Akron Resumes League Play Hosting Buffalo

Akron (8-14, 3-8 MAC) vs. Buffalo (14-8, 7-4 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 17
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: Buffalo leads 35-25
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team resumes Mid-American Conference play hosting Buffalo on Saturday (Feb. 17). The 2 p.m. tilt with the Bulls will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jeff Phelps on the call as well as on Fox Sports 1350 AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Buffalo: Becky Burke (Louisville, 2012), Overall Record: 139-79 (Eighth Season), Record at Buffalo: 26-24 (Second Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 8-14 (First Season), Record at Akron: 8-14 (First Season)

SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo enters action against Akron on Saturday (Feb. 17) at 14-8 on the campaign, including 7-4 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 62-46 victory over Southern Miss on Saturday (Feb. 10).

The Bulls are led by redshirt senior Chellia Watson, who is averaging a team-best 24.5 points per game, while freshman Alexis Davis is pulling down a team-high 5.8 rebounds per contest. As a team, Buffalo is recording 67.1 points, 37.2 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per tilt.

Individually, Watson is rated third in the NCAA in field goal attempts (468), fourth in scoring (24.5) and in field goals (213) and eighth in points (538).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Buffalo are meeting for the 61st time in program history. The Bulls lead the series, 35-25, after Buffalo triumphed, 59-57, on Jan. 13 in Buffalo.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 13, 2024 – BUFFALO, N.Y.)
Akron's fourth-quarter rally came up just short as Buffalo edged the Zips, 59-57, on the road on Jan. 13 in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Zips had two players score in double figures, led by junior Reagan Bass, who recorded her 10th double-double of the season with a 15-point and 14-rebound performance. Sophomore Lanae Riley tacked on 12 points and two blocks from the bench, while redshirt senior Morgan Haney added eight points, four assists and two steals. Additionally, junior Zakia Rasheed added nine points on a trio of three pointers.

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 10 players in NCAA Division I women's basketball to average 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per games and comes into action against Buffalo recording 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per outing. Her 12 doubles-doubles rank 19th nationally. She has posted a double-double in five of Akron's 11 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 46 of Akron's last 52 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 19 times over the same span. She is 42 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 17.23 points to go along with a conference-high 10.50 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.59) and offensive rebounding (2.91), while rating second in field goal percentage (.481), third in scoring (17.67) and minutes played (35.25), seventh in free throw percentage (.766) and 10th in blocked shots (0.71). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (10.36) and defensive rebounding (7.82), seventh in scoring (15.09), offensive rebounding (2.55) and in and minutes played (34.56).

She is rated 12th in the NCAA free throw attempts (154), 13th in free throws made (118) and in defensive rebounding (7.8), 17th in rebounding (10.5), 19th in double-doubles (12), 27th in rebounds (231) and 44th in minutes played (35.25).

ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Akron posted 24 offensive rebounds to 22 defensive caroms against Arkansas State on Feb. 10 to mark the first time since March 1, 2017, versus Buffalo (20-17-37) that the Zips recorded more offensive rebounds than defensive caroms in a game.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 13.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in six career games against Buffalo, while Lanae Riley and Morgan Haney are posting 12.0 and 8.0 points per tilt versus the Bulls.
• Kaia Woods tallied a career-best 22 points versus Arkansas State (Feb. 10).
• Junior Alexus Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.) posted a career high for rebounds (17) against Arkansas State (Feb. 10), including pulling down 10 offensive rebounds.
• Over the last five games, Reagan Bass and Kaia Woods are averaging 14.0 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Bass is shooting more than 52 percent (.522) from the field.
• Teniesha Clarke pulled down a career-high seven rebounds against Arkansas State (Feb. 10), while setting career-high marks for assists (4), steals (2) and minutes played (36) at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 7.
• Freshman Olivia Brown (Fishers, Ind.) registered her first career points with a pair of second-half baskets versus Arkansas State (Feb. 10). She made her collegiate debut at Buffalo playing nearly three minutes against the Bulls before setting career-high marks in rebounds, assists, blocks and minutes played at Western Michigan (Jan. 24).
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Buffalo having amassed 1,204 career points, to go along with 617 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 46 of Akron's last 52 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 19 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass needs 25 points to surpass Casey O'Connor (1979-83) for 10th on the all-time scoring list at Akron.
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.515), third in free throw percentage (.770), fourth in points per game (15.4) and in free throws made (352), fifth in rebounds per game (7.9) and in free throws attempted (457) and seventh in blocked shots (79).
• Akron is tied with Tennessee State for the D1 lead in overtime games having played in five this season. The five overtime contests are the 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.
• Akron has matched or outrebounded its opponents 11 times this season, including in five of 11 league games.
• The Zips have recorded two or more blocks in 17 games on the campaign.
• 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 53 career-high marks this season in point, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes played.
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (88-BELL), field goals made (29-OAK | PITT | BELL), triples (14-BELL), offensive rebounds (24 ASU), 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 (19), Morgan Haney (11), Lanae Riley (9), Kaia Woods (9), Zakia Rasheed (4), Alexus Mobley (4) and Teniesha Clarke (3).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 89 of its last 115 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 14 triples in an 88-65 victory over Bellarmine (Dec. 21, 2023).
• Reagan Bass, Alexis Stewart and Zakia Rasheed have appeared in 78, 68 and 65 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 22 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), .421 (Northern Illinois-1), .414 (Ball State-1), .408 (Oakland), .407 (Miami), .404 (Ohio-1), .400 (Eastern Michigan-1), 30 percent: .393 (Kent State-1), 381 (Robert Morris), .370 (Miami), .368 (Youngstown State), .365 (Bowling Green-1), .361 (Central Michigan-1), .358 (Arkansas State), .345 (Buffalo-1), .339 (Cleveland State), .333 (Western Michigan), .333 (Canisius), .320 (Tennessee State), 20 percent: NA

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 22 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .586 (Toledo), .533 (Arkansas State), .512 (Kent State-1), .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .468 (Oakland), .429 (Western Michigan), .429 (Bowling Green-1), .426 (Eastern Michigan-1), .424 (Bellarmine), .410 (Central Michigan-1), .410 (Cleveland State), .404 (Buffalo-1), 30 percent: .396 (Miami), .393 (Ohio-1), .393 (Tennessee State), .387 (Ball State-1), .364 (Wichita State), .356 (Youngstown State), .345 (Canisius), .333 (Northern Illinois-1), .318 (Robert Morris), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 29.5 points per game for 648 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 131-86 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 3-6 in the JAR, averaging 67.2 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 39 percent (.389) of their attempts from the field, while recording 39.0 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 5.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Kaia Woods are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 19.6 and 11.2 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron welcomes Bowling Green to James A. Rhodes Arena for a 7 p.m. tilt on Wednesday (Feb. 21).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Olivia Brown

Teniesha Clarke

Morgan Haney

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Kaia Woods

The University of Akron Athletics