Akron Battles Miami

Wednesday, January 22

Oxford, Ohio

7:00 PM

University of Akron

Miami

January 21 | Women's Basketball

Akron (9-9, 3-3 MAC) at Miami (10-6, 3-3 MAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 22
Millett Hall
Oxford, Ohio

Series History: Miami leads 40-24
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 visits Oxford, Ohio, for a battle with Miami on Wednesday (Jan. 22). The 7 p.m. tilt with the RedHawks will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on GoZips.com with Jim Clark on the radio call.

HEAD COACHES
Miami: Glenn Box (SEMO, 1998), Overall Record: 19-26 (Second Season), Record at Miami: 19-26 (Second Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 20-27 (Second Season), Record at Akron: 20-27 (Second Season)

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami enters action against Akron on Wednesday (Jan. 22) at 10-6 on the campaign, including 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 59-51 setback at Buffalo on Saturday (Jan. 18).

Sophomore Enjulina Gonzalez leads two RedHawks averaging in double figures posting a team-high 16.9 points per game. Adding 11.1 points and pulling down a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest is sophomore Amber Tretter. As a team, Miami is recording 65.5 points, 34.2 rebounds, 13.4 assists, 11.9 steals and 2.7 blocks per tilt.

The RedHawks are rated 19th in the NCAA in forced turnovers (22.13), 21st in steals per game (11.9), 27th in free throw percentage (.771) and 30th in scoring defense (56.1).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Miami are meeting for the 65th time in program history. The RedHawks lead the series, 40-24, after the Miami bettered the Zips, 58-48, on Feb. 3, 2024, James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 3, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron got a 13-point and 12-rebound performance from Reagan Bass, but were unable to secure a victory as Miami recorded a 58-48 decision past the Zips on Feb. 3, 2024, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The Zips had three players score in double figures, led by Bass, who notched a double-double. Sophomore Teniesha Clarke (Burlington, Ontario) and Kaia Woods each posted 10 points.

ZIPS FALL AT BALL STATE
The Zips scored in double figures led by 16 points from senior Alexus Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.), but Akron fell to league-leading Ball State, 80-57, on the road on Saturday (Jan. 18).

Mobley led the Zips with 16 points and two steals. Junior Maddie Vejsicky (New Concord, Ohio) was dialed in from beyond the arc adding 14 points off the bench, including four three pointers, while redshirt senior Shelbee Brown (Memphis, Tenn.) chipped in with 13 points.

The Akron offense made eight threes in the contest.

Akron did a great job disrupting Ball State shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Junior Liisa Taponen's (Tampere, Finland) two rejections led the way individually for the Zips.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN RALLIES PAST AKRON
Shelbee Brown totaled a career-best 20 points, but Akron fell to Central Michigan, 75-55, at James A. Rhodes Arena on Jan. 15.

Brown added a team-high nine rebounds to her 20-point game to lead the Zips. Freshman Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) added 12 points and three blocks, while Liisa Taponen chipped in with four points and six rebounds.

Taponen pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Akron, grabbing 18 boards and turning them into 13 second-chance points.

Akron forced 15 Central Michigan turnovers. The Zips turned those takeaways into nine points on the other end of the floor. Maddie Vejsicky led the way individually with two steals.

SIMMONS GARNERS TOPCONNECT GALA HONORS
Kelly Simmons of the Akron women's basketball program was among 21 graduate assistants who participated in the TopConnect Graduate Assistant Leadership Academy with coach Josh Pastner.

Simmons completed eight sessions and is among the future leaders in college basketball.

