Akron Hosts Xavier

Monday, November 24

Akron, Ohio

6:00 PM

University of Akron

Xavier

Buy Tickets

November 23 | Women's Basketball

Akron (0-5) vs Xavier (3-2)
Monday, Nov. 24
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: Series tied 7-7
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
Purchase Tickets: www.GoZips.com/Tickets

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team welcomes Xavier to James A. Rhodes Arena on Monday (Nov. 24). The 6 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jeff Phelps on the call as well as on GoZips.com with Jim Clark on the radio call.

Tickets for the contest against the Musketeers are available for purchase at http://www.gozips.com/Tickets. Fans are asked to park in Lots 1 (Parking Deck) at corner of Carroll and Spicer Streets. For complete parking information click here.

HEAD COACHES
Xavier: Billi Chambers (Hofstra, 2003), Overall Record: 152-206 (13th Season), Record at Xavier: 11-53 (Third Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (Saint Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 21-44 (Third Season), Record at Akron: 21-44 (Third Season)

SCOUTING XAVIER
Xavier comes into play versus Akron on Monday (Nov. 24) at 3-2 on the campaign following a 74-53 victory over Ohio on Thursday (Nov. 20).

Junior Mariyah Noel directs the leading the Musketeers in scoring averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while senior Savannah White is pulling down a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest. As a team, Xavier is recording 63.0 points, 35.4 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.6 blocks per tilt.

As a team, Xavier is rated 20th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.797). Individually, Noel is ranked 29th in double-doubles (2), while White is 27th in total blocks (11) and 30th in blocks per game (2.20).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Xavier are meeting for the 15th time in program history. The series is all square at seven wins apiece, after Akron dropped a 69-44 road decision to the Musketeers on Dec. 5, 2008, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (DEC. 5, 2008 – CINCINNATI, OHIO)
The 23rd-rated Musketeers earned a 69-44 triumph over the Zips on Dec. 5, 2008.

AKRON VERSUS BIG EAST CONFERENCE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the BIG EAST Conference for the first time this season and 32nd time overall.
• Akron owns a 10-21 record versus the current 11 members of the BIG EAST, posting seven, two and one win, respectively, versus Xavier, Marquette and Providence.
• In their last encounter with a school from the BIG EAST, the Zips dropped a 76-55 decision at Butler on Dec. 8, 2019.

BINGHAMTON EDGES AKRON IN DOUBLE OVERTIME
Akron fell to Binghamton, 95-94, in two overtimes at James A. Rhodes Arena on Thursday (Nov. 20)

The Zips had four players score in double figures, led by sophomore Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio), who had her second career double-double with a 19-point and 14-rebound performance. Freshman Shaena Brew (Rialto, Calif.) tacked on a career-high 14 points and seven assists, junior Keiryn McGuff (Dublin, Ohio) added 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and senior Natalie Johnson's (Waldorf, Md.) chipped in 13 points.

Led by McGuff's four offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 14 boards that resulted in 17 second-chance points.

Akron forced 25 Binghamton turnovers turning those takeaways into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Freshman Monique Mitchell (South Bend, Ohio) led the way individually with one steal.

Clark notched a double-double for the Zips with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Akron found success from three-point land, knocking down eight treys in the game.

ZIPS FALL AT CLEVELAND STATE
Akron fell 76-55 to Cleveland State on the road on Nov. 16.

Keiryn McGuff led the Zips with career-high 15-point, six-rebound and two-steal performance. Freshman Monique Mitchell (South Bend, Ind.) added four points and three steals, and Shaena Brew helped out with five points, a career-best six rebounds and four assists.

Akron outrebounded Cleveland State, 36-35, in Sunday's game, paced by McGuff's six boards. The Zips also pulled down 16 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points.

