Zips to Face Buffalo in MAC Tournament Semifinals

Friday, March 11

Cleveland Ohio

Begins 30 Min After Game 1 Ends

University of Akron

Buffalo

Zips to Face Buffalo in MAC Tournament Semifinals

March 10 | Women's Basketball

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Akron Game Notes (PDF) | Buffalo Game Notes (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio- The #3 Akron women's basketball team will face #2 Buffalo in the MAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon. It is the fifth time the two programs will face off in the MAC Tournament with the last meeting coming back in 2016 in the semifinals.

THE GAME
#3 Akron (17-10, 13-7 MAC) vs. #2 Buffalo (23-8, 16-4 MAC)
Friday, March 11| Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse | approx. 12:30 PM

BROADCAST
ESPN+: https://es.pn/3MFsETt
Radio: Jim Clark (pbp), 640 WHLO AM
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3KtG17G

BUFFALO HEAD COACH
Felisha Legette-Jack
Overall Record: 341-278 (20th Season)
Record at Buffalo: 200-115 (10^th Season)

AKRON HEAD COACH
Melissa Jackson
Overall Record: 56-53 (4^th Season)
Record at Akron: 56-53 (4^th Season)

ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron and Buffalo are meeting for the 56th time in program history, with the Bulls owning a 32-24 series edge. Buffalo swept Akron in the regular season with the last meeting on March 2 and the Bulls claiming an 80-66 victory.

The two sides played a back-and-forth first half, with the Zips pulling within two (34-32) late in the first half on a 3-pointer by junior guard Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) before Buffalo stretched out to a 38-33 halftime edge. The Bulls then used a 27-point third quarter to expand their lead to 14 and held on for the win in the closing stanza.

Redshirt senior forward Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W Va.) paced the Zips (15-10, 12-7 Mid-American Conference) with a team-high 23 points – her 19th straight game in double figures and 12th straight with 20 points or more – and added four rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) was the only other Zip in double figures with 11 points to go with a team-best seven rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT
With the Zips (17-10, 13-7 Mid-American Conference) claimed an 81-67 victory over #6 Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals. Akron was led by the MAC Player of the Year Jordyn Dawson with a game-high 22 points. .

Three other Zips scored in double figures with Reagan Bass adding 16 points, Lonasia Brewer (14 pts), and Layne Ferrell (11pts). Akron finished the game shooting nearly 52 percent (.518) from the field, while connecting on 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arc. The Falcons wrapped up the evening shoot nearly 42 percent (.418) from the field and at a 42.1 percent clip from distance.

The Zips posted advantages in the contest in points in the paint (40-30), fast-break points (18-8), points off turnovers (17-12) and bench points (18-9).

JORDYN DAWSON NAMED MAC PLAYER AND DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the first time since 2015, the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year is a Zip. Redshirt senior Jordyn Dawson (Huntington, W Va.) was named MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday. Dawson was named First-Team All-MAC and on the all-defensive team. Dawson becomes the third-ever Zip to garner the league's top honor joining Sina King (2014-15) and Rachel Tecca (2012-13) and first-ever to be named Defensive Player of the year.

She produced one of the best individual seasons in Akron women's basketball history. A first-team All-MAC honoree, Dawson started 25 games for the Zips this season, ranking seventh in the country in scoring (22.4 ppg), eighth in the NCAA in steals per game (3.04), 21st in defensive rebounds (7.4), and 35th in double-doubles (12).

BASS AND DAWSON EARN ALL-MAC ACCOLADES
Dawson garnered first-team All-MAC accolades and named to the all-defensive team, while Bass was tabbed honorable mention and selected to the all-freshman team.

Bass was tabbed honorable mention All-MAC and selected to the all-freshman team. The freshman played in 23 games and led the Zips' offensive attack in the paint averaging 12.6 points per game. In league games, Bass led the team with a 59.1 percent shooting percentage and shot a team-best 75.3 percent from the charity stripe. Her 1.00 blocks per game ranked 10^th in the MAC.

Bass scored a career-best 23-points against Eastern Michigan, while bringing down a career-high nine rebounds against Youngstown State and Northern Illinois. Bass recorded a career-high four blocks against Western Michigan, while having six games where she recorded two or more blocks. Bass finished the season with 14 double figure games.

