Akron Visits Central Michigan to Culminate 2023-24 Campaign

Akron (10-18, 5-12 MAC) at Central Michigan (6-21, 4-13 MAC)
Saturday, March 9
McGuirk Arena
Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Series History: Central Michigan leads 27-21
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team travels to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for a showdown with Central Michigan on Saturday (March 9). The 1 p.m. tilt with the Chippewas will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Central Michigan: Kristin Haynie (Michigan State, 2005), Overall Record: 6-21 (First Season), Record at Central Michigan: 6-21 (First Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 10-17 (First Season), Record at Akron: 10-17 (First Season)

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan enters action against Akron on Saturday (March 9) at 6-21 on the campaign, including 4-13 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 77-68 setback at Buffalo on Wednesday (March 6).

The Chippewas are led by freshman Tamara Ortiz, who is averaging a team-best 11.9 points per game, while senior Rochelle Norris is pulling down a team-high 7.8 rebounds per contest. As a team, Central Michigan is recording 61.7 points, 42.7 rebounds, 11.6 assists, 6.2 steals and 3.7 blocks per tilt.

As a team, the Chippewas are rated 13th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (42.74), 26th in offensive rebounds (14.4), 33rd in defensive rebounding (28.3) and 41st in rebounding margin (6.2).

The game will mark a reunion for a pair of Central Michigan coaches as both Chelsie Butler and Jared Roane were members of the Zips' staff under former head coach Jodi Kest.

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Central Michigan are meeting for the 49th time in program history. The Chippewas lead the series, 27-21, after the Zips dealt the Chippewas a 70-62 setback on Jan. 11, 2024, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 10, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron fought back from a 50-49 deficit after the third quarter to take down Central Michigan, 70-62, at James A. Rhodes Arena on Jan. 10, 2024.

The Zips had three players score in double figures, led by junior Reagan Bass, who secured her ninth double-double of the season with a 21-point and 13-rebound performance. Bass netted 15 of her points and eight rebounds in the second half, with nine of those tallies coming in the final period. Sophomore Lanae Riley added 17 points, a career-high eight rebounds and two blocks off the bench, while redshirt senior Morgan Haney chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Junior Kaia Woods contributed nine points to go along with matching career-best marks for assists (6) and steals (3).

AKRON TRIO HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The Zips' contest versus Northern Illinois on March 2 marked Senior Day in the careers of seniors Morgan Haney, Alexis Stewart and Tahmala Thorpe.

Haney has started all 28 games for the Zips this season in her lone year at Akron en route to posting 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and a team-best 2.9 assists per contest.

Stewart has appeared in 72 career games as a Zip, recording 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per outing.

Thorpe has played in 38 career games at Akron, including a pair of starts, recording 1.1 points per outing.

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 Central Michigan recording 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing. Her 14 doubles-doubles rank 29th nationally. She has posted a double-double in seven of Akron's 17 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 50 of Akron's last 58 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 21 times over the same span. She moved into the top-10 in program history with an 11-rebound effort versus Northern Illinois (March 2).

Bass is the only player in the Mid-American Conference to average a double-double scoring 16.57 points to go along with a conference-high 10.04 rebounds per contest. She also headlines the MAC in defensive rebounding (7.25), while rating second in offensive rebounding (2.78), third in scoring (16.57), fifth in minutes played (35.05), sixth in blocked shots (0.79), eighth in field goal percentage (.489) and ninth in free throw percentage (.782). In league-only affairs, she is rated first in the MAC in rebounding (9.65) and defensive rebounding (7.18), fifth in offensive rebounding (2.47), eighth in blocked shots (0.76) and in minutes played (34.47) and ninth in scoring (14.76).

She is rated 19th in the NCAA in defensive rebounding (7.2), 27th in free throws made (133), 29th in double-doubles (14), 30th in free throw attempts (170), 31st in rebounding (10.0) and 35th in rebounds (281).

ZIP TIDBITS
• The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• Morgan Haney posted her first career double-double with a 13-point and career-high 12-rebound performance against Ohio on Wednesday (March 6).
• 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 Central Michigan with 1,289 career points, 53 tallies behind former teammate Jordyn Dawson (2019-2022) for ninth on the all-time scoring list.
• Reagan Bass is averaging 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in five career games against Central Michigan, while Lanae Riley and Morgan Haney, posted 17 and 11 points, respectively, in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
• Over the last five games, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging 15.0 and 11.6 points per game, respectively, while Bass is shooting 50.9 percent from the field.
• Reagan Bass enters action versus Central Michigan having amassed 1,289 career points, to go along with 667 career rebounds. She has scored in doubles figures in 50 of Akron's last 58 games, while recording double-digit rebounds 21 times over the same span.
• Reagan Bass is ranked second in the Akron career record book in field goal percentage (.515), third in free throw percentage (.776), fourth in points per game (15.3) and in free throws made (367), fifth in free throws attempted (473), sixth in rebounds per game (7.9) and in blocked shots (86).
• Reagan Bass is rated eighth in single-season rebounds per game (10.0), rebounds (281) and free throws attempted (170) and 10th in free throws made (133).
• Akron is tied with Marist and 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 13 times this season, including in seven of 17 league games.
• The Zips have recorded two or more blocks in 20 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 | NIU-2), steals (11-CAN) and blocks (6-NIU-2).
• Seven different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Reagan Bass (23), Morgan Haney (15), Lanae Riley (11), Kaia Woods (9), Teniesha Clarke (6), Zakia Rasheed (5) and junior Alexus Mobley (4).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 94 of its last 121 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 84, 72 and 71 career games, respectively, for the Zips. Bass is Akron's leading active scorer averaging 15.3 points and 7.9 rebounds.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 28 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), .443 (Northern Illinois-2), .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), .373 (Ohio-2), .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

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 28 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), .469 (Ohio-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), .328 (Northern Illinois-2), .318 (Robert Morris), .316 (Buffalo-2), 20 percent: NA.

INSIDE THE PAINT
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 28.8 points per game for 806 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 133-88 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 5-8 in the JAR, averaging 66.9 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 40 percent (.397) of their attempts from the field, while recording 38.4 rebounds, 13.9 assists, 6.0 steals and 2.4 blocks per game. Individually, Reagan Bass and Morgan Haney are averaging double figures inside James A. Rhodes Arena recording 18.5 and 10.1 points per game.

UP NEXT
Akron's contest with Central Michigan marks the end of the 2023-24 campaign for the Zips.

Akron Visits Central Michigan to Culminate 2023-24 Campaign

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Players Mentioned

Reagan Bass

Teniesha Clarke

Morgan Haney

Alexus Mobley

Zakia Rasheed

Lanae Riley

Alexis Stewart

Tahmala Thorpe

Kaia Woods

The University of Akron Athletics