Akron Returns to MAC Play at Toledo

Saturday, February 15

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 PM

University of Akron

Toledo

February 14 | Women's Basketball

Akron (9-15, 3-8 MAC) at Toledo (17-5, 8-3 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 15
Savage Arena
Toledo, Ohio

Series History: Toledo leads 52-14
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 travels to Toledo, Ohio, to battle Toledo on Saturday (Feb. 15). The 2 p.m. tilt with the Rockets will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on GoZips.com with Jim Clark on the radio call.

HEAD COACHES
Toledo: Ginny Boggess (Wingate, 2003), Overall Record: 71-47 (Fourth Season), Record at Toledo: 17-5 (First Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (St. Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 20-33 (Second Season), Record at Akron: 20-33 (Second Season)

SCOUTING TOLEDO
Toledo enters action against Akron on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 17-5 on the campaign, including 8-3 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 56-52 victory at Old Dominion on Saturday (Feb. 8).

Redshirt senior Sammi Mikonowicz leads a trio of Rockets scoring in double figures averaging a team-best 12.8 points per game, while redshirt senior Khera Goss and sophomore Kendall Carruthers are adding 11.5 and 11.0 points per night. As a team, Toledo is recording 69.3 points, 39.0 rebounds, 14.6 assists, 6.5 steals and 2.7 blocks per tilt.

The Rockets are rated 19th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (8.2), while Carruthers is ranked 40th in free throw percentage (.865).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Toledo are meeting for the 67th time in program history. The Rockets lead the series, 52-14, after Toledo bested the Zips, 74-54, on Jan. 4, 2025, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (JAN. 4, 2025 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron senior Alexus Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored 23 points while senior Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) and redshirt senior Shelbee Brown (Memphis, Tenn.) added 11 each, but the Zips fell to Toledo, 74-54, at James A. Rhodes Arena on Jan. 4.

Mobley led the Zips with 23 points and five steals. Rasheed added 11 points off the bench and Brown chipped in as well with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Akron defense forced 14 Toledo turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 10 points on the other end of the floor. Mobley's five steals led the way individually for the Zips.

SHORT-HANDED AKRON FALLS AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Akron's Shelbee Brown scored 19 points and freshman Liz Murphy (Yackandandah, Australia) had six more, but the Zips fell to Georgia Southern, 60-36, as part of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge on Feb. 8.

Brown recorded her team-leading eighth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Zips. Murphy tacked on six points off of the bench and freshman Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) helped out with five points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Led by Brown's four offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in five second-chance points.

Akron forced 13 Georgia Southern turnovers. The Zips turned those takeaways into 13 points on the other end of the floor. Brown's three steals led the way for Akron.

BROWN SCORES CAREER-HIGH 32 AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN
Shelbee Brown totaled a career-best 32 points, but the Zips fell to Western Michigan, 70-64, at James A. Rhodes Arena on Feb. 5.

Brown added a career-high 19 rebounds and a season-best five steals to her 32-point game to lead the Zips (9-14, 3-8). Alexus Mobley added 16 points and seven rebounds and Ni'Rah Clark chipped in with eight points.

