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Buffalo
Men's Basketball Downs Buffalo, 75-72, to Take Share of MAC East Lead
February 07 | Men's Basketball
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AKRON, Ohio – Five Zips score in double-figures as Akron won its eighth-straight game at James A. Rhodes Arena, downing the Buffalo Bulls, 75-72, on Saturday night.
With 13 seconds remaining, Buffalo brought the ball up the court trailing by three. Lamonte Bearden was able to get a 3-point shot off that went to long. Jarryn Skeete grabbed a long offensive rebound and put up a prayer that fell short to give Akron the victory.
Jake Kretzer led the way for Akron with 13 points, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc to go with two rebounds and two steals. Pat Forsythe added 11 points, three rebounds and a blocked shot. Kwan Cheatham, Jr., Noah Robotham and Isaiah Johnson added 10 points each.
Akron (16-7, 7-3 MAC) shot 46.3 percent from the field (25-of-54) and 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from long range en route to the victory. Buffalo (15-7, 6-4 MAC) closed the game shooing 45.9 percent from the field (28-of-61), but just 23.5 percent from beyond the arc (4-of-17).
Xavier Ford had a game-high 22 points and recorded a double-double to lead the Bulls (10 rebounds). Justin Moss scored 21 points and had six rebounds before fouling out late in the second half. Shannon Evans added another 13 points and four assist.
Akron and Buffalo started the game playing aggressive basketball, making it difficult to get a good look at the basket. The Zips and Bulls would exchange baskets back-and-forth for the first five minutes of the game. Kretzer subbed in to the game and hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give Akron a 9-7 lead at the 15:32 mark.
The Zips would start to find some offensive rhythm half way through the first half to go on an 11-2 run, capped off by a Johnson put-back tip off an Antino Jackson missed lay-up. Akron would lead, 20-11, with 12:24 to play in the first half.
The Bulls went on a 16-3 scoring run of their own to regain the lead, 27-24. Buffalo forced a turnover at half court and Bearden found Ford wide-open for the lay-up at the 8:09 mark.
The momentum quickly switched in favor of the Zips as they took the lead 35-33 at the five-minute mark when Nyles Evans completed a 9-3 run with a 3-pointer at the top of the arc.
The lead would change three more times before Buffalo would take a 43-41 lead into the locker room.
Forsythe and Cheatham opened up the second half shooting 3-of-3 with a pair of lay-ups and 3-pointer to give Akron a 48-43 lead. Buffalo would hit its next three shots to tie the game at 50 at the 16:36 mark.
Kretzer connected on back-to-back 3-pointers – his second and third of the contest – to extend the Akron lead to seven (58-65) with 10:08 to play in the second half.
Akron held the lead for the last 16 minutes of the second half. Buffalo would cut the lead to one, three times, with Akron leading by as many as nine in the first half and eight in the second half.
The Zips play host to rival Kent State at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the first game of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air live on Time Warner Cable SportChannel and ESPN3.
Zips Notebook: Cleveland Cavaliers forward and Akron native LeBron James was in attendance at tonight's game ... Akron had five players score in double figures for the first time this season and for the first time since Dec. 2, 2014, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff ... the Zips are now 21-4 against Buffalo in Akron.
