Preview: Women’s basketball returns to Millett Hall for matchup against Akron

After going 1-1 on the road last week, the Miami University RedHawks women’s basketball team (10-6, 3-3 in conference play) meets the University of Akron Zips (9-9, 3-3 in conference play) at Millett Hall tonight at 7 p.m.

Miami sat at 3-2 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play after back-to-back wins against the Bowling Green State University Falcons and the Northern Illinois University Huskies. However, a fourth-quarter falter against the University of Buffalo Bulls on Jan. 18 brought the RedHawks back to .500.

Through the first few weeks of conference play, Akron faced a similar predicament. The Zips’ 1-1 start preceded two-straight wins against the Huskies and the Eastern Michigan University Eagles.

Their MAC standing was short-lived, as the Zips dropped their last two matchups against the Central Michigan University Chippewas and the Ball State University Cardinals to return to .500.

Senior guard Alexus Mobley led the Zips against Ball State with 16 points, her 11th double-digit game of the season. Mobley’s 231 points this season puts her at ninth in the conference.

Junior guard Maddie Vejsicky followed with 14 points against the Cardinals. Vejsicky has proven to be lethal from a distance with 36 3-pointers, good for fifth-most in the MAC. Her 146 points this season puts her at third on Akrons’ roster.

The team’s second-leading scorer, redshirt senior forward Shelbee Brown, is also the conference’s third-highest rebounder (143). Brown averages 5.8 defensive rebounds per game, the fourth-most in the MAC, and she has five games this season with more than 10 total rebounds.

In addition to Brown, the Zips feature a strong defensive duo in first-year forward Ni’Rah Clark and junior center Liisa Taponen. Both players rank high in the conference in steals, with Clark sitting at second with 19 and Taponen sitting at fourth with 17.

With both teams fighting to stay above .500, the RedHawks will look to leading-scorer and MAC player of the week Enjulina Gonzalez. The sophomore guard is currently on a 11-game streak with double-digit points, and her 270 points this season is good for fifth in the conference.

Miami can also look to graduate student guard Maya Chandler, who scored 12 points against the Bulls on Sunday and has put up 70 points against MAC opponents this season. Gonzalez and Chandler will be joined by sophomore forward Amber Tretter, Miami’s second-highest scorer (178) and the MAC’s sixth-highest rebounder (124).

Last season, the RedHawks broke a three-game losing streak with a 58-48 victory over the Zips. Miami outscored Akron in three quarters. Tretter led the game with 18 points, and senior guard Cori Lard followed with 12.

The RedHawks are 5-2 at home this season, and with hopes of staying above .500, Miami will need to take advantage of each possession against an Akron defense that has proven to be a problem in the MAC.