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
• Shelbee Brown has registered back-to-back double-doubles with a 19-point and 10-rebound effort at Georgia Southern (Feb. 8) and a career-best 32-point and 19-rebound performance against Western Michigan (Feb. 5). She has now turned in double-doubles in four of Akron's last six games and eight times overall on the campaign.
• After Ni'Rah Clark dished out a career-best three assists versus Western Michigan (Feb. 5), nine different Zips have led Akron in dishing out assists in a game this season.
• Shelbee Brown posted the 10th-best single-game rebounding effort in program history pulling down a career-high 19 rebounds versus Western Michigan (Feb. 5). Her effort stands as the top single-game mark in the Mid-American Conference this season.
• Shelbee Brown's 32-point performance against Western Michigan (Feb. 5) is the highest-scoring output for a Zip since Reagan Bass netted 33 versus Tennessee State on Dec. 3, 2023. It represents the second-highest scoring effort in the MAC this season behind.
• Liz Murphy scored a career-high eight points at Kent State (Feb. 1).
• Shelbee Brown has scored in double figures in eight straight games and 14 of 16 overall.
• Junior Maddie Vejsicky (New Concord, Ohio) has made a team-high 45 three pointers this season, including one in all but three contests on the campaign.
• Shelbee Brown has connected on 40 percent or better from the field in 18 of Akron's 24 games.
• Liz Murphy scored her first collegiate points connecting on a fourth quarter three pointer at Miami (Jan. 22).
• Ni'Rah Clark has posted two or more blocks in seven games this season, including in five of 11 league contests.
• Senior Ellen Kinnaird (Lewis Center, Ohio) registered her first career points with a pair of made free throws against Ball State (Jan. 18). A five-year member of the Akron volleyball team, she joined the Zips' squad in time for the squad's game at Eastern Michigan (Jan. 11)
• Junior Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) recorded her second career double-figure rebounding game at Ball State (Jan. 18) pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds.
• Emily Hall recorded a season-high 17 points at Eastern Michigan (Jan. 11) as she led the Zips in scoring.
• 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.
• Alexus Mobley was honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Dec. 31.
• Liisa Taponen recorded 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.
• Liisa Taponen recorded a career-best 11 rebounds against No. 20 Michigan (Dec. 20), while also posting a career-high three blocks.
• Akron is rated second in the Mid-American Conference in blocked shots (3.17) and fourth in offensive rebounds (11.63).
• Individually, Shelbee Brown is fourth in rebounding (8.67), defensive rebounds (6.08) and offensive rebounds (2.58) and fifth in steals (2.17), Liisa Taponen is eighth in blocked shots (0.75) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.13), while Ni'Rah Clark is second in blocked shots (1.17).
• In league-only games, Akron is ranked second in the MAC in offensive rebounding (11.64), fourth in blocked shots (2.73) and fifth in rebounding margin (4.18*).
• In conference-only tilts, Ni'Rah Clark is rated third in the league in blocked shots (1.45). Additionally, Emily Hall is third in minutes played (34.86) and Shelbee Brown is second in rebounding (9.36), third in offensive rebounding (3.00), fourth in defensive rebounding (6.36) and seventh in scoring (15.91).
• The Zips have posted seven 20+ scoring games this season. Shelbee Brown tallied 32, 22, 21 and 20 points, respectively, versus Western Michigan (Feb. 5), Bowling Green (Jan. 29), Buffalo (Jan. 25) and 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 Shelbee Brown (17), Alexus Mobley (15), Maddie Vejsicky (9), Teniesha Clarke (8), Zakia Rasheed (7), Ni'Rah Clark (4), Kam'Ren Rhodes (4), Liisa Taponen (4) and Emily Hall (1).
• Akron connected on five or more three pointers in 108 of its last 144 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 24 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), .469 (Bowling Green), .464 (Bellarmine), .463 (Miami Hamilton), .444 (Ohio-1), .439 (Iona), .436 (Buffalo), .420 (Toledo-1), .420 (Slippery Rock), .417 (Eastern Michigan-1), .404 (Western Michigan-1), 30 percent: .396 (Michigan), .389 (Ball State), .388 (Colgate), .379 (Tennessee State), .377 (Georgia State), .361 (Robert Morris), .357 (Miami-1), .340 (Kent State-1), .333 (Binghamton), .292 (Central Michigan-1), .244 (Georgia Southern).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 24 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .538 (Ball State), .532 (Kent State-1), .522 (Western Michigan-1), .500 (Miami-1), 40 percent: .491 (Cleveland State), .485 (Michigan), .483 (Northern Illinois), .469 (Robert Morris), .466 (Bowling Green ), .463 (Bellarmine), .459 (Toledo-1), .453 (Buffalo), .444 (Eastern Michigan-1), .433 (Central Michigan-1), .414 (Binghamton), .403 (Tennessee State), 30 percent: .393 (Colgate), .383 (Georgia Southern), .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 21.8 points per game from Shelbee Brown, a pair of Zips are averaging double-figures in scoring over the last five games. Joining Brown with 12.3 points per outing is Alexus Mobley. Brown is pulling down a team-best 10.8 rebounds per contest, while Ni'Rah Clark is shooting a team-high 52.0 percent from the field.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Akron has once proved to be strong in the paint averaging 31.5 points per game for 756 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 – 31.5 ppg (756) | Season-High - 46 vs. Cleveland State | Miami Hamilton
Points off Turnovers – 14.4 ppg (346) | Season-High - 24 vs. Cleveland State
Second-Chance Points – 10.4 ppg (249) | Season-High - 20 vs. Slippery Rock
Fast-Break Points – 6.5 ppg (157) | Season-High - 15 vs. Miami Hamilton
Bench Points – 15.8 ppg (379) | 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 139-93 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.

This season, the Zips are 6-6 in the JAR, averaging 69.3 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 42 percent (.419) of their attempts from the field, while recording 38.3 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 6.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron welcomes Miami to James A. Rhodes Arena for a 6 p.m. tilt on Wednesday (Feb. 19).