This academy identifies up-and-coming coached in the country and provides them the necessary skills and relationships to assist them on their career path.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Teniesha Clarke and senior Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) scored 10 and eight points, respectively, versus Miami a season ago.
• Liisa Taponen recorded her second career double-figure rebounding game at Ball State (Jan. 18) pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds.
• Ni'Rah Clark has posted two or more blocks in five games this season, including in four of six league contests.
• Zakia Rasheed connected on a career-high 21 points on seven three pointers versus Northern Illinois (Jan. 8). Her seven triples stand as the fourth-best single-game effort in program history.
• A five-year member of the Akron volleyball team, Ellen Kinnaird (Lewis Center, Ohio) joined the Zips' squad in time for the squad's game at Eastern Michigan (Jan. 11).
• Freshman Liz Murphy (Yackandandah, Australia) joined the Akron roster and made her Zips' debut against Central Michigan (Jan. 15).
• Alexus Mobley recorded an Akron season-high five steals against Toledo (Jan. 4).
• Akron set nine season-high and three career-best marks at Ohio (Jan. 1).
• Alexus Mobley was honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Dec. 31.
• Senior Emily Hall (Phoenix, N.Y.) recorded season-high marks in scoring (7), assists (3), steals (2) and minutes played (38) in her first career start as a Zip against Ohio (Jan. 1).
• Liisa Taponen dished out a career-high two assists to go along with a career-best 17-point effort at Ohio (Jan. 1).
• Ni'Rah Clark's four blocked shots versus Miami Hamilton (Dec. 28) stand as the 11th-best single-game effort in program history matching a four-block performance from Shelbee Brown at Colgate (Nov. 30).
• The Zips shined in the classroom during the fall semester as Akron recorded a 3.04 team GPA, including three Zips turning in a perfect 4.0 GPA.
• Akron is rated second in the Mid-American Conference in blocked shots (3.67), fourth in free throw percentage (.746) and fifth in defensive rebounds (26.06) and offensive rebounds (11.94).
• Individually, Shelbee Brown is fourth in rebounding (7.94), fifth in defensive rebounds (5.78), eighth in offensive rebounds (2.17) and ninth in steals (1.89), Liisa Taponen is fourth in blocked shots (0.94) and sixth in offensive rebounds (2.50), Maddie Vejsicky is third in triples made (2.40), while Ni'Rah Clark is second in blocked shots (1.12).
• In league-only games, Akron is ranked second in the MAC in blocked shots (3.67) and offensive rebounding (12.67) and fourth in rebounding margin (5.00).
• In conference-only tilts, Ni'Rah Clark is rated second in the league in blocked shots (1.67). Additionally, Liisa Taponen is third in offensive rebounding (2.83) and 10th in blocked shots (0.67), Alexus Mobley is seventh in steals (2.00), Zakia Rasheed is first in triples made (2.83), Emily Hall is fourth in minutes played (35.31) and Shelbee Brown is fourth in defensive rebounding (5.67), fifth in rebounding (8.00) and seventh in offensive rebounding (2.33).
• The Zips have posted seven 20+ scoring games this season. Shelbee Brown tallied 20 points versus Central Michigan (Jan. 15). Sophomore Teniesha Clarke (Burlington, Ontario) poured in 20 against both Ohio (Jan. 1) and Cleveland State (Nov. 16), while Alexus Mobley added 30 and 23 versus Miami Hamilton (Dec. 28) and Toledo (Jan. 4). Zakia Rasheed posted 21 against Northern Illinois (Jan. 8) and junior Kam'Ren Rhodes (Chandler, Ariz.) tallied 26 points against Georgia State (Nov. 4).
• The 2024-25 season marks the 51st season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (88-GSU), field goals made (32-CSU), triples (10-SRU), offensive rebounds (19-SRU | OHIO-1), defensive rebounds (39-MIAH), rebounds (51-MIAH), assists (22-CAN), steals (9-CAN) and blocks (10-TSU | MIAH).
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led Alexus Mobley (12), Shelbee Brown (11), Teniesha Clarke (8), Maddie Vejsicky (7), Zakia Rasheed (5), Kam'Ren Rhodes (4), Liisa Taponen (4), Ni'Rah Clark (2) and Emily Hall (1).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 105 of its last 138 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 10 triples in an 79-43 victory over Slippery Rock (Dec. 4).

AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED SEVEN-MEMBER NEWCOMER CLASS
Akron under the leadership of second-year head coach Ryan Gensler, boast a talented seven-member newcomer class for 2024.

Donning the Akron uniform this season will be freshmen Kyara Bakker (Leiderdorp, Netherlands) and Ni'Rah Clark, Emily Hall, junior Caroline Lyles (Argyle, Texas), Kam'Ren Rhodes, Maddie Vejsicky and sophomore Ella Wigal (Granville, Ohio).

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's 18 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: NA, 40 percent: .492 (Cleveland State), .483 (Canisius), .481 (Northern Illinois), .464 (Bellarmine), .463 (Miami Hamilton), .444 (Ohio-1), .439 (Iona), .420 (Toledo-1), .420 (Slippery Rock), .417 (Eastern Michigan-1), 30 percent: .396 (Michigan), .389 (Ball State), .388 (Colgate), .379 (Tennessee State), .377 (Georgia State), .361 (Robert Morris), .333 (Binghamton), .292 (Central Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 18 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .538 (Ball State), 40 percent: .491 (Cleveland State), .485 (Michigan), .483 (Northern Illinois), .469 (Robert Morris), .463 (Bellarmine), .459 (Toledo-1), .444 (Eastern Michigan-1), .433 (Central Michigan-1), .414 (Binghamton), .403 (Tennessee State), 30 percent: .393 (Colgate), .368 (Ohio-1), .361 (Georgia State), .310 (Miami Hamilton), .310 (Iona), 20 percent: .298 (Canisius), .278 (Slippery Rock).

MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Zips under second-year head coach Ryan Gensler, were picked to finish ninth as a team behind preseason league and tournament favorite preseason favorite Ball State (10 first-place votes and 120 points). The Cardinals were followed by Kent State (2 first-place votes and 104 points), Buffalo (98), Bowling Green (96), Toledo (82), Northern Illinois (64), Ohio (64), Miami (44), Akron (43), Western Michigan (34), Eastern Michigan (23) and Central Michigan (20).

OVER THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Led by 14.4 points per game from Alexus Mobley, three Zips are averaging double-figures in scoring over the last five games. Joining Mobley with 13.0 and 11.4 points per outing is Shelbee Brown and Zakia Rasheed. Brown is pulling down a team-best 8.2 rebounds per contest, while Liisa Taponen and Ni'Rah Clark are shooting a team-high 59.1 percent from the field.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 33.2 points per game for 598 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 46 points in the paint in a 84-74 victory over Cleveland State (Nov. 16) as well as an 80-52 triumph past Miami Hamilton (Dec. 28). Additional inside the numbers for the Zips this season are below.

Points in Paint – 33.2 ppg (598) | Season-High - 46 vs. Cleveland State | Miami Hamilton
Points off Turnovers – 14.5 ppg (261) | Season-High - 24 vs. Cleveland State
Second-Chance Points – 11.4 ppg (205) | Season-High - 20 vs. Slippery Rock
Fast-Break Points – 6.9 ppg (124) | Season-High - 15 vs. Miami Hamilton
Bench Points – 17.1 ppg (307) | Season-High - 36 vs. Canisius

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 19 seasons. When playing on its home court, Akron owns a 139-91 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 6-4 in the JAR, averaging 69.7 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 42 percent (.419) of their attempts from the field, while recording 39.1 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 6.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Buffalo in a 4:30 p.m. showdown at James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday (Jan. 25).