Akron Opens Homestand Hosting Slippery Rock

Wednesday, December 4

Akron, Ohio

6:00 PM

University of Akron

Slippery Rock

December 03 | Women's Basketball

Akron (3-5) vs. Slippery Rock (3-4)
Wednesday, Dec. 4
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: Slippery Rock leads 2-1
Live Stream: No Live Stream
Television: No Live Stream
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Radio: www.GoZips.com

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team kicks off a four-game homestand welcoming Slippery Rock to James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday (Dec. 4). The 6 p.m. tilt with the Rock will be broadcast on GoZips.com with Bill Morgan on the radio call.

Tickets for the contest against the Rock are available for purchase at http://www.gozips.com/Tickets. Fans are asked to park in Lots 1 (Parking Deck) at corner of Carroll and Spicer Streets. For complete parking information click here.

HEAD COACHES
Slippery Rock: Ryenn Micaletti (Seton Hill, 2011), Overall Record: 5-27 (Second Season), Record at Slippery Rock: 5-27 (Second Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 14-23 (Second Season), Record at Akron: 14-23 (Second Season)

SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
Slippery Rock enters action against Akron on Wednesday (Dec. 4) at 3-4 on the campaign following a 78-75 overtime setback versus Tiffin on Nov. 26.

A trio of Slippery Rock players are registering double figures in scoring as sophomore Regan Atkins, redshirt senior Tahmala Thorpe and sophomore Sophia Hook are posting 11.7, 10.6 and 10.1 points per contest. Junior Kayley Joseph-Bernard is SRU's leading rebounder pulling down 9.1 caroms a night. As a team, the Rock are recording 70.1 points, 39.0 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 5.4 steals and 3.4 blocks per tilt.

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Slippery Rock are meeting for the fourth time in program history with the Rock owning a 2-1 series advantage. The Zips bested Slippery Rock, 97-54, on Nov. 9, 2021, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 9, 2021 - AKRON, OHIO)
Akron started fast and outpaced visiting Slippery Rock for a resounding 97-54 win in their season opener on Nov. 9, 2021, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Jordyn Dawson led all scorers with 31 points and was one of eight Zips to connect from beyond the arc as Akron made 13-of-34 three-point attempts and outscored the Rock, 39-9, from long distance.

A balanced scoring attack saw Layne Ferrell, Reagan Bass, Kendall Miller and Alexis Stewart contribute eight points each.

COLGATE EDGES ZIPS, 62-45
Akron dropped a 62-45 decision to Colgate in the title game of the Colgate Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday (Nov. 30).

Junior Kam'Ren Rhodes (Chandler, Ariz.) directed the Zips' attack with a game-high 12 points to earn All-Tournament accolades, while senior Alexus Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.) added a six-point and six-rebound performance. Junior Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) also tacked on five points and six rebounds to go along with an eight-point effort from junior Maddie Vejsicky (New Concord, Ohio).

The Akron defense held Colgate shooters to just 39.3 percent from the field, including 16.7 percent from three-point range.

AKRON POWERS PAST IONA, 64-51
Akron had four players score in double figures on the way to a 64-51 win over Iona at the Colgate Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 29.

Sophomore Teniesha Clarke (Burlington, Ontario) led Akron with a game-high 13 points. Alexus Mobley tacked on 12 points to go along with seven rebounds, while senior Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) and Maddie Vejsicky each added 11-point efforts.

Liisa Taponen pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Akron, who grabbed 10 offensive boards and turning them into seven second-chance points.

