Saturday was a tough day for Bowling Green women’s basketball, as the Falcons suffered their first loss in Mid-American Conference play to the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, 76-61.

But BGSU (9-5 OVR, 3-1 MAC) hopes to use this as fuel to improve, and they get the chance to do so Wednesday night at home against the Akron Zips.

A look now at the Zips-

AKRON ZIPS

Record: (6-8 OVR, 1-3 MAC)

Head Coach: Ryan Gensler (1st season)

Notable Gensler Facts:

• Gensler comes to Akron after spending the 2022-23 season at Illinois as an assistant coach.
• Prior to Illinois, Gensler spent five years as an assistant at Dayton.
• Has also spent time in various positions at Florida, St. Bonaventure, Loyola-Maryland and Providence College.

Notable Names:

• Reagan Bass (Jr.)- The standout player on film when evaluating Akron, Bass is a 6’1 forward from Strongsville, OH. So far this season, Bass is averaging 19.6 points and 11.9 rebounds a game for the Zips, good for second best and best in the MAC respectively. Last season, Bass was named a first team all-MAC nominee, earning the honors by playing in all 30 games and averaging 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a night. What makes Bass a scary matchup is not just what numbers she gets, but how she gets them, as she is averaging a field goal percentage of 48.7%.

• Lanae Riley (Soph.)– Another formidable piece inside for Akron, Riley is a 6’2 sophomore forward from Akron. A transfer from Middle Tennessee State, Riley is averaging 9.3 points per game for the Zips inside. Once again, just like Bass, Riley is an efficient player, shooting 49% from the field so far this year. The sophomore has six double-digit scoring outputs so far this year, including three straight heading into Wednesday. Against Buffalo, Riley had 12 points and five rebounds.

• Morgan Haney (Sr.)– A key veteran for a relatively younger Zips team, Haney is the only other double-digit averaging player for Gensler. A redshirt senior from Piqua, OH., Haney transferred to Akron after spending last season with the America East’s Albany Great Danes. While with the Great Danes, Haney averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game a year ago to lead the Great Danes to a 22-12 record, including a 14-2 mark and a share of the America East Conference regular season title. So far this season, Haney is 10.6 points and 3.9 rebounds a night.

Notable Numbers:

• Akron is coming off a 59-57 loss to the Buffalo Bulls, where two players recorded double-figures (Bass, Riley)
• Akron is 2-5 on the road this season.
• The Zips only have two players averaging double-digit points a game (Bass 19.6, Haney 10.6).

Tip-off between the Zips and Falcons is set for 7 p.m. Join Falcon Media Sports Network’s Brandon Loe on the call on 88.1 FM WBGU beginning at 6:45.