The University of Akron Athletics
Men?s Basketball Gets 70-61 Win At Ball State
February 10 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Nate
Linhart led the University of Akron men's basketball team with
a career-high 19 points and a season- and game-high 10 rebounds in
its 70-61 win over Ball State on Saturday at Worthen Arena.
Linhart was one of four Akron (17-6, 7-3 Mid-American Conference)
players to score in double figures, with Quade
Milum (13), Nick Dials (12) and Chris
McKnight (11) following suit. Linhart and Dials each had a
team-high four assists.
UA led 65-59 with 43.8 seconds to play and converted 5-of-7 free
throws in the closing seconds to hang on for the win. The victory
snapped a three-game road-losing streak.
Akron took control of the contest by opened the second half with an
18-4 run, capped by a pair of 3-pointers by Linhart, to lead 51-36
with 15:32 remaining. Then Ball State (3-19, 2-8) staged a run of
its own, outscoring the Zips 10-0, to pull within 51-48 with 10:50
left.
A 3-pointer by Dials with seven seconds to go before halftime
gave Akron a 33-32 advantage at the break, closing out an opening
period in which the score was tied six times and the lead changed
hands twice.
Rashaun McLemore led Ball State with 16 points, and Anthony Newell
pitched in 13 for the Cardinals. Newell also had a game-high five
assists and grabbed six rebounds.
Akron shot 47.1 percent (24-of-51) from the field, including
converting 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) 3-pointers, and made 11-of-15
(73.3 percent) free throws.
Ball State made 44.4 percent (24-of-54) of its shots from the
floor, but made just 1-of-9 (11.1 percent) attempts from long
range. The Cardinals went 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) from the charity
stripe. BSU outscored UA 30-18 in the paint, but the Zips
outrebounded the Cardinals 34-30.
Akron plays at home for the first time in 10 days on Tuesday, when
Northern Illinois visits Rhodes Arena. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.
EST due to an FSN Ohio telecast.