The Akron defense forced 20 Cleveland State turnovers. Those takeaways turned into eight points on the offensive end of the floor. Mitchell's three steals led the way individually for the Zips.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron is meeting Xavier for the 15th time in program history and first since the 2008-09 campaign.
• The Zips own a 3-3 record in six home games versus the Musketeers.
• Xavier has won the last five meetings between the two schools.
• Akron is averaging 66.6 points per game versus Xavier, including 65.7 tallies per tilt at home.
• The Zips registered nine career-best marks versus Binghamton (Nov. 20).
• A season-high four Zips scored in double figures against Binghamton as Ni'Rah Clark, Shaena Brew, Natalie Johnson and Keiryn McGuff tallied, 19, 14, 13 and 13 points, respectively.
• The Zips tallied 10 career-high marks at Cleveland State (Nov. 16) led by a career-best 15 points from Keiryn McGuff.
• Ni'Rah Clark and Monique Mitchell have each posted a pair of double figure scoring performances this season.
• Three different Zips have led the squad in scoring this season led by Ni'Rah Clark (3), Keiryn McGuff (1) and Monique Mitchell (1), while four different Akron players have paced the team in rebounding headlined by Clark (3), McGuff (2), Shaena Brew (1) and freshman Corinne Reed (Chicago, Ill.) (1).
• Akron recorded 10 career-high marks against Notre Dame (Nov. 12), including Shaena Brew and Corinne Reed scoring career-high totals in scoring netting 12 and 11 points, respectively.
• The Zips shot a season-best 51.1 percent from the field versus the Fighting Irish (Nov. 12), including shooting more than 69 percent (.691) in the second quarter on 9-of-13 shooting.
• Five Akron players posted career-high marks at Robert Morris (Nov. 7), including a career-best 22-point effort from Ni'Rah Clark.
• Monique Mitchell registered a career-high 21-point scoring effort at South Alabama (Nov. 3).
• Ni'Rah Clark is rated eighth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.676), while Keiryn McGuff is ranked 24th in free throw attempts (36) and 49th in free throws made (24).
• The Zips garnered 12 career-high marks at South Alabama, with Brew dishing out a career- and game-high five assists, while junior Ella Wigal (Granville, Ohio) posted a season-best two steals.
• The 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll included Akron, who under head coach Ryan Gensler earned special mention nods for having a 3.225 overall team GPA for the 2024-25 academic year.
• Akron is rated fourth in the Mid-American Conference in field goal percentage (.429) and sixth in three-point percentage (.301), three-point defense (.286) and triples made (6.2).
• Individually, Ni'Rah Clark is second in field goal percentage (.676) and 10th in rebounding (7.0), Keiryn McGuff is fifth in blocks (1.0), Shaena Brew is seventh in three-point percentage (.455), eighth in assists (4.2) and ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.1) and Monique Mitchell is 10th in field goal percentage (.512).
• The Zips have posted 2 20+ scoring games this season. Ni'Rah Clark scored 22 points at Robert Morris (Nov. 7), while Monique Mitchell tallied 21 points versus South Alabama (Nov. 3).
• The 2025-26 season marks the 52nd season of competition for the Akron women's basketball program.
• 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 own season-high marks in scoring (94-BING), field goals made (30-BING), triples (8-BING), offensive rebounds (16-CSU), defensive rebounds (31-BING), rebounds (45-BING), assists (14-RMU), steals (10-CSU | Notre Dame) and blocks (3-CSU | Notre Dame | BING).
• Six different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led Ni'Rah Clark (3), Shaena Brew (2), Keiryn McGuff (2), Monique Mitchell (2), Natalie Johnson (1) and Corinne Reed (1).
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 115 of its last 156 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high eight triples in an 95-94 setback versus Binghamton (Nov. 20).

AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED SEVEN-MEMBER NEWCOMER CLASS
Akron under the leadership of third-year head coach Ryan Gensler, boast a talented seven-member newcomer class for 2025-26.

Donning the Akron uniform this season will be Natalie Johnson, Keiryn McGuff, sophomore Izzy Callaway (Copley, Ohio) and freshmen Kailee Bransford (Cincinnati, Ohio), Shaena Brew, Corinne Reed and Monique Mitchell.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's five games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .511 (Notre Dame), 40 percent: .469 (Binghamton), .440 (Robert Morris), .414 (South Alabama), 30 percent: .321 (Cleveland State), 20 percent: NA.

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' five games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .NA, 40 percent: .474 (South Alabama), .472 (Cleveland State), .470 (Notre Dame), .434 (Robert Morris), 30 percent: .395 (Binghamton), 20 percent: NA.

MAC PRESEASON POLL
The Zips under third-year head coach Ryan Gensler, were picked to finish eighth as a team behind preseason league and tournament favorite preseason favorite Kent State (5 first-place votes and 133 points). The Golden Flashes were followed by Toledo (2 votes, 118 points), UMass (3 votes, 115), Ball State (3 votes, 112), Central Michigan (105), Bowling Green (101), Miami (86), Akron (51), Western Michigan (48), Ohio (44), Buffalo (42), Eastern Michigan (36) and Northern Illinois (23).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 31.6 points per game for 158 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 44 points in the paint versus Binghamton (Nov. 20). Additional inside the numbers for the Zips this season are below.

Points in Paint – 31.6 ppg (158) | Season-High - 44 vs Binghamton
Points off Turnovers – 15.0 ppg (75) | Season-High -24 vs Binghamton
Second-Chance Points – 8.6 ppg (43) | Season-High - 17 vs Binghamton
Fast-Break Points – 10.2 ppg (51) | Season-High - 19 vs Binghamton
Bench Points – 23.2 ppg (116) | Season-High - 32 vs Binghamton

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 20 seasons. When playing on its home court, Akron owns a 140-97 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

Last season, the Zips averaged 66.6 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 41 percent (.406) of their attempts from the field, while recording 39.0 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Youngstown State in a 12 p.m. game on Sunday (Nov. 30) at James A. Rhodes Arena.