rachel Martindale (5), Colleen Neitzel (5), Molly Neitzel (5), Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (3), Layne Ferrell (3) and Emma Tecca (2).
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 17 of its 19 games this season, and 29 of its last 32 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 19 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 (Bowling Green-2), .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' 19 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), .483 (Bowling Green-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 campaign traveling to Kent State on Saturday, March 6. The 2 p.m. tilt with the Golden Flashes 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