GAME NOTES - NEC FRONT ROW  - LIVE STATS

LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 17, 2012) –The Saint Francis University women's basketball returns to DeGol Arena Sunday for a 2 p.m. tipoff against the Akron Zips out of the Mid-American Conference.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Saint Francis Red Flash (2-0, 0-0 NEC) vs.
Akron Zips (3-0, 0-0 Mid-American Conference)
Where: DeGol Arena, Loretto, Pa.
When: Sunday | 2 p.m.
ALL-TIME: Akron leads 8-1
LAST TIME: SFU 80, Akron 79 OT, Nov. 22, 2011
 
BROADCAST INFO:
Web stream – NEC Front Row.com
BROADCASTERS:
Joe Vesnesky and Bernie Jubeck
 
GET TO KNOW THE ZIPS
The Akron Zips enter Sunday's meeting unbeaten like the Red Flash with three wins to open the season, all by 10 points or more. Akron opened the season with a dominating win against Hiram 83-24 and then went on the road and picked up a victory against Tennessee Tech, 78-67. Friday, the Zips welcomed Northeast Conference foe Bryant and picked up a 78-56 win. Akron was picked third in the MAC East in the conference's preseason poll and also earned a preseason all-conference selection for Rachel Tecca. Tecca has been impressive through three games averaging 22 points and 9.3 rebounds a contest. Sina King and Hanna Luburgh have also started the season averaging double-digits in points. Luburgh enters Sunday averaging 11.3 points a game and 6.3 rebounds. King also stands near double-double numbers with her 12.0 points a game and 8.7 rebounds a contest. The Zips have started the season shooting well from the field with a 41.3 field goal percentage while limiting their opponents to just 28.3-percent from the field. Turnovers have also been key for Akron as they hold an average turnover margin of plus-7.3.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Red Flash picked up their first road win of the season earning a hard fought, 62-54, victory against Bucknell. Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) tallied 22 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Red Flash to the win. The Flash were limited to just 32.4-percent shooting, but SFU held the Bison to just 26.8-percent shooting. After posting 25 turnovers in its season opener, SFU limited itself to just 17 giveaways against Bucknell. Both teams struggled in the first half, but the Flash powered themselves to the win with a 42 point second half. The Flash struggled with foul trouble most of the game and two of SFU's starters fouled out, but SFU allowed just one field goal over the last 5:18 to earn the win.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Saint Francis is off to its first 2-0 start in 36 years and just its fourth 2-0 start in program histor. A win Sunday would put SFU to just its third 3-0 start ever. The Flash enters Sunday looking for their first win ever against Akron in Loretto and come home surging. SFU has won five of their last six on their home floor. SFU picked up a 80-79 overtime win last season against Akron on the road, but SFU has never slipped past the Zips in DeGol Arena. The two teams have not met in Loretto for a game since the 2007-08 season, when Akron picked up a 61-53 win. SFU enters the game ranked third in Northeast Conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Flash also sits as one of just three remaining unbeaten squads in the league. SFU holds the fourth-best field goal percentage in the NEC among teams that have played at least two games. The place where SFU has really excelled has been in defense as the Flash hold the best field goal percentage defense in the league. Saint Francis has started the season slow from behind the 3-point arc shooting just 21.1 percent, but the Flash has compensated with excellent 3-point field goal defense allowing opponents to shoot just 18.5 percent from behind the arc.    
 
Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) enters the second weekend of the season ranked fourth in the NEC in scoring and first in rebounding. The junior forward is averaging 2.5 more rebounds than any other player in the conference and the player of the year contenter also starts the season tied for fifth in the NEC in steals. Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) is making her return known as she ranks tied for seventh in the league in assists.
 
UP NEXT
The Red Flash return to the road and travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State Tuesday at 7 p.m.