Story by
Akron women's basketball hosts nationally-ranked Michigan on Friday; Zips men heading to Texas
- Story by
- Akron women's basketball hosts nationally-ranked Michigan on Friday; Zips men heading to Texas
The University of Akron women's basketball team will have its most challenging task of the season so far when nationally-ranked Michigan visits Rhodes Arena later this week.
The Zips (5-5) and No. 20 Wolverines (9-1) are set to tip off at noon Friday.
Advertisement
Michigan leads the series 3-1 with wins in 2007, 2019 and 2021. Akron beat visiting Michigan 58-49 on Nov. 17, 2008.
Here are the key details heading into the matchup:
Akron's Alexus Mobley (right) scrambles after a loose ball with Bellarmine's Lucy Roberton, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
Teniesha Clarke, Alexus Mobley and Maddie Vejsicky lead Akron women's basketball
Akron coach Ryan Gensler said this season's team was "a way more balanced crew" on Dec. 7 after a 82-43 win at home over Canisius.
"We have a chart in the locker room that is a direct corelation of assists and outcomes," Gensler said. "If we play to 13 assists or more, we are undefeated. If we don't, then we look very pedestrian as you have seen with some of our results in the 40s and 50s [points], and in some of our results we are able to touch 80 [points] and share the ball."
Advertisement
Teniesha Clarke, who is 5-foot-9, is Akron's leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Alexus Mobley (5-7, 10.6 points) and Maddie Vejsicky (6-0, 10.5 points) are also averaging double figures.
Kent State's Mikala Morris grabs a rebound as Akron's Alexus Mobley (left) and Liisa Taponen defend in the first half, Saturday Jan. 20, 2024 in Akron.
"We have great energy, give great effort and we have great shooters and we can play together well," Akron 6-5 junior Liisa Taponen said Dec. 7 after a 82-43 win at home over Canisius.
"I think we need to improve on consistency. When we play our own game and run in transition and play good defense, we are really good."
Kam'Ren Rhodes (5-6) is averaging 9.0 points and 3.1 assists for the Zips and Shelbee Brown (5-11) is at 8.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals.
Akron's Zakia Rasheed shoots a 3-pointer against Bellarmine on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
"We went to Puerto Rico this summer [for exhibition games]. That definitely helped us," said Taponen, who is averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Advertisement
"We got two good games against a good opponent in early and that definitely helped with the transition. Our returners are great and I feel like we helped the newcomers acclimate really well."
The other regulars in Akron's rotation are 5-8 Zakia Rasheed and 6-2 Ni'Rah Clark.
"The really cool thing for me is that we are very good across the board," Gensler said. "One through five out there are all viable options to score. That is very helpful. We certainly could start the three other kids or four other kids on our bench and no one would bat an eyelash.
"When we are playing well, the ball is moving and the ball is finding the right shooter."
Akron's coach Ryan Gensler directs his team in the first half against Kent State on Saturday Jan. 20, 2024, in Akron.
Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Jordan Hobbs guide Michigan women's basketball
While Akron is outscoring foes 67.2-61-5, Michigan is more prolific offensively and is at 84.6-54.5 in scoring differential.
Advertisement
Michigan starts five guards: 6-1 Olivia Olson, 6-0 Syla Swords, 6-3 Jordan Hobbs, 5-10 Mila Holloway and 6-1 Greta Kampschroeder.
Olson leads Michigan at 16.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists and Swords is averaging 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals.
Hobbs is contributing 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists and Holloway is at 10.0 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
Michigan's top reserves are 6-3 Te'Yala Delfosse, 5-7 Brooke Quarles Daniels, 6-5 Yulia Grabovskaia, 6-2 Ally VanTimmeren and 6-0 Macy Brown.
"Michigan is fantastic having scouted them," Gensler said. "When I was at Dayton [as an assistant coach], we scrimmaged them. Being at Illinois [as an assistant coach], we played them. Kim [Barnes Arico] does an unbelievable job. I have watched players in her family play AAU and admired how it is ingrained there. They have got a really good culture. ... Talk about a good complimentary basketball team. Some good outside presence with their freshmen guards [Olson, Swords and Holloway]. They always have really strong, physical posts."
Advertisement
Gensler said he hopes his players are "healthy, fully charged and in a great mental space" Friday.
"This will sharpen us," Gensler said. "They will make you pay where you have loose ends. Where we are able to have success, it will be earned. That can be an empowering feeling for a team headed into Christmas break.
"... This will be our Nurses Appreciation Day here. Tim Meyers, who is one of the best people that I have been around on campus, is rallying the Nursing School to be at our game. He has got T-shirts ready to go. We have got two players [Lanae Riley and Zakia Rasheed] on our team in the Nursing School. We have got an incoming freshman in Monique Mitchell who is going to be entering the nursing program."
Akron guard Tavari Johnson drives past Northern Kentucky guard Trey Robinson on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Akron.
Akron men's basketball heads to Texas this weekend
The Akron men's basketball team meets Yale at 7 p.m. Friday in the Don Haskins Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas and then faces UTEP or Jackson State on Saturday night.
Advertisement
Akron lost 100-81 to the Milwaukee Panthers at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.
Tavari Johnson paced the Zips (6-3) with 22 points. Nate Johnson contributed 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, four turnovers and two steals. Sharron Young had 11 points and three steals and Shammah Scott scored 10 points.
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nationally-ranked Michigan women's basketball visits Akron on Friday
