Akron Hosts Geneva

Tuesday, December 16

Akron, Ohio

6:00 PM

University of Akron

Geneva

December 15 | Women's Basketball

Akron (1-8) vs Geneva (3-5)
Tuesday, Dec. 16
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: First Meeting
Live Stream: No Live Stream
Television: No Live Stream
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 Geneva College to James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday (Dec. 16). The 6 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on 640 WHLO AM with Jim Clark on the radio call.

Tickets for the contest against the Golden Tornadoes 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
Geneva: Michael Grinder (Simpson, 2004), Overall Record: 51-95 (Seventh Season), Record at Geneva: 51-95 (Seventh Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (Saint Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 22-47 (Third Season), Record at Akron: 22-47 (Third Season)

SCOUTING GENEVA
Geneva comes into play versus Akron on Tuesday (Dec. 16) at 3-5 on the campaign, including 0-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference following a 93-59 victory over Wooster on Dec. 13.

Senior Emily Garvin leads the Golden Tornadoes averaging a team-best 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Joining her posting double figures per contest at 12.0 tallies a night is sophomore Alexandra Cozzens. As a team, Geneva is recording 74.4 points, 46.4 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 15.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per tilt.

The Golden Tornadoes are rated second in the NCAA DIII in three-point attempts (35.4), sixth in offensive rebounding (20.7), 16th in steals per contest (15.7), 19th in three pointers (8.4), 33rd in turnover margin (7.00). Individually, Garvin is ranked 29th in offensive rebounding (4.6).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Geneva are meeting for first time in program history.

NATIONALLY RANKED MICHIGAN EDGES AKRON
Akron got a 13-point, five-assist and four-rebound performance from freshman Shaena Brew (Rialto, Calif.) but fell 85-59 to No. 6/8 Michigan on the road Saturday (Dec. 13) at Crisler Center.

Brew's effort allowed the Zips to score the second-highest scoring output against the Wolverines this season, while sophomore Izzy Callaway (Copley, Ohio) and senior Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) tacked on nine and eight points, respectively, to go along with junior Keiryn McGuff (Dublin, Ohio) adding seven points and two steals.

Akron forced 14 Michigan turnovers. The Zips turned those takeaways into 10 points on the offensive end of the floor. McGuff's two steals led the way for Akron.

The Akron bench made an impact by adding 25 points to its scoring output, while defense forced 14 turnovers.

ZIPS TRIUMPH OVER HEIDELBERG
Izzy Callaway registered a career-high 36 points while the Akron defense held Heidelberg to just 15.6 percent shooting from the field as the Zips rolled to a 117-34 victory on Education Day at James A. Rhodes Arena on Dec. 3.

Callaway shot 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the field, including a 72.7 percent (8-of-11) effort from downtown and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free throw line en route to the career-high performance. The last Zip to have a 36-point performance was Anita Brown in 2015 in a 102-101 win over Toledo on Jan. 14, 2015.

The Zips had five players score in double figures as Callaway led the way followed by Shaena Brew, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Liz Murphy (Yackandandah, Australia) added 16 points and two steals from the bench. Rounding out the double-digit scorers were senior Natalie Johnson (Waldorf, Md.) and freshman Monique Mitchell (South Bend, Ind.) with 13 points each. Mitchell added eight rebounds and Johnson collected six.

Akron collected 47 rebounds in the game compared to Heidelberg's 25, led by Brew's 10 boards. The Zips also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 17 rebounds into 14 second-chance points.

Akron's defense held Heidelberg to only 15 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 15.6 percent from the field. The Zips also limited Malia Mizeres to 1-of-11 shooting from downtown and nine points. The Berg finished with eight offensive rebounds and managed two second-chance points while Akron cleared 30 defensive rebounds.

