Akron Hosts League Leading Miami

Saturday, January 10

Akron, Ohio

12:00 PM

University of Akron

Miami

Buy Tickets

January 09 | Women's Basketball

Akron (3-12, 0-3 MAC) vs Miami (11-4, 3-0 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 10
James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio

Series History: Miami leads 42-24
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
Purchase Tickets: www.GoZips.com/Tickets

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron women's basketball team returns to James A. Rhodes Arena to battle Miami in a Mid-American Conference showdown on Saturday (Jan. 10). The 12 p.m. tilt will be Akron's Mental Health Awareness game and be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jeff Phelps on the call as well as on 640 WHLO AM with Jim Clark on the radio call.

Tickets for the contest against the RedHawks 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
Miami: Glenn Box (Southeast Missouri State, 1998), Overall Record: 39-36 (Third Season), Record at Miami: 39-36 (Third Season)
Akron: Ryan Gensler (Saint Joseph's, 2009), Overall Record: 24-51 (Third Season), Record at Akron: 24-51 (Third Season)

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami enters play versus Akron on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 11-4 on the campaign, including 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference, following an 72-60 victory past Massachusetts on Wednesday (Jan. 7).

Four RedHawks are averaging double figures in scoring as junior Amber Tretter, senior Amber Scalia and sophomores Ilse De Vries and Tamar Singer are posting 14.0, 13.2, 11.3 and 11.1 points per night, respectively. Tretter also paces Miami in rebounding pulling down 8.5 caroms per game. As a team, the RedHawks are recording 71.5 points, 32.6 rebounds, 17.1 assists, 10.8 steals and 3.4 blocks per tilt.

As a unit, Miami is rated 17th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.779), 39th in triples made (8.4), 43rd in turnovers forced (20.87), 45th in turnover margin (5.13), 48th in steals (10.8) and 49th in three pointers attempted (24.8). Individually, Singer is ranked eighth in assists (109) and assists per contest (7.3), 20th in free throw percentage (.891) and 44th in minutes played, while Tretter is 46th in double doubles (5) and de Vries is 44th in blocks (25) and 49th in blocks per game (1.67).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Miami are meeting for the 67th time in program history with the RedHawks owning a 42-24 series lead. A year ago, Miami edged the Zips, 76-54, on Jan. 22, 2025, in Oxford, Ohio, before besting Akron, 70-58, on Feb. 19, 2025, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (FEB. 19, 2025 – AKRON, OHIO)
Akron's Shelbee Brown, senior Maddie Vejsicky (New Concord, Ohio) and Emily Hall combined to score 44 of Akron's 58 total points, but the Zips fell to the Miami, 70-58, at James A. Rhodes Arena on Feb. 19, 2025.

Brown led the Zips with 24 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Vejsicky added 10 points and Hall chipped in as well with 10 points and a season-best eight rebounds.

Brown pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Akron, grabbing 10 boards and turning them into eight second-chance points.

AKRON FALLS AT WESTERN MICHIGAN
Akron overcame a five-point halftime deficit to assume a fourth quarter lead, but the Zips were unable to secure their first Mid-American Conference victory as Western Michigan escaped with a 55-48 victory on Wednesday (Jan. 7).

Freshman Monique Mitchell (South Bend, Ind.) led the Zips with 14 points, while junior Keiryn McGuff (Dublin, Ohio) registered an eight-point, career-high 12 rebound and four-block performance. Freshman Shaena Brew (Rialto, Calif.) chipped in as well with six points.

Led by Mitchell's three offensive rebounds, Akron crashed the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 10 second-chance points.

OHIO RALLIES PAST ZIPS
Akron erased an 11-point halftime deficit but was unable to overcome Ohio down the stretch as the Bobcats earned a 73-56 triumph over the Zips in Mid-American Conference action on Jan. 3.

Freshman Corinne Reed (Chicago, Ill.) led the Zips with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Ni'Rah Clark (Toledo, Ohio) tacked on an eight-point, seven-rebound and two-steal performance, while Keiryn McGuff chipped in as well with eight points and nine rebounds.

Clark pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up 17 offensive boards and turning them into 15 second-chance points.

The Akron defense was effective at taking away the basketball forcing 19 Ohio turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Clark's two steals led the way individually for the Zips.

