Akron Squares Off Versus Western Michigan

Akron (6-10, 1-5 MAC) at Western Michigan (7-9, 2-4 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 24
University Arena
Kalamazoo, Mich.

Series History: Western Michigan Leads 36-13
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., for a showdown at Western Michigan on Wednesday (Jan. 24). The 7 p.m. battle with the Broncos will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Western Michigan: Shane Clipfell (Eastern Michigan, 2006), Overall Record: 180-194 (13th Season), Record at Western Michigan: 167-182 (12th Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 6-10 (First Season), Record at Akron: 6-10 (First Season)

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan enters action against Akron on Wednesday (Jan. 24) at 7-9 on the campaign, including 2-4 in the Mid-American Conference, following an 66-63 victory at Buffalo on Saturday (Jan. 20).

The Broncos are led by redshirt senior Kaitlyn Zarycki, who is averaging team-high marks in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (5.1). As a team, Western Michigan is recording 60.8 points, 29.2 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 8.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per tilt.

Individually, Zarycki is ranked 13th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.904) and 48th in points per game (18.3).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Western Michigan are meeting for the 50th time in program history. The Broncos lead the series, 36-13. A year ago, Western Michigan bested the Zips, 76-71, on Feb. 4, 2023, in Kalamazoo, Mich.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 4, 2023 – KALAMAZOO, MICH.)
A second-half rally proved too much for Akron to overcome as Western Michigan rallied to post a 76-71 triumph past the Zips on Feb. 4, 2023, in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Akron was directed by a career-high 23 points from Rachel Martindale, including going 7-for-8 from beyond the arc. Junior Reagan Bass matched Martindale with a team-high 23 points, while pulling down 13 rebounds.

The Zips finished the affair shooting 46.2 percent from the field, while connecting on 58.8 percent of their attempts from distance, 10-17. Western Michigan overcame an eight-point halftime deficit on the strength of shooting 55.2 percent from the field in the second half and a .508 mark for the game.

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 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per games and comes into action against Western Michigan recording 18.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per outing. Her 10 doubles-doubles rank 15th nationally. She has posted a double-double in four of Akron's six 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 42 of Akron's last 46 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 17 times over the same span. She is 91 rebounds shy of cracking into the top-10 in program history.

Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 18.8 points to go along with a conference-high 11.31 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.75) and offensive rebounding (3.56), while rating second in scoring (18.81), minutes played (36.86) and in field goal percentage (.469), fourth in free throw percentage (.828) and eighth in blocked shots (0.81). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (11.33), defensive rebounding (7.83) and in offensive rebounding (3.50), third in minutes played (36.47), fifth in scoring (16.00), sixth in free throw percentage (.846) and ninth in field goal percentage (.449).

She is rated sixth in the NCAA in free throws made (96), seventh in rebounding (11.3), 10th in defensive rebounding (7.8) and in minutes played (36.86), 13th in free throw attempts (116), 15th in double-doubles (10), 27th in rebounds (181) and 34th in points per game (18.8).

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 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in three career games against Western Michigan, including a pair of 20-point outings.
• Akron has outrebounded its opponents nine times this season, including in four of six league games.
• The Zips have recorded two or more blocks in 12 games on the campaign.
• Lanae Riley went a perfect 4-of-4 beyond the arc against Kent State (Jan. 20).
• Over the last five games, Reagan Bass, Lanae Riley and Morgan Haney are averaging 15.8, 13.4 and 11.0 points, respectively. Riley is shooting nearly 63 percent (.625) from the field and a team-best .647 (11-of-17) from beyond the arc during the span, while senior Alexis Stewart owns a 3-to-1 assist/turnover ratio.
• 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 Western Michigan having amassed 1,126 career points, to go along with 567 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 42 of Akron's last 46 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 17 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.514) and in free throw percentage (.788), fourth in points per game (15.6), fifth in free throws made (330), sixth in free throws attempted (419) 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 (15), Morgan Haney (8), Lanae Riley (8), Kaia Woods (6), Alexus Mobley (4), Zakia Rasheed (2) and Teniesha Clarke (1).
• Reagan Bass, Alexis Stewart, Zakia Rasheed and senior Tahmala Thorpe have appeared in 72, 63, 59 and 37 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 16 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: ..393 (Kent State-1), 381 (Robert Morris), .368 (Youngstown State), .365 (Bowling Green-1), .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' 16 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .512 (Kent State-1), .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .468 (Oakland), .429 (Bowling Green-1), .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 30.5 points per game for 488 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 131-83 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 3-3 in the JAR, averaging 70.7 points per tilt and connecting on 39 percent (.394) of their attempts from the field, while recording 41.3 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 23.3 and 12.8 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron visits Northern Illinois for a 2 p.m. ET contest against the Huskies on Saturday (Jan. 27).

The University of Akron Athletics

Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Teniesha Clarke

Morgan Haney

Rachel Martindale

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Tahmala Thorpe

Kaia Woods

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