After a week off, the women’s basketball team will be hosting Valparaiso on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in James A. Rhodes Arena. The Crusaders enter the game with a record of 3-1, while the Zips come in at 3-0 and look to add to their winning streak before the Winter Break.

For the Crusaders, freshman Dani Franklin enters the game as the leader in scoring and second in rebounds. Franklin averages 12.5 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. Valparaiso struggles when it comes to turnovers, averaging 19.3 while only giving up 9.3. With the Zips only averaging 9.3, they need to take advantage of those turnovers and turn them into points. The Zips also need to keep a close mark on Abby Dean, as she has averaged 12.3 points per game and came up with 15 in their last game versus Tennessee Tech. As for rebounds, Jasmyn Walker leads the team with nine per game.

For the Zips, look for Kerri McMahan, Anita Brown and Sina King as they look to preserve a so-far perfect season. If the ladies win against the Crusaders, this will be their best season start since the 1974-1975 season when The University of Akron Women’s basketball team was first established, finishing 10-4.

Next, Akron will head to Denver, Colorado on Friday to compete in the Denver Thanksgiving Tournament. Akron’s first tip-off will be at 2 p.m. and will face Belmont. As of Sunday, the Bruins are 0-3 and will play Kent State on Tuesday before traveling west to compete in the tournament.