Akron's defense held Iona to only 31 percent shooting from the field. The Zips also limited Zoey Ward to 4-of-15 shooting and nine points in the game. The Gaels did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as Akron cleared 34 defensive rebounds.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Kam'Ren Rhodes was an All-Tournament selection at the Colgate Thanksgiving Tournament.
• The Zips posted seven career-best totals in Akron's win over Iona (Nov. 29) with Kam'Ren Rhodes pulling down a career-high six rebounds and Maddie Vejsicky dishing out a career-best three assists.
• Akron recorded nine career-high marks at Bellarmine (Nov. 24) led by a career-best 13 points from Liisa Taponen, while Maddie Vejsicky and Kam'Ren Rhodes equaled career marks pulling down six and four rebounds, respectively.
• Akron is rated second in the Mid-American Conference in blocked shots (3.00), fourth in turnover margin (-1.75) and fifth in scoring defense (66.1) and three-point percentage (.316).
• Individually, Kam'Ren Rhodes is second in the league in steals (2.6), fifth in minutes played (34.3) and 10th in assists (2.9), redshirt senior Shelbee Brown (Memphis, Tenn.) is fourth in rebounding (8.6), Maddie Vejsicky is first in three-point percentage (.477) and second in triples per night (2.6), while Liisa Taponen is sixth in blocked shots (0.9).
• Led by a career-best 15-point and six-rebound performance from Maddie Vejsicky, the Zips recorded six career-high marks at Tennessee State (Nov. 22).
• Freshman Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) equaled a career-best in rebounding pulling down four caroms at Tennessee State.
• Led by a career-best 20 points from Teniesha Clarke, four Zips posted double-figure scoring efforts against Cleveland State as Kam'Ren Rhodes, Alexus Mobley and Shelbee Brown scored 18, 14 and 12 points, respectively.
• Individually, Maddie Vejsicky is ranked 29th in the NCAA in three-point percentage (.477) and 40th in total triples (21).
• The 2024-25 season marks the 51st season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (88-GSU), field goals made (32-CSU), triples (9-CSU), offensive rebounds (14-GSU), defensive rebounds (34-IONA), rebounds (47-GSU), assists (17-CSU), steals (8 COLG | BELL) and blocks (6-TSU).
• Seven different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led Alexus Mobley (6), Teniesha Clarke (4), Kam'Ren Rhodes (4), Maddie Vejsicky (4), Shelbee Brown (3), Zakia Rasheed (2) and Liisa Taponen (1).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 99 of its last 129 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high nine triples in an 85-74 victory over Cleveland State (Nov. 16).

AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED SEVEN-MEMBER NEWCOMER CLASS
Akron under the leadership of second-year head coach Ryan Gensler, boast a talented seven-member newcomer class for 2024.

Donning the Akron uniform this fall will be freshmen Kyara Bakker (Leiderdorp, Netherlands) and Ni'Rah Clark, redshirt senior Emily Hall (Phoenix, N.Y.), junior Caroline Lyles (Argyle, Texas), Kam'Ren Rhodes, Maddie Vejsicky and sophomore Ella Wigal (Granville, Ohio).

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's eight games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .492 (Cleveland State), .464 (Bellarmine), .439 (Iona), 30 percent: .388 (Colgate), .379 (Tennessee State), .377 (Georgia State), .361 (Robert Morris), .333 (Binghamton).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' eight games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .NA, 40 percent: .491 Cleveland State, .469 (Robert Morris), .463 (Bellarmine), .414 (Binghamton), .403 (Tennessee State), 30 percent: .393 (Colgate), .361 (Georgia State), .310 (Iona), 20 percent: NA.

MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Zips under second-year head coach Ryan Gensler, were picked to finish ninth as a team behind preseason league and tournament favorite preseason favorite Ball State (10 first-place votes and 120 points). The Cardinals were followed by Kent State (2 first-place votes and 104 points), Buffalo (98), Bowling Green (96), Toledo (82), Northern Illinois (64), Ohio (64), Miami (44), Akron (43), Western Michigan (34), Eastern Michigan (23) and Central Michigan (20).

OVER THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Led by 12.8 points per game from Alexus Mobley, a quartet of Zips are averaging double-figures in scoring over the last five games. Joining Mobley with 10.8, 10.2 and 10.0 points per outing is Teniesha Clarke, Maddie Vejsicky and Kam'Ren Rhodes. Shelbee Brown is pulling down a team-best 6.8 rebounds per contest, while Liisa Taponen is shooting a team-high 76.5 percent from the field.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 32.3 points per game for 258 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 46 points in the paint in a 84-74 victory over Cleveland State (Nov. 16). Additional inside the numbers for the Zips this season are below.

Points in Paint – 32.3 ppg (258) | Season-High - 46 vs. Cleveland State
Points off Turnovers – 14.5 ppg (116) | Season-High - 24 vs. Cleveland State
Second-Chance Points – 9.9 ppg (79) | Season-High - 13 vs. Cleveland State
Fast-Break Points – 5.9 ppg (47) | Season-High - 11 vs. Cleveland State
Bench Points – 16.5 ppg (132) | Season-High - 25 vs. Cleveland State

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 19 seasons. When playing on its home court, Akron owns a 135-89 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 2-1 in the JAR, averaging 73.0 points per tilt and connecting on more than 41 percent (.413) of their attempts from the field, while recording 36.3 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 5.7 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Canisius on Saturday (Dec. 7) in a 12 p.m. tilt at James A. Rhodes Arena.

AKRON ATHLETICS NOW CASHLESS
The University of Akron Athletics Department announced its transition to cashless payments for all ticketing, concessions, and merchandise purchases at all Akron athletic venues, concession stands, and gear shops, beginning with the start of the 2024-25 sports seasons. For more information click here.