The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Duquesne
Men's Basketball Drops 81-76 Decision to Duquesne
November 19 | Men's Basketball
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VALPARAISO, Ind. – The University of Akron men's basketball team closed out the 2011 2K Sports Classic with an 81-76 loss to Duquesne on Saturday.
Junior center Zeke Marshall led the way for the Zips (2-2) with 19 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots. He tied Romeo Travis (165, 2004-07) for the school record in the category.
Brett McClanahan pitched in with 18 points while Brian Walsh had 11 and Demetrius Treadwell finished with 10 points.
For the game, Akron shot 57.1 percent from the floor (28-of-49) while connecting on 6-of-13 3-point attempts (46.2 percent). Duquesne (3-1) shot 54.5 percent from the field (30-of-55) and was 4-of-13 from long range (30.8 percent).
The Zips held a 33-25 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 19 times compared to 11 by the Dukes.
Duquesne's Sean Johnson led all scorers with 24 points.
A Nick Harney 3-pointer from the corner would move the Zips with 75-70 with 47.8 seconds to go. Two McClanahan 3-pointers following Duquesne free throws saw the Dukes' lead down to 79-76 with 14.0 seconds left. Two free throws by Duquesne would see the game end 81-76.
After several lead changes, the Dukes would regain the advantage and open a 58-53 lead with 7:27 left in the game. That lead would climb to 71-64 with 2:21 left.
The Zips used a 10-2 run, capped by a Marshall dunk, to tie the game at 40-40 with 15:58 on the clock. Marshall had four points and two blocked shots during the run. Akron carried the momentum to grab its first lead of the game (42-41) with 14:25 on the clock.
Akron opened the game down 20-10 with 11:41 to go in the first half. The Zips committed 10 turnovers over the first 8:19.
Akron committed just five turnovers down the stretch in the half, cutting the Dukes' lead to 38-30 going into the locker room thanks to a nifty move in the paint by Treadwell with 6.2 seconds left.
For the half, Akron shot 54.2 percent from the floor (13-of-24) and connected on 1-of-4 from 3-point range (1-of-4). Duquesne was 16-of-30 from the floor (53.3 percent) and 1-of-6 from behind the arc (16.7 percent).
The Zips held a 19-11 advantage on the glass but committed 15 turnovers in the half, compared to five by the Dukes. Walsh and Marshall had eight points each to lead the way, with McClanahan pitching in with five points.
The Zips will have a week off from competition and will return to the hardwood following the Thanksgiving holiday when they play host to Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 26, at Rhodes Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Zips Notebook: Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot's father, Sid Dambrot, played for Duquesne from 1952-54, leading the Dukes to the NCAA Tournament and the NIT during the 1952 season, and the NIT in 1953 and 1954 ... freshman guard Adedeji Ibitayo made his collegiate debut ... Zeke Marshall tied Romeo Travis in just 75 games, compared to Travis' 122 games.
