The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Gets OT Win Over Youngstown State
November 21 | Men's Basketball
- Brett McClanahan nailed a fade-away 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired in regulation, tying the game at 77 and forcing overtime, as The University of Akron men's basketball went on to defeat Youngstown State 91-84 at Rhodes Arena on Saturday evening.
Akron (2-1) pulled ahead 87-82 on a jump hook by Zeke Marshall in the extra period, and converted four free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
McClanahan, Marshall, and Nikola Cvetinovic, all posted career highs, scoring 22, 22, and 27 points respectively to lead the Zips. McClanahan added a career-high 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. Darryl Roberts added 11 points and four assists, to round out UA's double-figure scorers.
After trailing 9-4 early in the first half, Akron rallied to build a 22-14 lead when Marshall slammed home a Steve McNees alley-oop with 8:13 to go in the half.
A McClanahan 3-pointer - his second of the half - stretched the UA lead to 27-19, before Youngstown State (2-1) mounted a rally to end the period. A Sheldon Brogdan three ball in the final minute gave the Penguins a 34-33 lead, and Cvetinovic converted 1-of-2 attempts from the charity stripe to send the game into the intermission with the score knotted at 34.
McClanahan's hot shooting paced Akron in the first half, reaching double digits by the break for the second-straight game with 11, while Cvetinovic added nine in the half.
The two teams battled possession-by-possession the entire second half, with neither side taking a lead greater than five the entire period, before McClanahan's buzzer-beater pulled the Zips even.
Akron shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) from the field, limiting the Penguins to just 38.9 percent (28-of-72). Marshall blocked three shots and pulled down eight boards as UA outrebounded the Penguins 42-37.
The Zips will host Cleveland State on Wednesday night at Rhodes Arena, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. ET. That contest will also be televised live via SportsTime Ohio.
