Zips Face Northern Illinois on Monday Night

Monday, January 24

DeKalb, Ill.

6:00 PM | 7:00 PM ET

University of Akron

Northern Illinois

January 23 | Women's Basketball

AKRON, Ohio- The Akron women's basketball team will hit the road and travel to DeKalb, Ill. To take on Northern Illinois on Monday, Jan.23 at 7 p.m.

THE GAME
Akron (7-5, 4-2 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois (5-9, 2-4 MAC)
Monday, Jan. 23| NIU Convocation Center| 7:00 PM

BROADCAST
ESPN3: https://es.pn/3GUZnAV
Radio: Bill Morgan (pbp), 640 WHLO AM
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/33HGsLC

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH
Lisa Carlsen
Overall Record: 278-262 (19th Season)
Record at NIU: 94-99 (7^th Season)

AKRON HEAD COACH
Melissa Jackson
Overall Record: 45-49 (4^th Season)
Record at Akron: 45-49 (4^th Season)

ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron and Northern Illinois are meeting for the 35th time in program history, with the Huskies owning a 24-11 series edge. Northern Illinois registered an 76-63 win over the Zips last year.

LAST TIME OUT
The Zips fell to 7-5 overall and 4-2 MAC after the Zips fell to Buffalo 76-59 on Wednesday. R Freshman Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) led the Zips with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while also grabbing six boards. Redshirt senior Jordyn Dawson rounded out the double-figure scoring with 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

The Zips struggled to make shots for several stretches and finished with a 37.5 field goal percentage (24-of-64) and connected on 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Akron recorded assists on 19 of 24 baskets.

ZIP TIPS
- The 2021-22 season marks the 48th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
- As a team, Akron ranks 15^th in the NCAA and lead the conference in fewest turnovers (171),38th in fewest fouls (176).
- Akron ranks 76th in the NCAA and second in the conference in Blocked shots per game (4.1).
- Jordyn Dawson led the Zips a year ago averaging a team-high 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game en route to a third-team All-MAC accolade. She leads the team averaging 19.7 points and 8.9 rebounds, and leads the team with 26 steals.
- Jordyn Dawson is rated 67^th in NCAA and second in conference stats in free-throw percentage (83.7), 24^th in points per game (19.7), 15th in steals per game (2.80), and 69^th in rebounds per game (8.9).
- Akron owns a 34-18 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 6-1record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 22-15 mark, including a 1-2 record this season.
- The Akron bench is shooting more than 39 percent (39.5) from the field and at a .29 clip beyond the arc this season.
- Seven different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Jordyn Dawson tallying 10 or more points in 9 contests this year. She is joined by Reagan Bass (5) and Lonasia Brewer (4), Layne Ferrell (3), Annika Corcoran (3), Kendall Miller (2).
- Akron has connected on five or more three-pointers in nine games this season, and 39 of its last 42 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 13 triples in a 97-54 win over Slippery Rock, 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.
- Akron is scoring 42.2 percent of its point in the paint this season, averaging 27.3 percent points in the paint per game.
- The Zips are shooting 42.3 percent (266-630) from the field and 75-227 percent (33.0) from beyond the arc. Akron has been out-rebounded by its opponents, 409-387 for a -2.0 margin. Akron has 171 turnovers averaging (15.5 turnovers per game) and has 80 steals (7.3 per game).
- Akron is returning nearly its entire 2020-21 roster including seniors Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (Solon, Ohio)(4.2 ppg), Kendall Miller (Akron, Ohio)(5.5 ppg, 2.33 apg) and Colleen Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio)(5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), junior Lonasia Brewer (Akron, Ohio) (10.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and redshirt sophomore Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio) (5.4 ppg), who all started in double-figure contests for the Zips. Juniors Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.)(5.8 ppg) and Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio)(6.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg), redshirt sophomore Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio)(5.5 ppg) and sophomore Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) (2.9 ppg) added valuable contributions for Akron appearing in double-digit games last season.

SCOUTING NIU
The Huskies, stand 5-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play under the direction of 7th-year head coach Lisa Carsen after a 85-76 win over Eastern Michigan. scored a season-high 85 points on Saturday in an 85-76 win at Eastern Michigan. The Huskies set season-highs of 57.1 percent field goal shooting and 64.7 percent three-point shooting for their second Mid-American Conference win of the year. NIU shot over 70 percent from the field in the first half to build a 48-36 halftime advantage.

Chelby Koker scored 17 points with a game-high six assists at Eastern Michigan. She now has 995 career points, putting her just five away from 1,000 for her career. Koker is fourth in the nation in free throw percentage at 93.8 percent and is fourth in the MAC with 4.43 assists per game.

NIU is averaging 74.9 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting (332-857) from the floor and 101-of-347 shooting (29.0 percent) from long range. The Huskies have a trio of players averaging in double-figures. Koker the Huskies in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Davis averaging 14.8 while Poisson is averaging 12.9 points per game.

Defensively, the Huskies have held their opponents to 74.9 points per game on 41percent shooting from the floor and 33.2 percent from beyond the arc. NIU has 222 turnovers (17.1 turnovers per game) while collecting 90 steals (6.9 steals per game). On the glass, the Huskies have out-rebounded their opponents, 560-533 for a +2.1 margin.

UP NEXT
The Zips return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 26 as the Zips host Eastern Michigan at James A. Rhodes Arena for a 7 p.m. tip.