The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Miami (Ohio)
Men's Basketball Opens MAC Play with 65-60 Win at Miami (Ohio)
January 07 | Men's Basketball
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OXFORD, Ohio – Quincy Diggs scored 14 points, including 10 in the second half, to lead Akron to a 65-60 road win over Miami (Ohio) to open Mid-American Conference play on Saturday.
Diggs led three players in double figures for Akron, including Brian Walsh with 13 points and Nick Harney with 11 points. The Zips improved to 9-6 overall, 1-0 in MAC play and have now won three-straight against the RedHawks.
Akron forced 14 Miami (Ohio) turnovers compared to just seven by the Zips, including one in the final 20 minutes. UA finished the game shooting 44.0 percent from the floor (22-of-50) and 58.3 percent from long range (7-of-12).
Julian Mavunga led the RedHawks (4-9, 0-1 MAC) with 23 points and 14 boards.
After Miami (Ohio) pushed its advantage back to seven point (39-32) with 14:44 left in the game, Brett McClanahan drained his first 3-pointer to bring Akron within four (39-35) on the Zips' next possession.
Both squads took turns trading points on possessions. Harney added six points during that stretch. Back-to-back layups by Diggs got Akron within one point (44-43) with 10:28 left on the second-half clock.
Akron regained the lead at 47-46 with 8:58 thanks to a Demetrius Treadwell layup on the fast break. Treadwell sparked the layup with his first steal of the game. Chauncey Gilliam capped off a 12-3 Akron run to give the Zips a 49-46 advantage with 8:36 to go.
The Zips and RedHawks continued to trade buckets before Miami (Ohio) grabbed a 54-53 lead with 3:27 left. The advantage was short-lived as Alex Abreu put the Zips back on top (55-54) on Akron's next possession (3:04).
After Miami (Ohio) tied the game at 58-58 with 1:40 left on the clock, Diggs gave Akron the lead for good with two free throws. After a RedHawk turnover on their next possession, Abreu gave the Zips a four-point lead (62-58). The Zips would hold on at the line to take home the win.
Both teams struggled from the field through the first 8:08, combining to make just 6-of-22 from the floor (27.3 percent) with the game tied at 8-8 with 11:52 to go.
Akron used a 7-2 run to open up a 13-8 lead at the 10:14 mark before Miami (Ohio) grabbed its first lead of the game (16-15) with 6:35 left before the intermission. Both teams traded buckets before the RedHawks opened up a 21-18 lead (4:40).
Miami (Ohio) pushed its lead to 27-20 with 1:35 on the clock, but Akron was able to cut the advantage to four (29-25) by halftime.
Walsh led the Zips with eight points and three boards as Akron shot 34.8 percent from the floor (8-of-23) and 50.0 percent from long range (4-of-8). Akron committed six giveaways while forcing seven turnovers.
Akron closes out its three-game road trip on Wednesday, Jan. 11, when it faces Bowling Green at the Stroh Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Zips Notebook: The Zips improve to 13-7 in MAC openers, 4-6 on the road ... Akron is 44-19 in January under head coach Keith Dambrot ... UA has now won nine of the last 11 games in the series, including a 3-2 at Millett Hall.
