Rivalry Showdown Ahead as Akron Visits Kent State

Akron (9-15, 4-9 MAC) at Kent State (15-8, 9-3 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 24
M.A.C. Center
Kent, Ohio

Series History: Kent State leads 55-18
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Radio: www.GoZips.com

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team resumes its rivalry with Kent State on Saturday, Feb. 24, as the Zips face the Golden Flashes at the M.A.C. Center. The 1 p.m. showdown with Kent State will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Bill Morgan.

HEAD COACHES
Kent State: Todd Starkey (Montreat, 1993), Overall Record: 302-191 (17th Season), Record at Kent State: 137-96 (Eighth Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 9-15 (First Season), Record at Akron: 9-15 (First Season)

SCOUTING KENT STATE
Kent State comes into play versus Akron on Saturday (Feb. 24) at 15-8 on the campaign, including 9-3 in the Mid-American Conference, following an 79-77 setback versus Ohio on Wednesday (Feb. 21).

The Golden Flashes are led by redshirt senior Katie Shumate, who is averaging team-high marks in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (7.1). As a team, Kent State is recording 72.8 points, 40.7 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.4 blocks per tilt.

As a team, the Golden Flashes are ranked 34th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (40.65).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Kent State are meeting for the 77th time in program history. The Golden Flashes lead the series, 58-18. Kent State earned a 69-60 victory past the Zips on Jan. 20, 2024 at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 20, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron had three players score in double figures led by 15 points from junior Reagan Bass, but couldn't overcome rival Kent State, falling 69-60 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Jan. 20.

Sophomore Lanae Riley and junior Kaia Woods each tallied 14 points to spark Akron's bench to 36 points on the afternoon.

Bass finished with a team-high 15 points and six rebounds. Riley tacked on 14 points off of the bench, including a 4-of-4 mark beyond the arc, while Woods chipped with 14 points and three steals.

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 16.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per outing. Her 13 doubles-doubles rank 23rd nationally. She has posted a double-double in six of Akron's 13 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 54 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span. She is 23 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 16.54 points to go along with a conference-high 10.42 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.50), while rating second in field goal percentage (.480), offensive rebounding (2.92) and minutes played (35.38), third in scoring (16.54), seventh in free throw percentage (.766) and ninth in blocked shots (0.71). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (10.23) and defensive rebounding (7.62), sixth in offensive rebounding (2.62) and minutes played (34.90), ninth in scoring (14.15) and 10th in free throw percentage (.726).

She is rated 13th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (7.5), 20th in free throws made (118) and in free throw attempts (154), 22nd in rebounding (10.4), 23rd in double-doubles (13), 28th in rebounds (250) and 38th in minutes played (35.38).

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 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in four career games against Kent State, while Lanae Riley and Kaia Woods posted 14 points apiece 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.
• Over the last five games, Reagan Bass, Teniesha Clarke and Kaia Woods are averaging 11.6, 10.4 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, while Woods is shooting nearly 53 percent (.528) from the field.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Kent State having amassed 1,222 career points, to go along with 636 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 47 of Akron's last 54 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass needs seven 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 (.514), third in free throw percentage (.770), fourth in points per game (15.3) 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 19 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 | BG-2), 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 (12), Lanae Riley (11), Kaia Woods (9), Teniesha Clarke (4), Zakia Rasheed (4) and Alexus Mobley (4).
• Reagan Bass, senior Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario) and Zakia Rasheed have appeared in 80, 69 and 67 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 24 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), .426 (Bowling Green-2), .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' 24 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .586 (Toledo), .533 (Arkansas State), .512 (Kent State-1), .500 (Bowling Green-2), .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 29.3 points per game for 702 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 132-87 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 4-7 in the JAR, averaging 67.1 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 39 percent (.395) of their attempts from the field, while recording 38.9 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 5.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Kaia Woods are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 17.6 and 10.2 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron visits league-leading Ball State for a 6:30 p.m. tilt on Wednesday (Feb. 28).

Rivalry Showdown Ahead as Akron Visits Kent State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Teniesha Clarke

Morgan Haney

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Kaia Woods

The University of Akron Athletics