League Showdown Awaits Akron at Bowling Green

Wednesday, January 17

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 PM

University of Akron

Bowling Green

January 16 | Women's Basketball

Akron (6-8, 1-3 MAC) at Bowling Green (9-5, 3-1 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Stroh Center
Bowling Green, Ohio

Series History: Bowling Green Leads 57-14
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team faces a road test at Bowling Green on Wednesday (Jan. 17). The 7 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Bowling Green: Fred Chmiel (Excelsior, 2001), Overall Record: 9-5 (First Season), Record at Bowling Green: 9-5 (First Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 6-8 (First Season), Record at Akron: 6-8 (First Season)

SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green comes into play versus Akron on Wednesday (Jan. 17) at 9-5 on the campaign, including 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 76-61 setback versus Ball State on Saturday (Jan. 13).

A trio of Falcons in junior Amy Velasco, redshirt senior Morgan Sharps and freshman Paige Kohler are averaging double-figures in scoring posting 13.5, 12.6 and 11.0 points per contest. Senior Erika Porter is Bowling Green's active leading rebounder pulling down a team-high 3.9 rebounds per contest. As a team, the Falcons are recording 65.9 points, 35.1 rebounds, 13.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 3.2 blocks per tilt.

Individually, Kohler is rated 34th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.880), while Velasco is ranked 44th in minutes played (35.18).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Bowling Green are meeting for the 72nd time in program history. The Falcons lead the series, 57-14, after edging Akron, 71-66, on Jan. 14, 2023 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 14, 2023 – AKRON, OHIO)
In a battle between the top-two rated teams in the Mid-American Conference, Akron pushed Bowling Green to the limit before the Falcons escaped with a five-point decision, 71-66, on Jan. 14, 2023 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Molly Neitzel led the offensive way for the Zips netting a game-high 20 points. Layne Ferrell turned in a stellar performance for Akron registering eight points, while pulling down a career- and game-high 11 rebounds to go along with a pair of blocks and a career- and team-high seven assists and five steals.

Dominique Camp also reached double figures with 14 points, while junior Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio) dominated the interior for the Zips, scoring 11 points to go with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

BASS TURNING IN SPECIAL YEAR FOR AKRON
Reagan Bass is in the midst of a dominant campaign for the Zips this season as she is one of four players in NCAA Division I women's basketball to average 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per games and comes into action against Bowling Green recording 19.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per outing. Her 10 doubles-doubles rank 13th nationally. She has posted a double-double in each of Akron's four league games this season.

She became the 21st Zip to reach the 1,000-point plateau with a 22-point effort versus Bellarmine (Dec. 21). She then collected her 500th career rebound versus Ohio (Jan. 3). She has scored in doubles figures in 40 of Akron's last 44 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 17 times over the same span.

Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 19.6 points to go along with a conference-high 11.9 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (8.14), minutes played (37.10) and offensive rebounding (3.79), while rating second in scoring (19.57) and in field goal percentage (.481) and fourth in free throw percentage (.817) and in blocked shots (0.93). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (13.50) and defensive rebounding (9.25), second in offensive rebounding (4.25), fourth in scoring (17.25) and minutes played (37.12), eighth in field goal percentage (.488) and free throw percentage (.813) and 10th in blocked shots (1.00).

She is rated fourth in the NCAA in rebounding (11.9), fifth in free throw attempts (109) and in free throws made (90), sixth in minutes played (37.10), seventh in defensive rebounding (8.1), 13th in double-doubles (10), 24th in rebounds (167), 25th in points per game (19.6) and 28th in offensive rebounding (3.8).

ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Akron is tied with San Diego State for the D1 lead in overtime games having played in four this season. The four overtime contests are tied with Akron's 2015-16 team for most in a single season in program history. The NCAA record for overtime games in a season is seven, as Houston played in seven during the 2018-19 campaign.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in four career games against Bowling Green.
• Freshman Olivia Brown (Fishers, Ind.) made her collegiate debut at Buffalo playing nearly three minutes against the Bulls.
• The Zips shined in the classroom during the fall semester as Akron recorded a 3.343 team GPA, including three Zips turning in a perfect 4.0 GPA.
• The Zips have recorded 48 career-high marks this season in point, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes played.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Bowling Green having amassed 1,099 career points, to go along with 553 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 40 of Akron's last 44 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 17 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass became the 21st Zip to reach the 1,000-point milestone and first since Jordyn Dawson during the 2021-22 campaign with a 22-point performance versus Bellarmine (Dec. 21).
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.518) and in free throw percentage (.784), fourth in points per game (15.7), fifth in free throws made (323), sixth in free throws attempted (412) and in rebounds per game (7.9) and seventh in blocked shots (77).
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (88-BELL), field goals made (29-OAK | PITT | BELL), triples (14-BELL), offensive rebounds (19-RMU | BELL), defensive rebounds (34-OAK), rebounds (49-OAK | RMU), assists (18-OAK | PITT), steals (11-CAN) and blocks (5-RMU | CSU | CAN | BUFF-1).
• Seven different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass (13), Morgan Haney (7), Lanae Riley (6), Alexus Mobley (4), Kaia Woods (4), Zakia Rasheed (2) and Teniesha Clarke (1).
• Reagan Bass, Alexis Stewart, Zakia Rasheed and senior Tahmala Thorpe (Mississauga, Ontario) have appeared in 70, 62, 57 and 35 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.7 points and 7.9 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 14 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .460 (Pittsburgh), .460 (Wichita State), .453 (Bellarmine), .439 (Southern Miss), .414 (Ball State-1), .408 (Oakland), .404 (Ohio-1), 30 percent: .381 (Robert Morris), .368 (Youngstown State), .361 (Central Michigan-1), .345 (Buffalo-1), .339 (Cleveland State), .333 (Canisius), .320 (Tennessee State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 14 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .468 (Oakland), .424 (Bellarmine), .410 (Central Michigan-1), .410 (Cleveland State), .404 (Buffalo-1), 30 percent: .393 (Ohio-1), .393 (Tennessee State), .387 (Ball State-1), .364 (Wichita State), .356 (Youngstown State), .345 (Canisius), .318 (Robert Morris), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 31.4 points per game for 440 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 131-82 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 3-2 in the JAR, averaging 72.8 points per tilt and connecting on 39 percent (.394) of their attempts from the field, while recording 43.0 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 6.6 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 25.0 and 14.2 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts rival Kent State in a 2 p.m. matinee affair on Saturday (Jan. 20).