The University of Akron Athletics
Defensive Effort Leads Akron Over Central Michigan
January 31 | Men's Basketball
- Zeke Marshall led all players with 16 points to help The University of Akron men's basketball team to a 63-43 victory over Central Michigan in Mid-American Conference cross-divisional action on Sunday evening at Rhodes Arena. The win improved Akron to 12-9 overall (3-4 MAC), while Central Michigan dropped to 5-15 (2-5 MAC).
Marshall went 5-for-5 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free
throw line, while swatting three shots to move into second on the
UA all-time blocked shots list. Steve
McNees added nine points and Darryl
Roberts, Nikola
Cvetinovic, and Quincy
Diggs each scored eight apiece. Cvetinovic also grabbed a
game-high 10 rebounds.
CMU cut the lead to 43-36 with 9:51 to go in the game, but
back-to-back inside buckets by Marshall and Cvetinovic pushed the
UA margin to 47-36 and the Zips allowing just seven Chippewa points
over the contest's final 9:36, stretching the lead to as many as 22
along the way.
Cvetinovic threw down a fast break slam to stretch the Akron lead to 23-13 with just over three minutes to go in the first half. Marshall added a slam of his own in the final minute of the stanza to stretch the lead to 12 before a pair of Trey Zeigler free throws made the score 28-18 at intermission.
The 18 points allowed by the Zips in the first half marked their second-best single half defensive effort of the season, and the best against a Division I opponent (nine points against Division III Millikin on Nov. 12). The Zips limited the Chippewas to just 26.9 percent (7-for-26) shooting from the field in the half - 0-for-5 from behind the arc.
The Zips shot 47.8 percent (22-for-46) in the game and dominated the paint, outscoring CMU 32-12 inside. The victory moved Akron head coach Keith Dambrot into sole-possession of ninth place on the all-time MAC career wins list, with 171 (151 in his seventh season at UA).
CMU's 43 total points were the second-lowest allowed by Akron this season and the Zips' best defensive effort against a Division I opponent.
Akron hits the road for a match-up against Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Wednesday. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Zips Notebook: Akron coach Keith Dambrot was honored with a game ball commemorating his 150th win at Akron prior to the game. The win came against Bowling Green on Jan. 22 ... Mike Bardo grabbed a season-high six rebounds ... In honor of Coaches vs. Cancer National Awareness Weekend, the UA coaching staff participated in the "Suits and Sneakers" program by wearing tennis shoes on the sideline during the game.
