Akron Visits Eastern Michigan in Midweek MACtion

Wednesday, January 11

Ypsilanti, Mich.

7:00 PM

University of Akron

Eastern Michigan

Akron Visits Eastern Michigan in Midweek MACtion

January 10 | Women's Basketball

Akron (11-2, 2-0 MAC) at Eastern Michigan (9-4, 1-1 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 11
George Gervin GameAbove Center
Ypsilanti, Mich. • 7 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 27-19
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
Live Radio: www.GoZips.com

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday, Jan. 11 as the Zips battle Eastern Michigan at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. The 7 p.m. tilt with the Eagles will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Eastern Michigan: Fred Castro (Oklahoma, 2004), Overall Record: 73-111 (Seventh Season), Record at EMU: 73-111 (Seventh Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall Record: 66-58 (Fifth Season), Record at Akron: 66-58 (Fifth Season)

SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan enters action versus Akron on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 9-4 on the campaign, including a 1-1 record in the Mid-American Conference, following a 79-63 setback at Bowling Green on Jan. 7.

The Eagles are led by the trio of sophomore G Lachelle Austin, redshirt junior F Ce'Nara Skanes and freshman G Olivia Smith, who are averaging 13.7, 12.6 and 10.5 points per game, respectively, with Skanes pulling down a team-best 7.5 rebounds per contest. As a unit, Eastern Michigan is recording 66.4 points, 39.9 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 6.8 steals and 5.7 blocks per game.

As a team, the Eagles are ranked sixth in the NCAA in blocks per game (5.7). Individually, sophomore C Tayra Eke is rated 26th in the NCAA in blocks per outing (2.00) and 40th in blocks (26).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Eastern Michigan are meeting for the 47th time in program history. The Zips lead the series, 27-19, after the Zips swept the season series a year ago. Akron bettered Eastern Michigan, 68-64, on Jan. 26, 2022 at James A. Rhodes Arena, before the Zips dealt the Eagles a 64-53 setback on Feb. 12, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Mich.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 12, 2022 - YPSILANTI, MICH.)
Akron earned the season sweep over Eastern Michigan in a 64-53 victory on Feb. 12, 2022 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.

With nine players seeing court time and eight of them scoring points, it was a balanced offensive effort for the Zips, but defense is where they did their best work.

Akron limited Eastern Michigan to 28-percent shooting, including just three made three pointers, forced 12 turnovers, scoring 16 points off the Eagles' miscues.

Jordyn Dawson led the Zips with 22 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while Lonasia Brewer rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points and six rebounds.

It was Annika Corcoran and senior G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who each drained a pair of three pointers, helping create spacing on the floor, as the Zips scored 30 points in the paint.

Eastern Michigan had three players score in double-figures with Ce'Nara Skanes leading the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

AKRON RALLIES OVER MIAMI, 77-66
A Led by a career-high 26 points from senior G Dominique Camp (Dayton, Ohio), Akron earned a come-from-behind 77-66 road victory over Miami on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Millett Hall.

Trailing by as many as 10 points in the opening quarter, the Zips outscored the RedHawks over the final period, 23-16, to extend their winning streak to six games, while improving to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play.

Camp led four Zips scoring in double figures, while sophomore F Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio), redshirt junior G Layne Ferrell (Franklin, Ohio) and senior F Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) added 21-, 15- and 12-point performances towards Akron's triumph on the afternoon.

The Zips finished the contest shooting 44.2 percent from the field, including more than 47 percent (.474) over the final three quarters. Miami concluded its efforts on the day connecting on 39.1 percent of its attempts.

