Akron Set to Battle Miami in MAC Showdown

Saturday, January 7

Oxford, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Miami

January 06 | Women's Basketball

Akron (10-2, 1-0 MAC) at Miami (5-9, 0-1 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 7
Millett Hall
Oxford, Ohio • 1 p.m.

Series History: Miami leads 39-22
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WHAT'S AHEAD
Off to the best start in program history, the University of Akron women's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 7 as the Zips battle Miami at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio. The 1 p.m. tilt with the RedHawks will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Miami: DeUnna Hendrix (Richmond, 2007), Overall Record: 153-163 (11th Season), Record at Miami: 28-70 (Fourth Season)
Akron: Melissa Jackson (Richmond, 2004), Overall Record: 64-58 (Fifth Season), Record at Akron: 64-58 (Fifth Season)

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami enters action versus Akron on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 5-9 on the campaign, including a 1-0 record in the Mid-American Conference, following a 68-67 setback at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 4.

The RedHawks are led by the trio of sophomore G Ivy Wolf, sophomore G Maddi Cluse and senior G Peyton Scott, who are averaging 17.6, 15.4 and 12.8 points per game, respectively, with Cluse pulling down a team-best 8.1 rebounds per contest. As a unit, Miami is recording 68.1 points, 34.3 rebounds, 13.1 assists, 7.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.

Individually, Wolf is rated seventh in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.940), while Cluse ranks second in triple doubles (1) and 41st in double doubles (5).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Miami are meeting for the 62nd time in program history. The RedHawks lead the series, 39-22, after the Zips swept the season series a year ago. Akron bettered Miami, 66-53, on Jan. 12, 2022 at Millett Hall, before the Zips dealt the RedHawks a 73-72 setback on March 5, 2022 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (MARCH 5, 2022 - AKRON, OHIO)
The Akron Zips honored their four seniors and claimed a thrilling, come-from-behind win at James A. Rhodes Arena on March 5, 2022, besting Miami, 73-72.

With the Zips trailing by two in the closing moments, senior G Rachel Martindale (Pittsburgh, Ohio) drained a clutch three pointer from the top of the key with 1:20 remaining to stake her team to a 71-70 lead. Two big free throws by redshirt junior G Layne Ferrell ( Franklin, Ohio) provided the winning margin as Akron survived a missed Miami field goal attempt at the buzzer.

Jordyn Dawson led all scorers with 26 points and tallied six rebounds and five assists in the final home game of her Akron career. She and fellow seniors Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell, Kendall Miller and Colleen Neitzel were honored prior to the game.

Freshman guard Ivy Wolf led Miami with 22 points and sophomore guard Edyn Battle chipped in with 15 in the loss.

ZIPS TRIUMPH PAST OHIO IN LEAGUE OPENER
Defense, rebounding and senior leadership won the day for Akron as the Zips opened Mid-American Conference play with a 73-64 home win over Ohio on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Defensively, Akron limited Ohio to 38.8-percent shooting mark, while also besting the visitors on the glass by a 40-32 margin. The Zips also forced 20 turnovers and converted them into 13 points, while leading for the entire game.

Sophomore F Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) topped the Zips with a 17-point and 11-rebound performance for her second double double of the season. Layne Ferrell notched 16 points, while Rachel Martindale, senior G Dominique Camp (Dayton, Ohio) and senior F Molly Neitzel (Rocky River, Ohio) rounded out a balanced attack scoring 12, 12 and 11 points, respectively, to deliver Akron's 10th win of the season. Martindale also played a major role defensively, tallying a career-high six steals.

A strong start allowed the Zips to maintain the lead throughout, forcing the Bobcats to play catch-up from the opening minutes on. The visitors made multiple runs but could never pull even. A short burst in the second quarter narrowed the Akron edge to three, 28-25, but as they did time after time in the game, the Zips countered with a triple from Martindale.

Facing an Ohio defense reliant on pressure, Akron was able to exploit the Bobcats for consistent open looks and finished the evening shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Combined with a 24-5 scoring margin at the foul line, that was enough to open the MAC season on a winning note. The 88.9-percent foul shooting effort was the second-best of the season, trailing only a 19-of-21 effort in a win over Robert Morris.

Yaya Felder led Ohio with 22 points, while Abby Garnett added 18 for the visitors.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron is seeking its seventh straight victory over Miami when the two teams meet on Saturday, Jan. 7.
• Akron head coach Melissa Jackson owns a 65-58 overall record in her fifth season on the Zips' bench. She has reached that victory total faster than any coach in program history, while matching Mary Ann Tripodi (1974-81) for the third-highest win total by a head coach at Akron.
• Akron is off to the best start in program history at 10-2 on the campaign entering the Zips' league showdown at Miami on Saturday, Jan. 7. Akron's best overall open to a campaign came during the 2014-15 season with a 14-2 mark.
• Akron owns a 6-2 record against Miami, including 3-1 at Millett Hall, with head coach Melissa Jackson on the Zips' sideline.
• Under Jackson, Akron averages 70.3 points in eight contests against Miami, while allowing the RedHawks to register 65.3 points per tilt.
• With its win over Coppin State, the Zips matched the 2018-19 Akron squad for the most non-conference victories (9) under fifth-year head coach Melissa Jackson.
• 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 Miami 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 374 career three-point attempts. She is 10 attempts shy of Abby Hoy (383 | 1995-00) for 10th place.
• Rachel Martindale's .329 shooting percentage (123-374) from beyond the arc is the ninth-best mark in program history.
• The Zips are averaging 64.8 points per game in four road/neutral contests this season with Akron shooting more nearly 42 percent (.415) from the field, including a .279 mark from beyond the arc. The trio of Reagan Bass, Molly Neitzel, Layne Ferrell and Dominique Camp are averaging 16.3, 11.5, 10.8 and 10.0 points per tilt.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Miami having amassed 525 career points.
• Akron is ranked 19th in the NCAA in assists per game (17.7), 22nd in defensive rebounds (30.0), 28th in blocks per outing (4.9), 32nd in winning percentage (.833), 38th in free throws made per contest (14.92*) and 43rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.13). Individually, Dominique Camp ranks eighth in steals per game (3.42) and 16th in steals (41), while Reagan Bass is 50th in scoring (17.8) and Layne Ferrell is 34th in free throw percentage (.895).
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass tallying 10 or more points in 10 contests this year. She was joined by Layne Ferrell (8), Molly Neitzel (7), Dominique Camp (7), Rachel Martindale (3), freshman F Aila Miller (Berlin, Ohio) (1), Alexis Stewart (1), Faith Stinson (1) and Annie Watson (1).
• The 2022-23 season marks the 49th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Akron owns a 52-23 mark under head coach Melissa Jackson when shooting 40 percent or better from the field, including a 7-1 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 12 games this season, and 63 of its last 75 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 76, 76, 62, 38, 38 and 30 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 13.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. Ferrell is the Zips' active leader in three-point shooting connecting on 36.0 percent of her attempts.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 12 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 (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' 12 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: .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 12 games this season averaging 34.0 points per contest for 408 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 visits Eastern Michigan for a 7 p.m. tilt on Wednesday, Jan. 11.