The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Concludes Home Stand on Saturday vs. Miami (Ohio)
February 20 | Men's Basketball
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Miami (Ohio) (10-16, 5-8 MAC) at Akron (17-9, 8-5 MAC)
Saturday, February 21, 2015 • 7:30 p.m. ET
James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio
Television: None.
Webcast and Live Stats: Available at GoZips.com – webcast (home games only) and live statistics free of charge.
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network – SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) and for free at GoZips.com/TuneIn. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) will have the call beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Akron-Miami (Ohio) Series: Akron leads the series 27-25, winning 11 of the last 13 games. The Zips and RedHawks split last season, with UA winning 59-52 in Akron on Jan. 15 and falling 65-61 in Oxford on Feb. 26. UA is 16-5 at home in the series, winning 11-straight.
Scouting the RedHawks: Miami (Ohio) enters tonight's game with a 10-16 record and is 5-8 in MAC play. The RedHawks are 2-8 on the road, including 2-5 against MAC opponents.
Three players are scoring in double figures, including Eric Washington (14.0 ppg), Geovonie McKnight (11.0 ppg) and Will Sullivan (10.5 ppg). Sullivan is the team's leading rebounder (4.3 rpg).
News, Notes and Storylines
- Akron concludes its two-game home stand on Saturday when it plays host to Miami (Ohio).
- The Zips are coming off a 68-66 loss to Toledo on Wednesday. The Zips lost on a last-second shot by Julius Brown (1.7 remaining).
- UA has turned the ball over 10.0 times per game over the last four contests while forcing 13.8 turnovers per game (+3.8).
- Akron has hit eight or more 3-pointers in 21 games this season. The Zips are 14-7 when they make at least eight long balls in a contest. Akron is second in the Mid-American Conference and 10th nationally in 3-pointers made per game (9.3). Akron has made 54 3-pointers over the last five games, going 54-of-140 (.386).
- The Zips have posted a 30-11 mark (.732) in the last 41 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule.
- UA is 57-26 (.687) in the month of February under 11th-year head coach Keith Dambrot.
- The UA defense is holding opponents to 44.7 percent shooting from inside the arc, 70th nationally. The Zips are holding opponents to just 0.952 points per possession, 81st nationally.
- Akron is winning the turnover battle so far this season. The Zips have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents in 18 games. The Zips have forced 364 turnovers, converting them into 411 points (15.8 ppg).
What You May Not Know About the Series
- Of the 52 meetings between these two programs, the winning team has scored 55 or fewer points on 17 occasions, including Akron's 54-50 win at Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 9, 2013, with Akron holding a 10-7 advantage.
- Only four times in the series has both teams scored 65-plus points in the same game.
On the Line vs. Miami (Ohio)
- A win would the 12th-straight at Rhodes Arena for the Zips against the RedHawks.
- An Akron win will guarantee the Zips are no worse than one game behind the four teams tied atop the MAC standings (Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State and Toledo).
Odds and Ends
- Akron is 16-0 this season when leading with 5:00 to go in a game.
- The Zips are 7-2 when Kwan Cheatham, Jr., scores at least 10 points, including 6-2 this year.
- Eleven of Akron's 14 players have posted at least one game with 10 or more points. Ten of those players have scored 13 or more points at least once this season.
- The Zips have seven players with at least 21 made 3-pointers this season.
- Deji Ibitayo has more double-figure scoring performances in his last 33 games (17) than he had in his previous 60 games (5).
- UA has at least one blocked shot in 58-straight and 110 of the last 111 games. Additionally, Akron has blocked multiple shots in 109 of those 110 games.
- For the first time in program history, the Zips played two-consecutive games decided by one point (69-68 win at Bowling Green, Jan. 31; 83-82 loss at Ohio, Feb. 4).
MAC Play Notes
- Akron is 84-39 in the regular season against the West Division (.683), including winners of 27 of the last 33 regular-season contests, since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season [57-18 under head coach Keith Dambrot (.760)].
- The Zips have posted a 30-11 mark (.732) in the last 41 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 4-1 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch.
- UA is 48-19 (.716) against MAC opponents in the month of February under Dambrot, including a 33-6 record at Rhodes Arena (.846).
- Akron is 34-6 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.850).
- UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season. Akron is 127-52 overall (.709), including a 77-13 mark in MAC play at home (.856). The Zips' 127 wins are the most in the league during that stretch.
- The Zips have won 47 of their last 63 regular-season MAC games (.746).
Looking Ahead: Akron travels to Buffalo on Tuesday, Feb. 24, to face the Bulls at Alumni Arena. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air live on ESPN3. The Zips downed Buffalo, 75-72, at Rhodes Arena on Feb. 7.
