The University of Akron Athletics

Akron Hosts Northern Illinois on Senior Day
March 01 | Women's Basketball
Akron (9-17, 4-11 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois (13-14, 6-9 MAC)
Saturday, March 2
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio
Series History: Northern Illinois leads 26-12
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:Â www.GoZips.comÂ
Live Radio: www.GoZips.com
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team welcomes Northern Illinois to James A. Rhodes Arena for Senior Day on Saturday, March 2. The 3 p.m. tilt with the Huskies will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Dave Bacon on the call as well as on WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.
HEAD COACHES
Northern Illinois: Lisa Carlsen (Northwest Missouri State, 1992), Overall Record: 316-299 (21sth Season), Record at Northern Illinois: 132-136 (Ninth Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 9-17 (First Season), Record at Akron: 9-17 (First Season)
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters action against Akron on Saturday (March 2) at 13-14 on the campaign, including 6-9 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 71-64 setback against Toledo on Wednesday (Feb. 28).
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The Huskies are led by senior Jayden Marable, who is averaging a team-high 11.9 points per game, while senior Brooke Stonebraker is pulling down a team-best 9.2 rebounds per night. As a team, Northern Illinois is recording 65.2 points, 40.4 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 5.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per tilt.
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As a team, the Huskies are ranked 18th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (29.4) and 44th in rebounding (40.37). Individually, Stonebraker is rated 45th in total rebounds (248).
SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Northern Illinois are meeting for the 39th time in program history. The Huskies lead the series, 26-12. Akron earned a 61-59 victory over Northern Illinois on Jan. 27, 2024, in DeKalb, Ill.
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IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 27, 2024 – DEKALB, ILL.)
Akron earned a come-from-behind 61-59 road victory over Northern Illinois on Jan. 27, 2024.
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The Zips had two players score in double figures, led by junior Reagan Bass, who had her league-leading 11th double-double of the season with a 15-point and 13-rebound performance. Redshirt senior Morgan Haney tacked on 10 points, while junior Alexus Mobley added nine points and six rebounds.
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AKRON TRIO TO BE HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The Zips' contest versus Northern Illinois on Saturday (March 2) will mark the next to last regular season home games in the careers of seniors Morgan Haney, Alexis Stewart and Tahmala Thorpe.
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Haney has started all 26 games for the Zips this season in her lone year at Akron en route to posting 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and a team-best 2.8 assists per contest.
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Stewart has appeared in 71 career games as a Zip, recording 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per outing.
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Thorpe has played in 37 career games at Akron, including a pair of starts, recording 1.2 points per outing.
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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 Northern Illinois recording 16.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing. Her 13 doubles-doubles rank 27th nationally. She has posted a double-double in six of Akron's 15 league games this season.
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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 48 of Akron's last 56 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span. She is 11 rebounds shy of cracking into the top-10 in program history.
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Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 16.04 points to go along with a conference-high 10.08 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.23), while rating second in field goal percentage (.474) and offensive rebounding (2.85), third in scoring (16.04), fifth in minutes played (35.09), seventh in free throw percentage (.772) and eighth in blocked shots (0.69). In league-only affairs, she is rated second in the MAC in rebounding (9.67) and defensive rebounding (7.13), fifth in offensive rebounding (2.53), sixth in minutes played (34.45), ninth in free throw percentage (.740) and 10th in scoring (13.60).
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She is rated 20th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (7.2), 26th in free throws made (122), 27th in free throw attempts (158) and in double-doubles (13), 28th in rebounding (10.1) and 34th in rebounds (262).
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ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Reagan Bass moved into the top-10 in career scoring at Akron with an eight-point effort at Kent State on Feb. 24 to move past Casey O'Connor (1979-83) for 10th on the all-time scoring list for the Zips. She will enter play versus Northern Illinois with 1,242 career points, 100 tallies behind former teammate Jordyn Dawson (2019-2022) for ninth on the all-time scoring list.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in three career games against Northern Illinois, while Morgan Haney, Alexus Mobley and Lanae Riley posted 10, nine and eight points, respectively, in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
• Reagan Bass registered her 75th time double-figure scoring effort in her decorated career with a 12-point performance at Ball State.