Ivy Wolf led four RedHawks scoring in double figures with a team-high 17 points, to go along with 16, 14 and 13 tallies, respectively, from Maddi Cluse, Sierra Morrow and Peyton Scott.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron is seeking its third straight victory over Eastern Michigan when the two teams meet on Wednesday, Jan. 11 as the Zips have won four of their last five encounters with the Eagles.
• Akron head coach Melissa Jackson owns a 66-58 overall record in her fifth season on the Zips' bench. She has reached that victory total faster than any coach in program history, while surpassing Mary Ann Tripodi (1974-81) for the third-highest win total by a head coach at Akron with the Zips' triumph over Miami on Jan. 7.
• Akron is off to the best start in program history at 11-2 on the campaign entering the Zips' league showdown at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Akron's best overall open to a campaign came during the 2014-15 season with a 14-2 mark.
• Akron owns a 11-10 overall record at Eastern Michigan, including 2-2 in Ypsilanti, Mich., with head coach Melissa Jackson on the Zips' sideline.
• Under Jackson, Akron averages 63.6 points in eight contests against Eastern Michigan.
• Layne Ferrell dished out a career-high seven assists in Akron's 77-66 victory at Miami on Jan. 7.
• The five blocks by Molly Neitzel versus Miami on Jan. 7 represented the sixth-best single-game effort in program history and marks the most rejections by a Zip since Reagan Bass tallied six blocks against Stetson on Dec. 18.
• With its win over Coppin State, the Zips matched the 2018-19 Akron squad for the most non-conference victories (9) under head coach Melissa Jackson.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Eastern Michigan having amassed 546 career points, to go along with 250 career rebounds.
• Layne Ferrell and Rachel Martindale are both nearing the 500-point career point plateau as the duo enters play against the Eagles have recorded 458 and 442 points, respectively.
• Dominique Camp is approaching 200 career assists and 150 steals as she has registered 187 assists and 146 steals in her career.
• Akron is ranked 17th in the NCAA in blocks per game (5.2), 19th in free throws made per contest (15.85), 21st in assists per outing (17.4), 25th in winning percentage (.846), 26th in defensive rebounds (29.7), 42nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.12), 44th in free throw percentage (.760) and 49th in free throw attempts per tilt (20.85). Individually, Dominique Camp ranks ninth in steals per game (3.46) and 18th in steals (45), while Reagan Bass is 37th in free throw attempts (90) and 46th in scoring (18.1) and Layne Ferrell is 26th in free throw percentage (.897).
• Reagan Bass is tied for the league lead with a pair of 30-point games this season.
• Dominique Camp's seven steals against Northern Kentucky (Nov. 28) is a single-game MAC leading mark this season, while the 12 made field goals from Reagan Bass against Point Park (Dec. 2) in a league-best mark.
• Rachel Martindale has recorded 123 career three pointers. She enters action against Eastern Michigan tied with Kelley Burrier (123 | 1994-97) for eighth on the all-time career list at Akron. She is three triples shy of Kara Murphy (127 | 2007-11) for seventh place. All but 15 of her 138 career field goals have come from beyond the arc.
• Rachel Martindale is 11th in program history with 381 career three-point attempts. She is three attempts shy of surpassing Abby Hoy (383 | 1995-00) for 10th place.
• Rachel Martindale's .323 shooting percentage (123-381) from beyond the arc is the 10th-best mark in program history.
• The Zips are averaging 67.2 points per game in five road/neutral contests this season with Akron shooting 42 percent (.420) from the field, including a .264 mark from beyond the arc. The quartet of Reagan Bass, Dominique Camp, Layne Ferrell and Molly Neitzel are averaging 17.2, 13.2, 11.6 and 11.6 points per tilt.
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass tallying 10 or more points in 11 contests this year. She was joined by Layne Ferrell (9), Molly Neitzel (8), Dominique Camp (8), Rachel Martindale (3), freshman F Aila Miller (Berlin, Ohio) (1), junior G Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) (1), Faith Stinson (1) and freshman F Annie Watson (Akron, Ohio) (1).
• The 2022-23 season marks the 49th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Akron owns a 53-23 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 8-1 record this season. When hitting at a 35-percent clip or better from beyond the arc, the Zips maintain a 31-19 mark, including an 2-1 ledger this season.
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 10 of its 13 games this season, and 63 of its last 76 contests overall. A year ago, the Zips hit on a season-high 13 triples in a 76-35 win over Slippery Rock on Nov. 9, 2021.
• Rachel Martindale, Molly Neitzel, Layne Ferrell, Reagan Bass, Alexis Stewart and Zakia Rasheed have appeared in 77, 77, 63, 39, 39 and 30 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 14.0 points and 6.4 rebounds. Ferrell is the Zips' active leader in three-point shooting connecting on 36.1 percent of her attempts.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 13 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .528 (Dayton), .526 (Point Park), .509 (Oakland), 40 percent: .445 (Notre Dame College), .442 (Miami-1), .442 (Robert Morris), .420 (Youngstown State), .407 (Ohio), .403 (Coppin State), 30 percent: .388 (Northern Kentucky), .386 (Bethune-Cookman), .382 (Stetson), .365 (Cleveland State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 13 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .435 (Coppin State), .431 (Northern Kentucky), .400 (Cleveland State), 30 percent: .391 (Miami-1), .388 (Ohio), .386 (Dayton), .379 (Oakland), .357 (Notre Dame College), .354 (Stetson), .329 (Bethune-Cookman) .313 (Robert Morris), .311 (Youngstown State), 20 percent: .250 (Point Park).

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron was once proved to be strong in the paint through 13 games this season averaging 33.8 points per contest for 440 total points. The Zips posted a season-best 66 points in the paint in a 101-46 victory over Point Park on Dec. 2.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Bowling Green in a 2 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Jan. 14 at James A. Rhodes Arena.