OVER THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Monique Mitchell leads Akron over the last five games averaging a 112.6 points per contest. Keiryn McGuff is pulling down a team-best 6.8 rebounds, while Corinne Reed is shooting a team-high 48.3 percent from the field.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Akron's starting line-up is the youngest in the Mid-American Conference this season with the Zips having started a trio of freshman in seven contests on the campaign.
• Keiryn McGuff pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds at Western Michigan (Jan. 7), while also recording a career-high four blocked shots. Her four blocks stand as the 11th-best single-game effort in program history matching a four-block performance from Ni'Rah Clark versus Miami Hamilton (Dec. 28, 2024).
• Junior Teniesha Clarke (Burlington, Ontario), Ni'Rah Clark are Maddie Vejsicky are averaging 10.0, 9.0 and 6.5 points per contest in their careers against Miami.
• Akron posted seven career-high marks at Ohio (Jan. 3), including a career-best 14-point effort from Corinne Reed, while also equaling a career- and season-high five assists.
• The Zips shot a season-best 58.8 percent from the field versus Le Moyne (Dec. 21), including shooting 75 percent in the third quarter on 9-of-12 shooting.
• The Zips netted six career-best marks against Le Moyne (Dec. 21).
• On the strength of Akron's 100-65 victory over Geneva (Dec. 16), the Zips have scored 100 or more points twice in a season for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
• Akron got double-doubles from both Ni'Rah Clark and Keiryn McGuff marking the first pair of double-doubles in a game from Zips since Reagan Bass (15 points & 13 rebounds) and Molly Neitzel (12 points and 11 rebounds) did so versus Kent State on Feb. 1, 2023.
• The Akron bench came alive against Geneva adding 65 points to its scoring output, en route to five Akron players scored 10 or more points, including a trio off the bench.
• The Zips posted 11 career-best totals versus Geneva (Dec. 16), including 17- and 13-point efforts from sophomore Liz Murphy (Yackandandah, Australia) and Corinne Reed, while Monique Mitchell pulled down a career-high nine rebounds.
• Akron is rated third in the Mid-American Conference in triples made (7.3) and fifth in free throw percentage (.710).
• Individually, Ni'Rah Clark is ninth in field goal percentage (.510) and 10th in free throw percentage (.807), Shaena Brew is ninth in assists (3.5) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.2) and sophomore Izzy Callaway (Copley, Ohio) is second in three-point percentage (.456) and eighth in triples made (1.7).
• Akron is 28th in the NCAA in bench scoring (28.5).
• 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 against Heidelberg (Dec. 3) 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. 19 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.
• Izzy Callaway connected on a league-best 13 field goals and eight three pointers against Heidelberg (Dec. 3).
• 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), senior Natalie Johnson (Waldorf, Md.) (13) and Monique Mitchell (13) scored in double-figures against Heidelberg (Dec. 3). Additionally, Brew and Ella Wigal pulled down a career-high 10 and nine rebounds, respectively.
• Nine different Akron players have scored in double figures this season led by Shaena Brew (7), Ni'Rah Clark (6), Monique Mitchell (6), Izzy Callaway (5), Corinne Reed (5), Keiryn McGuff (4), Natalie Johnson (2), Liz Murphy (2) and Maddie Vejsicky (1).
• Seven different Zips have led the squad in scoring this season led by Ni'Rah Clark (5), Monique Mitchell (4), Shaena Brew (2), Izzy Callaway (2), Keiryn McGuff (2), Corinne Reed (1) and Maddie Vejsicky (1), while eight different Akron players have paced the team in rebounding headlined by McGuff (6), Clark (5), Brew (4), Reed (2), Natalie Johnson (1), senior Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) (1), Vejsicky (1) and Ella Wigal (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.
• The Zips have posted five 20+ scoring games this season. Keiryn McGuff tallied 20 points versus Le Moyne (Dec. 21). 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) and 21 points versus Geneva (Dec. 16), while Monique Mitchell tallied 21 points against South Alabama (Nov. 3) and 20 versus Le Moyne (Dec. 21).
• 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 (28-GEN), defensive rebounds (34-GEN), rebounds (62-GEN), assists (22-LEMO), steals (14-HEID) and blocks (5-HEID).
• Akron has connected on five or more three pointers in 125 of its last 166 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 15 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared from the field: 50 percent: .588 (Le Moyne), .587 (Heidelberg), .511 (Notre Dame), 40 percent: .469 (Binghamton), .440 (Robert Morris), .438 (Michigan), .414 (South Alabama), .410 (Geneva), .400 (Ball State-1), 30 percent: .370 (Delaware), .356 (Youngstown State), .321 (Cleveland State), .309 (Ohio-1), 20 percent: .295 (Xavier), .249 (Western Michigan-1).

ZIPS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In the Zips' 15 games this season, this is how the Zips have fared defensively: 50 percent: .559 (Youngstown State), .500 (Ohio-1), .500 (Ball State-1), 40 percent: .485 (Michigan), .474 (Delaware), .474 (South Alabama), .472 (Le Moyne), .472 (Cleveland State), .470 (Notre Dame), .434 (Robert Morris), .407 (Xavier), 30 percent: .395 (Binghamton), .373 (Western Michigan-1), .338 (Geneva), 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 32.4 points per game for 486 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 – 32.4 ppg (486) | Season-High - 62 vs. Heidelberg
Points off Turnovers – 15.8 ppg (237) | Season-High - 39 vs. Heidelberg
Second-Chance Points – 10.0 ppg (150) | Season-High - 29 vs. Geneva
Fast-Break Points – 11.3 ppg (169) | Season-High - 36 vs. Heidelberg
Bench Points – 28.6 ppg (429) | 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 142-100 record dating back to the 2004-05 campaign. This season, the Zips average 84.0 points per tilt and connecting on nearly 43 percent (.425) of their attempts from the field, while recording 42.5 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

UP NEXT
Akron travels to Amherst, Mass., for an 11 a.m. tilt at Massachusetts on Wednesday (Jan. 14).