• Over the last five games, Teniesha Clarke and Reagan Bass are averaging 10.2 and 9.2 points per game, respectively, while Lanae Riley is shooting 50 percent from the field.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Northern Illinois having amassed 1,242 career points, to go along with 648 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 48 of Akron's last 56 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.511), third in free throw percentage (.772), fourth in points per game (15.1) and in free throws made (356), fifth in free throws attempted (461), sixth in rebounds per game (7.9) and in blocked shots (82).
• 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 15 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 (21), Morgan Haney (13), Lanae Riley (11), Kaia Woods (9), Teniesha Clarke (4), Zakia Rasheed (4) and Alexus Mobley (4).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 92 of its last 119 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 82, 71 and 69 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.1 points and 7.9 rebounds.
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ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 26 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), .362 (Kent State-2), .361 (Central Michigan-1), .358 (Arkansas State), .345 (Buffalo-1), .339 (Cleveland State), .333 (Western Michigan), .333 (Canisius), .320 (Tennessee State), .314 (Ball State-2), 20 percent: NA
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ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 26 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .586 (Toledo), .533 (Arkansas State), .531 (Kent State-2), .512 (Kent State-1), .500 (Bowling Green-2), .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .474 (Ball State-2), .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.
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INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 28.8 points per game for 748 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 44 points in the paint in a 91-87 setback to Oakland (Nov. 6).
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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.
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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.
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The Zips were just one of five Mid-American Conference teams to earn the recognition.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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UP NEXT
Akron hosts Ohio on Wednesday (March 6) at 6 p.m.
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Saturday, March 2
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio
Series History: Northern Illinois leads 26-12
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:Â www.GoZips.comÂ
Live Radio: www.GoZips.com
Â
WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team welcomes Northern Illinois to James A. Rhodes Arena for Senior Day on Saturday, March 2. The 3 p.m. tilt with the Huskies will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Dave Bacon on the call as well as on WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.
HEAD COACHES
Northern Illinois: Lisa Carlsen (Northwest Missouri State, 1992), Overall Record: 316-299 (21sth Season), Record at Northern Illinois: 132-136 (Ninth Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 9-17 (First Season), Record at Akron: 9-17 (First Season)
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters action against Akron on Saturday (March 2) at 13-14 on the campaign, including 6-9 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 71-64 setback against Toledo on Wednesday (Feb. 28).
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The Huskies are led by senior Jayden Marable, who is averaging a team-high 11.9 points per game, while senior Brooke Stonebraker is pulling down a team-best 9.2 rebounds per night. As a team, Northern Illinois is recording 65.2 points, 40.4 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 5.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per tilt.
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As a team, the Huskies are ranked 18th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (29.4) and 44th in rebounding (40.37). Individually, Stonebraker is rated 45th in total rebounds (248).
SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Northern Illinois are meeting for the 39th time in program history. The Huskies lead the series, 26-12. Akron earned a 61-59 victory over Northern Illinois on Jan. 27, 2024, in DeKalb, Ill.
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IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 27, 2024 – DEKALB, ILL.)
Akron earned a come-from-behind 61-59 road victory over Northern Illinois on Jan. 27, 2024.
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The Zips had two players score in double figures, led by junior Reagan Bass, who had her league-leading 11th double-double of the season with a 15-point and 13-rebound performance. Redshirt senior Morgan Haney tacked on 10 points, while junior Alexus Mobley added nine points and six rebounds.
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AKRON TRIO TO BE HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The Zips' contest versus Northern Illinois on Saturday (March 2) will mark the next to last regular season home games in the careers of seniors Morgan Haney, Alexis Stewart and Tahmala Thorpe.
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Haney has started all 26 games for the Zips this season in her lone year at Akron en route to posting 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and a team-best 2.8 assists per contest.
