Akron Renews Rivalry with Cleveland State

Akron (3-4) at Cleveland State (8-1)
Sunday, Dec. 10
Wolstein Center
Cleveland, Ohio • 2 p.m.

Series History: Cleveland State leads 27-17
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 visits Cleveland State for an in-state showdown on Sunday (Dec. 10). The 2 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Cleveland State: Chris Kielsmeier (Iowa State, 1998), Overall Record: 520-171 (24th Season), Record at Cleveland State: 104-55 (Sixth Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 3-4 (First Season), Record at Akron: 3-4 (First Season)

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE
Cleveland State enters its showdown versus Akron on Sunday (Dec. 10) at 8-1 on the campaign following an 87-56 victory over Niagara on Wednesday (Dec. 6).

The Vikings are led by a trio of scorers averaging double figures as senior Destiny Leo, junior Colbi Maples and senior Mickayla Perdue are posting 20.7, 16.3 and 10.7 points, respectively. Redshirt senior Carmen Villalobos is pulling down a team-best 7.2 rebounds per contest. As a team, Cleveland State is recording 80.7 points, 39.0 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 10.3 steals and 2.8 blocks per tilt.

The Vikings are rated third in the NCAA in free throw attempts (27.56), fourth in free throws made (19.67), 19th in field goal percentage (.486), 25th in winning percentage (.889), 34th in scoring offense (80.7), 38th in scoring margin (20.7) and 42nd in turnover margin (4.89). Individually, Maples is ranked 34th in the NCAA in free throws (40).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Cleveland State are meeting for the 45th time in program history since the inaugural meeting in 1975. In 44 contests between the Zips and Vikings, Cleveland State holds a 27-17 all-time series record against Akron following a 76-58 triumph on Dec. 11, 2022 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (DEC. 11, 2022 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron started strong, but ultimately fell to visiting Cleveland State by a score of 76-58 on Dec. 11, 2022 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Rachel Martindale directed Akron's offensive efforts with a team-high 14 points, while Dominique Camp chipped in 12 points and senior Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) tallied nine in the setback.

The Zips finished the evening shooting 36.5 percent from the field and connected on 11 three pointers, while the Vikings connected on 40 percent of their attempts from the floor. On the night, Cleveland State outrebounded Akron, 44-35.

BASS NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Akron women's basketball junior 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 21.6 points to go along with a conference-high 11.0 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.14), minutes played (38.5) and offensive rebounding (3.86), while rating second in field goal percentage (.510).
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Cleveland State having amassed 976 career points, to go along with 463 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 33 of Akron's last 37 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 11 times over the same span.
• When Reagan Bass reaches the 1,000-point plateau, she will become the 21st Zip to reach the milestone and first since Jordyn Dawson during the 2021-22 campaign.
• Freshman Teniesha Clarke (Burlington, Ontario) and junior Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) each posted career-high totals of 12 and 11 points, respectively, at Youngstown State (Dec. 6).
• The Zips have recorded 40 career-high marks this season in point, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes played.
• Reagan Bass is one of four players in NCAA Division I women's basketball to average 20.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game this season as she comes into action against Cleveland State recording 21.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per outing. Her four doubles-doubles rank 19th nationally.
• Zakia Rasheed posted a team-leading and career-best four steals versus Pittsburgh (Nov. 25).
• Lanae Riley rejected a team-best and career-high three shots against Wichita State (Nov. 24).
• 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 (38.5), 13th in points per game (21.6), 12th in rebounding (11.0), 19th in double-doubles (4), 21st in free throws made (42), 23rd in defensive rebounding (7.1) and 33rd in free throw attempts (50).
• The Zips posted six career-high marks against Tennessee State.
• Sophomore Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) recorded a career-high mark for scoring at Robert Morris (Nov. 15) tallying six points.
• Lanae Riley, Alexus Mobley, Zakia Rasheed and senior Tahmala Thorpe (Mississauga, Ontario) each posted a career-high marks for scoring against Southern Miss registering 13, 10, 8 and 8 points, respectively.
• The Zips recorded 15 individual career-high marks at both Southern Miss (Nov. 11) and Robert Morris (Nov. 15).
• Five different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass (6), Morgan Haney (4), Alexus Mobley (3), Lanae Riley (3), Zakia Rasheed (2) and Teniesha Clarke (1).
• Reagan Bass was third in the league lead with a pair of 30-point games last season.
• With her 16-point outing against Central Michigan on March 4, 2023, Reagan Bass surpassed the 800-point plateau at Akron, becoming the fastest Zip to reach that scoring benchmark in her 55th career contest.
• The 19-rebound effort from Reagan Bass against Robert Morris (Nov. 15) represented not only a career-high mark, but also the highest single-game effort for a Zip since Susan Dobson pulled down 19 rebounds versus Malone on Dec. 3, 1984.
• Reagan Bass against Northern Illinois on Feb. 8, 2023 joined Jordyn Dawson (2X) as the only Zips players since 2009-10 to earn 10+ Points, 5+ Rebounds, 5+ Assists, and 5+ Steals in a single game. Her five assists and five steals represented career-high marks.
• The six blocks by Reagan Bass versus Stetson (Dec. 18) represented the fourth-best single-game effort in program history and marks the most rejections by a Zip since Layne Ferrell tallied six blocks against Bowling Green on Feb. 27, 2021.
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 78 of its last 100 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 63, 56, 50 and 33 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's seven 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), .368 (Youngstown State), .320 (Tennessee State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' seven 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), .356 (Youngstown State), .318 (Robert Morris), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron have once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 32.3 points per game for 226 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 hosts Bellarmine on Dec. 21 at 4 p.m.

The University of Akron Athletics

Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Dominique Camp

Teniesha Clarke

Layne Ferrell

Morgan Haney

Rachel Martindale

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Liisa Taponen

Tahmala Thorpe

Related Videos