ZIPS HISTORY IN THE MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The Akron women's basketball team competed in its 35th all-time Mid-American Conference Tournament contest on Wednesday, March 9. Akron holds a 13-23 tournament record since 1995. The third-seeded Zips will take on the second-seeded Bulls. Akron holds a 3-2 all-time advantage over Buffalo in the MAC Tournament.

Akron fell to the Bulls on March 11, 2016 in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals with an 88-87 decision.

ZIP TIPS
- The 2021-22 season marks the 48th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
- As a team, Akron ranks 50th in the NCAA and leads the conference in fewest turnovers (402) ,47^th in fewest fouls (422).
- Akron ranks second in the conference in Blocked shots per game (3.7).
-The Zips perimeter defense is third in conference play (30.6), while ranking third in three-point percentage (32.6)
- Jordyn Dawson has been named this year's MAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, while also garnering a first team All-MAC selection and All-MAC Defensive Team. She leads the team averaging 22.4 points and 9.3 rebounds and leads the team with 82 steals.
- In conference play, Dawson is averaging a double-double with 24.2 points per game, and 10.3 rebounds, while gathering 61 steals and nine blocks. She has scored in double-figures in 21 straight games, 20 being 20+ points.
- Dawson is the only player in the MAC to rank top-5 in league stats in points, rebs, assists, and steals.
-Dawson is the only player in the MAC to record a triple-double against a Division I team
- Jordyn Dawson is rated 7^th in the nation in points per game (22.4), 6th in steals per game (3.15), and 20^th in defensive rebounds per game (7.4), and 46th in rebounds per game (9.4)
- Dawson ranks 30^th in double-doubles (12) and ranks second in league stats.
- Reagan Bass was named All-MAC Honorable Mention and selected to the All-MAC Freshman Team.
- In conference play, freshman Reagan Bass is second on the team in points per game (12.6) Bass has scored in double-figures in 16 of the last 21 games, reaching a career-high mark of 23 points (EMU).
- Bass ranks 8th in MAC stats in blocked shots per game (1.05).
- Akron owns a 41-21 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 13-5 record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 30-16 mark, including a 9-3 record this season.
- The Akron bench is shooting more than 38 percent (38.9) from the field and at a 32.4 percent 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 21 contests this year. She is joined by Reagan Bass (18) and Lonasia Brewer (7), Layne Ferrell (5), Annika Corcoran (3), Kendall Miller (2).
- Akron has connected on five or more three-pointers in 18 games this season, and 48 of its last 54 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 46.4 percent of its point in the paint this season, averaging 30 percent points in the paint per game.
- Akron finished the regular season 8-4 at home and is averaging 73.4 points when playing at the JAR.
- The Zips are shooting 43.4 percent (679-507) from the field and 167-507 percent (32.9) from beyond the arc. Akron has been outrebounded by its opponents, 991-976for a -0.6 margin. Akron has 402 turnovers averaging (14.9) turnovers per game) and has 193 steals (7.1 steals 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 BUFFALO
The Bulls, stand 23-8 overall and 16-4 in conference play under the direction of 10th-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack after beating Western Michigan, 63-49 in Wednesday's quarterfinal game. Junior guard Dyaisha Fair led all scorers with 19 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Jazmine Young scored 10 points while adding four steals and junior Dominique Camp also scored in double figures with 10 points.

UB has a trio of players averaging in double-figure scoring with Fair leading the way with 23 points per game. Georgia Wooley is averaging 14 points per game, while Summer Hemphill rounds out the double-digit scoring with 13.6 points per game and leads the team rebounding with 10.3.

Buffalo is averaging 75.8 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting (877-204) from the floor and 228-605 shooting (37.7 percent) from long range.

Defensively, the Bulls have held their opponents to 66.7 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting from the floor and 29.2 percent from beyond the arc. Buffalo has 436 turnovers (14.1) turnovers per game) while collecting 290 steals (9.4 steals per game). On the glass, the Bulls have out-rebounded their opponents, 1302-1224 for a +2.5 margin.

UP NEXT
The Akron-Buffalo winner will advance to Saturday's (March 12) MAC Tournament Championship round, and will face either first-seeded Toledo or fifth-seeded Ball State. The Championship game is scheduled to start at approximately 11 a.m.. at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.