OVER THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Izzy Callaway leads Akron over the last five games averaging a team-best 14.4 points per contest, while Shaena Brew and sophomore Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) have added 13.4 and 10.3 points, respectively, per night. Clark is pulling down a team-best 6.0 rebounds, while Callaway is shooting a team-high 60.5 percent from the field.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips recorded a pair of career-high marks at Michigan (Dec. 13).
• Led by career-high 36-, 20- and 16-point scoring performances from Izzy Callaway, Shaena Brew and Liz Murphy, the Zips posted 14 career-high marks against Heidelberg (Dec. 3).
• Akron's 117 points represented its highest scoring game since earning a 118-71 triumph past Tennessee Tech on Nov. 12, 2013.
• Izzy Callaway's 36-point effort against Heidelberg stands as the top scoring performance in the Mid-American Conference this season and rates No. 12 in the NCAA. It also ranks sixth on the all-time single-game scoring list in program history last accomplished by Anita Brown on Jan. 14, 2015, at Toledo.
• The eight three pointers for Izzy Callaway versus Heidelberg are the third-best single-game total in program history matching eight drained by Taylor Ruper against Ball State on Feb. 12, 2011.
• Akron's 44 made field goals against Heidelberg is the fourth-best single-game effort in program history, while the 13 triples represent the eighth highest single-game mark.
• A season-best five Zips in Izzy Callaway (36), Shaena Brew (20), Liz Murphy (16), Natalie Johnson (13) and Monique Mitchell (13) scored in double-figures against Heidelberg (Dec. 3)
• Shaena Brew, junior Ella Wigal (Granville, Ohio) and Monique Mitchell pulled down a career-high 10, nine and eight rebounds, respectively, versus Heidelberg (Dec. 3).
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led Shaena Brew (5), Ni'Rah Clark (4), Izzy Callaway (3), Monique Mitchell (3), Natalie Johnson (2), Keiryn McGuff (2), Corinne Reed (2), Maddie Vejsicky (1) and Liz Murphy (1).
• Six different Zips have led the squad in scoring this season led by Ni'Rah Clark (3), Shaena Brew (2), Izzy Callaway (2), Keiryn McGuff (1), Monique Mitchell (1) and Maddie Vejsicky (1), while seven different Akron players have paced the team in rebounding headlined by Clark (3), Brew (4), McGuff (3), Natalie Johnson (1), Corinne Reed (1), Liisa Taponen (1) and Vejsicky (1).
• 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 second in the Mid-American Conference three-point defense (.254), third in field goal percentage (.429), fourth in three-point percentage (.320) and triples made (7.3) and fifth in scoring (69.7).
• Individually, Ni'Rah Clark is 10th in field goal percentage (.517), Monique Mitchell is seventh in blocks (0.9), Shaena Brew is second in three-point percentage (.450), ninth in assists (4.0) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.2) and Izzy Callaway is first in three-point percentage (.486) and fifth in triples made (2.0).
• The Zips have posted four 20+ scoring games this season. Izzy Callaway and Shaena Brew netted 36 and 20, respectively, against Heidelberg (Dec. 3). 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.
• The Zips own season-high marks in scoring (117-HEID), field goals made (44-HEID), triples (13-HEID), offensive rebounds (17-HEID), defensive rebounds (31-BING), rebounds (47-HEID), assists (17-HEID), steals (14-HEID) and blocks (5-HEID).
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 119 of its last 160 contests overall. The Zips hit on a season-high 13 triples in an 117-34 victory versus Heidelberg (Dec. 3).

AKRON BOASTS 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, Izzy Callaway and freshmen Kailee Bransford (Cincinnati, Ohio), Shaena Brew, Corinne Reed and Monique Mitchell.

ZIPS' OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Akron's nine games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .587 (Heidelberg), .511 (Notre Dame), 40 percent: .469 (Binghamton), .440 (Robert Morris), .438 (Michigan), .414 (South Alabama), 30 percent: .356 (Youngstown State), .321 (Cleveland State), 20 percent: .295 (Xavier).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' nine games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .559 (Youngstown State), 40 percent: .485 (Michigan), .474 (South Alabama), .472 (Cleveland State), .470 (Notre Dame), .434 (Robert Morris), .407 (Xavier), 30 percent: .395 (Binghamton), 20 percent: .156 (Heidelberg).

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 32.2 points per game for 290 total points. This season, the Zips posted a season-best 62 points in the paint versus Heidelberg (Dec. 3). Additional inside the numbers for the Zips this season are below.

Points in Paint – 32.2 ppg (290) | Season-High - 62 vs. Heidelberg
Points off Turnovers – 16.2 ppg (146) | Season-High - 39 vs. Heidelberg
Second-Chance Points – 8.1 ppg (73) | Season-High - 17 vs Binghamton
Fast-Break Points – 11.6 ppg (104) | Season-High - 36 vs. Heidelberg
Bench Points – 29.2 ppg (263) | Season-High - 81 vs. Heidelberg

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 141-99 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips average 82.8 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 44 percent (.436) of their attempts from the field, while recording 39.5 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron battles Delaware as part of the Hawk Classic hosted by Saint Joseph's on Saturday (Dec. 20) in Philadelphia, Pa.