Akron Opens MAC Play at Ohio

Wednesday, January 3

Athens, Ohio

7:00 PM

University of Akron

Ohio

January 02 | Women's Basketball

Akron (5-5, 0-0 MAC) at Ohio (3-7, 0-0 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 3
Convocation Center
Athens, Ohio • 7 p.m.

Series History: Ohio Leads 47-23
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team opens Mid-American Conference play traveling to Athens, Ohio for a showdown with Ohio on Wednesday (Jan. 3). The 7 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Ohio: Bob Boldon (Walsh, 1997), Overall Record: 286-218 (17th Season), Record at Ohio: 188-130 (11th Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 5-5 (First Season), Record at Akron: 5-5 (First Season)

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters its showdown versus Akron on Wednesday (Jan. 3) at 3-7 on the campaign following a 70-66 setback at Bellarmine on Saturday (Dec. 30).

The Bobcats are led by sophomore Jaya McClure, who is averaging a team-best 15.2 points per game, while redshirt junior Madi Mace is pulling down a team-high 4.7 rebounds per contest. As a team, Ohio is recording 62.5 points, 33.8 rebounds, 11.2 steals, 10.8 assists and 2.3 blocks per tilt.

As a team, the Bobcats are rated ninth in the NCAA in forced turnovers (23.7), 28th in steals per game (11.3) and 49th in three pointers attempted (24.3).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Ohio are meeting for the 71st time in program history. The Bobcats lead the series, 47-23, after the Zips bettered Ohio, 73-64, on Jan. 4, 2023 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 4, 2023 – AKRON, OHIO)
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 Jan. 4, 2023 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.

Reagan Bass topped the Zips with a 17-point and 11-rebound performance. Layne Ferrell notched 16 points, while Rachel Martindale, Dominique Camp and Molly Neitzel rounded out a balanced attack scoring 12, 12 and 11 points, respectively.

BASS JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB, NEARING 500 CAREER REBOUNDS
Reagan Bass became the 21st Zip to reach the 1,000-point plateau with a 22-point effort versus Bellarmine (Dec. 21). She enters action at Ohio having amassed 499 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 36 of Akron's last 40 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 13 times over the same span.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in two career games against Ohio, while Alexis Stewart has tallied 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in a pair of contests versus the Bobcats.
• Akron is tied with San Diego State and South Dakota for the D1 lead in overtime games having played in three this season.
• 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 recorded a season-best 11 steals at Canisius, while matching a season-high total for blocks (5).
• Alexus Mobley posted a career-high totals in points (12), rebounds (6), blocks (3) and steals (2) at Canisius (Dec. 30).
• The Zips recorded nine career-high marks versus Canisius.
• Akron posted season-high totals for points (88), field goals made (29), three pointers made (14) and offensive rebounds (19) against Bellarmine (Dec. 21).
• Akron connected on a season-high 14 three pointers against Bellarmine (Dec. 21), the third-best single-game effort in program history.
• Reagan Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 20.5 points to go along with a conference-high 11.3 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.7), minutes played (36.9) and offensive rebounding (3.6), while rating second in scoring (20.5), third in field goal percentage (.479), fifth in blocked shots (0.89) and seventh in free throw percentage (.818).
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Ohio having amassed 1,030 career points, to go along with 499 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 36 of Akron's last 40 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 13 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).
• The Zips have recorded 45 career-high marks this season in point, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes played.
• Reagan Bass is the lone player 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 Ohio recording 20.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per outing. Her six doubles-doubles rank 23rd nationally.
• 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).
• Reagan Bass is rated fifth in the NCAA in minutes played (37.09), sixth in rebounding (11.3), 12th in defensive rebounding (7.7), 18th in free throws made (63), 19th in points per game (20.5) and 23rd in double-doubles (6) and in free throw attempts (77).
• Seven different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass (9), Morgan Haney (5), Alexus Mobley (4), Lanae Riley (3), Zakia Rasheed (2) and Kaia Woods (2) and Teniesha Clarke (1).

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 10 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), .408 (Oakland), 30 percent: .381 (Robert Morris), .368 (Youngstown State), .339 (Cleveland State), .333 (Canisius), .320 (Tennessee State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 10 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 (Cleveland State), 30 percent: .393 (Tennessee State), .364 (Wichita State), .356 (Youngstown State), .345 (Canisius), .318 (Robert Morris), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron have once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 31.2 points per game for 312 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 130-81 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 2-1 in the JAR, averaging 76.7 points per tilt and connecting on 40 percent (.400) of their attempts from the field, while recording 43.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 6.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

Individually, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 29.3 and 14.0 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Ball State in a 2 p.m. matinee affair on Saturday (Jan. 6) at James A. Rhodes Arena.