Akron Closes Homestand Entertaining Bowling Green

Akron (9-14, 4-8 MAC) vs. Bowling Green (12-11, 6-6 MAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 21
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: Bowling Green leads 58-14
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team concludes its three-game homestand welcoming Bowling Green to James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday (Feb. 21). The 7 p.m. clash with the Falcons will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jeff Phelps on the call as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Bowling Green: Fred Chmiel (Excelsior, 2001), Overall Record: 12-11 (First Season), Record at Bowling Green: 12-11 (First Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 9-14 (First Season), Record at Akron: 9-14 (First Season)

SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green comes into play versus Akron on Wednesday (Feb. 21) at 12-11 on the campaign, including 6-6 in the Mid-American Conference, following an 88-68 setback to Toledo on Saturday (Feb. 17).

A quartet of Falcons in redshirt senior Morgan Sharps, junior Amy Velasco, senior Erika Porter and freshman Paige Kohler are averaging double-figures in scoring posting 14.9, 14.0, 11.0 and 10.9 points per contest. Porter is Bowling Green's active leading rebounder pulling down a team-high 5.6 rebounds per contest. As a team, the Falcons are recording 67.1 points, 35.0 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.0 blocks per tilt.

Individually, Sharps is rated seventh in the NCAA in three pointers per game (3.05) and 40th in three-point percentage (.400).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Bowling Green are meeting for the 73rd time in program history. The Falcons lead the series, 58-14, after edging Akron, 70-59, on Jan. 17, 2024, at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 17, 2024 – BOWLING GREEN, OHIO)
Akron went into halftime tied 27-27 with Bowling Green but could not pull away in the second half and fell 70-59 to the Falcons on Jan. 17, 2024 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The Zips had four players score in double figures, led by junior Reagan Bass, who had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Redshirt senior Morgan Haney added 12 points and two blocks, while sophomore Lanae Riley chipped in with 11 points.

BASS TURNING IN SPECIAL YEAR FOR AKRON
Reagan Bass is in the midst of a dominant campaign for the Zips this season as she comes into action against Bowling Green recording 16.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per outing. Her 13 doubles-doubles rank 22nd nationally. She has posted a double-double in six of Akron's 12 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 47 of Akron's last 53 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span. She is 28 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 16.91 points to go along with a conference-high 10.65 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.74), while rating second in field goal percentage (.485), offensive rebounding (2.91) and minutes played (35.30), third in scoring (16.91), seventh in free throw percentage (.766) and eighth in blocked shots (0.74). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (10.67) and defensive rebounding (8.08), fourth in offensive rebounding (2.58), seventh in scoring (14.67) and eighth in minutes played (34.70).

She is rated 13th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (7.7), 16th in free throws made (118), 17th in rebounding (10.7), 18th in free throw attempts (154), 22nd in double-doubles (13), 28th in rebounds (245) and 42nd in minutes played (35.30).

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.
• Teniesha Clarke recorded a career-high 19-point effort versus Buffalo after pulling down a career-best seven rebounds against Arkansas State (Feb. 10) and setting career-high marks for assists (4), steals (2) and minutes played (36) at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 7.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in five career games against Bowling Green, while Morgan Haney, Lanae Riley and Kaia Woods posted 12, 11 and 10 points in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
• The next double-digit scoring performance for Reagan Bass will mark the 75th time in her decorated career she has surpassed double figures in scoring.
• Kaia Woods tallied a career-best 22 points versus Arkansas State (Feb. 10).
• Alexus Mobley 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 is averaging 16.9 points per game, while she is shooting nearly 49 percent (.485) from the field.
• Freshman Olivia Brown 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 1,214 career points, to go along with 631 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 47 of Akron's last 53 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass needs 15 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 (.516), third in free throw percentage (.770), fourth in points per game (15.4) and in free throws made (352), fifth in rebounds per game (8.0) and in free throws attempted (457) and seventh in blocked shots (81).
• 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 12 times this season, including in six of 12 league games.
• The Zips have recorded two or more blocks in 18 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 (20), Morgan Haney (11), Lanae Riley (10), Kaia Woods (9), Teniesha Clarke (4), Zakia Rasheed (4) and Alexus Mobley (4).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 90 of its last 116 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 14 triples in an 88-65 victory over Bellarmine (Dec. 21, 2023).
• Reagan Bass, senior Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) and Zakia Rasheed have appeared in 79, 68 and 66 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 23 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), .417 (Buffalo-2), .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' 23 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), .316 (Buffalo-2), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 29.6 points per game for 680 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 132-86 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 4-6 in the JAR, averaging 67.0 points per tilt and connecting on more than 39 percent (.391) of their attempts from the field, while recording 39.7 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 5.6 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Kaia Woods are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 18.6 and 10.3 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron faces rival Kent State in a 1 p.m. showdown on Saturday (Feb. 24).

Akron Closes Homestand Entertaining Bowling Green

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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