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Stewart has appeared in 71 career games as a Zip, recording 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per outing.
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Thorpe has played in 37 career games at Akron, including a pair of starts, recording 1.2 points per outing.
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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 Northern Illinois recording 16.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing. Her 13 doubles-doubles rank 27th nationally. She has posted a double-double in six of Akron's 15 league games this season.
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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 48 of Akron's last 56 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span. She is 11 rebounds shy of cracking into the top-10 in program history.
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Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 16.04 points to go along with a conference-high 10.08 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.23), while rating second in field goal percentage (.474) and offensive rebounding (2.85), third in scoring (16.04), fifth in minutes played (35.09), seventh in free throw percentage (.772) and eighth in blocked shots (0.69). In league-only affairs, she is rated second in the MAC in rebounding (9.67) and defensive rebounding (7.13), fifth in offensive rebounding (2.53), sixth in minutes played (34.45), ninth in free throw percentage (.740) and 10th in scoring (13.60).
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She is rated 20th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (7.2), 26th in free throws made (122), 27th in free throw attempts (158) and in double-doubles (13), 28th in rebounding (10.1) and 34th in rebounds (262).
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ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Reagan Bass moved into the top-10 in career scoring at Akron with an eight-point effort at Kent State on Feb. 24 to move past Casey O'Connor (1979-83) for 10th on the all-time scoring list for the Zips. She will enter play versus Northern Illinois with 1,242 career points, 100 tallies behind former teammate Jordyn Dawson (2019-2022) for ninth on the all-time scoring list.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in three career games against Northern Illinois, while Morgan Haney, Alexus Mobley and Lanae Riley posted 10, nine and eight points, respectively, in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
• Reagan Bass registered her 75th time double-figure scoring effort in her decorated career with a 12-point performance at Ball State.
• Over the last five games, Teniesha Clarke and Reagan Bass are averaging 10.2 and 9.2 points per game, respectively, while Lanae Riley is shooting 50 percent from the field.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Northern Illinois having amassed 1,242 career points, to go along with 648 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 48 of Akron's last 56 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 20 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.511), third in free throw percentage (.772), fourth in points per game (15.1) and in free throws made (356), fifth in free throws attempted (461), sixth in rebounds per game (7.9) and in blocked shots (82).
• 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 15 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 (21), Morgan Haney (13), Lanae Riley (11), Kaia Woods (9), Teniesha Clarke (4), Zakia Rasheed (4) and Alexus Mobley (4).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 92 of its last 119 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 82, 71 and 69 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.1 points and 7.9 rebounds.
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ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 26 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), .362 (Kent State-2), .361 (Central Michigan-1), .358 (Arkansas State), .345 (Buffalo-1), .339 (Cleveland State), .333 (Western Michigan), .333 (Canisius), .320 (Tennessee State), .314 (Ball State-2), 20 percent: NA
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ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 26 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .586 (Toledo), .533 (Arkansas State), .531 (Kent State-2), .512 (Kent State-1), .500 (Bowling Green-2), .500 (Pittsburgh), 40 percent: .478 (Southern Miss), .474 (Ball State-2), .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.
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INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 28.8 points per game for 748 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 44 points in the paint in a 91-87 setback to Oakland (Nov. 6).
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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.
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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.
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The Zips were just one of five Mid-American Conference teams to earn the recognition.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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UP NEXT
Akron hosts Ohio on Wednesday (March 6) at 6 p.m.
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Players Mentioned
2024-25 Akron Zips Women's Basketball Post-Game Press Conference vs. Kent State - 3/1/2025
Saturday, March 01
2024-25 Akron Zips Women's Basketball Post-Game Press Conference vs. Ohio - 2/22/2025
Sunday, February 23
2024-25 Akron Zips Women's Basketball Post-Game Press Conference vs. Miami - 2/19/2025
Thursday, February 20
2024-25 Akron Zips Women's Basketball Post-Game Press Conference vs. Western Michigan - 2/5/2025
Thursday, February 06