In-State Battle on Tap as Akron Visits Youngstown State

Akron (3-3) at Youngstown State (2-6)
Wednesday, Dec. 6
Beeghley Center
Youngstown, Ohio • 6:30 p.m.

Series History: Youngstown State leads 41-20
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team renews its annual rivalry with Youngstown State as the Zips travel to face the Penguins on Wednesday (Dec. 6). The 6:30 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Youngstown State: John Barnes (Michigan Tech, 1995), Overall Record: 327-191 (18th Season), Record at Youngstown State: 171-136 (11th Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 3-3 (First Season), Record at Akron: 3-3 (First Season)

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State enters its showdown versus Akron on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 2-6 on the campaign following a 65-63 setback at Robert Morris on Sunday (Dec. 3).

The Penguins are led by redshirt senior Emily Saunders, who is averaging a team-best 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. As a team, Youngstown State is registering 57.3 points, 33.9 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.3 blocks per tilt.

Individually, Saunders is ranked ninth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.667).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Youngstown State are meeting for the 62nd time in program history with the Penguins owning a 41-20 series edge following a 61-44 victory by the Zips on Nov. 18, 2022 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 18, 2022 – AKRON, OHIO)
Behind a dominant stretch spanning the course of the second and third quarters, Akron came from behind to defeat visiting Youngstown State, 61-44, in a non-league showdown on Nov. 18 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron dominated the second and third quarters thanks to its defense, outscoring the Penguins, 40-10, to power their way to victory.

Layne Ferrell paced a balanced Akron offensive attack with a team-high 15 points. Dominique Camp added 15 with four steals.

The Zips finished the contest connecting on 42.9 percent of their attempts from the field, including making seven triples. Akron tallied 10 steals, seven blocks and 11 points in transition and held the visitors to 31.1-percent shooting mark, including 1-of-20 from beyond the arc, and forced 19 turnovers.

BASS NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Akron women's basketball junior F Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) was honored by the Mid-American Conference for the fourth straight week as its Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Bass continues to rewrite the record book becoming the first Akron player to earn weekly league honors over four consecutive weeks to start a season since the conference awards began during 1981-82 campaign. Additionally, Bass is the initial league player to garner MAC Player of the Week accolades for the initial four weeks of a campaign over the same span.

Bass turned in her league-leading fourth double-double of the season registering a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a 55-49 win over Tennessee State on Sunday (Dec. 3).

Connecting on 75 percent of her shots (9-12), Bass equaled a career-high with 33 points, including scoring 19 of her points in the second half. After Tennessee State tied the game at 45 with 7:16 left in regulation, Bass engineered her own personal 8-0 run, to give Akron a 53-45 lead following a made layup at the 2:25 mark. She was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line in the decisive final frame. She equaled a season-best with three steals in the affair, while also recording a blocked shot.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Akron leads D1 in overtime games having played in three this season.
• Reagan Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring a league-best 23.3 points to go along with a conference-high 11.7 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.33), minutes played (38.6) and offensive rebounding (4.33), while rating second in field goal percentage (.539).
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Youngstown State having amassed 9365 career points, to go along with 456 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 32 of Akron's last 36 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 11 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass is one of two players in NCAA Division I women's basketball to average 20.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game this season as she comes into action against Youngstown State recording 23.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per outing. Her four doubles-doubles rank 13th nationally.
• Akron connected on a season-best 46 percent of its shots in back-to-back games versus Pittsburgh (29-63) and Wichita State (23-50), while making a season-high seven three pointers at a .438 clip against the Panthers.
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (87-OAK), field goals made (29-OAK | PITT), triples (7-PITT), offensive rebounds (19-RMU), defensive rebounds (34-OAK), rebounds (49-OAK | RMU), assists (18-OAK | PITT), steals (10-TSU) and blocks (5-RMU).
• Reagan Bass became the first Akron player to earn weekly league Player of the Week honors over four consecutive weeks of a season since the conference awards began during 1981-82 campaign. Additionally, Bass is the initial league player to garner MAC Player of the Week accolades for the initial four weeks of a campaign over the same span.
• Reagan Bass became the first conference player to be named MAC Player of the Week for four consecutive weeks since Central Michigan's Reyna Frost captured the honors seven straight times during the 2018-19 season.
• Reagan Bass is rated second in the NCAA in minutes played (38.6), fifth in points per game (23.3), sixth in rebounding (11.7), 13th in double-doubles (4) and in offensive rebounding (4.3), 20th in defensive rebounding (7.3), 21st in free throws made (42) and 27th in free throw attempts (50).
• The Zips posted six career-high marks against Tennessee State.
• Five different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass (5), Alexus Mobley (3), Morgan Haney (3), Lanae Riley (3) and Zakia Rasheed (1).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 77 of its last 99 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high seven triples in an 75-72 victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 25, 2023.
• Reagan Bass, Alexis Stewart, Zakia Rasheed and Tahmala Thorpe have appeared in 62, 56, 49 and 32 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.3 points and 12.3 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's six games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .460 (Pittsburgh), .460 (Wichita State), .439 (Southern Miss), .408 (Oakland), 30 percent: .381 (Robert Morris), .320 (Tennessee State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' six games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .468 (Oakland), 30 percent: .393 (Tennessee State), .364 (Wichita State), .318 (Robert Morris), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron have once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 33.6 points per game for 202 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 44 points in the paint in a 91-87 setback to Oakland (Nov. 6).

ZIPS EARN WBCA ALL-ACADEMIC SPECIAL MENTION ACCOLADES
The 2022-23 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll was announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, and the Akron women's basketball team earned special mention nods for having a 3.503 overall team GPA for the 2022-23 academic year.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2022-23 season was the 28th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

The Zips were just one of five Mid-American Conference teams to earn the recognition.

MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Zips under first-year head coach Ryan Gensler, were picked to finish sixth as a team behind preseason league and tournament favorite preseason favorite Toledo (11 first-place votes and 121 points). The Rockets were followed by Ball State (1 first-place votes/110 points), Kent State (102), Bowling Green (77), Northern Illinois (72), Akron (69), Eastern Michigan (66), Buffalo (50), Ohio (40), Western Michigan (38), Central Michigan (24) and Miami (23).

HOME COOKING
Inside the friendly confines of James A. Rhodes Arena, the Zips have seen a lot of success over the course of the past 18 seasons. When playing on its home court, Akron owns a 129-81 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 1-1 in the JAR, averaging 71.0 points per tilt and connecting on more than 37 percent (.372) of their attempts from the field, while recording 43.0 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

Individually, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 33.0 and 13.5 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron battles Cleveland State in a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday (Dec. 10).

In-State Battle on Tap as Akron Visits Youngstown State

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Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Dominique Camp

Layne Ferrell

Morgan Haney

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Tahmala Thorpe

The University of Akron Athletics