The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Western Michigan in MAC Tournament Second Round
March 10 | Men's Basketball
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Akron vs. Western Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format
MAC Tournament Central | MAC Tournament Bracket
Game Day Coverage:
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#7 Akron (19-13) vs. #6 Western Michigan (20-12)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 • 9:00 p.m. ET
Quicken Loans Arena (20,562)
Cleveland, Ohio
Television: TWCS and ESPN3.
Webcast and Live Stats: Available at GoZips.com – webcast (free for home games only) and live statistics.
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 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Akron-Western Michigan Series: The Zips lead the overall series, 24-19, and are 5-2 in the MAC Tournament against the Broncos, 4-2 on a neutral court. Akron swept the regular-season series, winning 72-52 in Akron on Jan. 6 and 71-69 in Kalamazoo on Jan. 24. The Zips have won 14 of the last 17 in the series.
Scouting the Broncos: Western Michigan enters tonight's contest with a 20-12 record and is coming off an 82-74 home win over Ohio in the opening round of the MAC Tournament.
Four Broncos are averaging double figures, including David Brown (15.7 ppg), Connar Tava (12.6 ppg), Tucker Haymond (12.1 ppg) and Austin Richie (10.3 ppg). Tava leads the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg).
News, Notes and Storylines
- Akron continues MAC Tournament on Tuesday against Western Michigan.
- The Zips are coming off a 76-52 win over Northern Illinois to open MAC Tournament play.
- Akron is 21-7 in the MAC Tournament under head coach Keith Dambrot, going 15-3 in its last 18 tournament games.
- In 11 years under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year.
- Keith Dambrot earned career win No. 250 as head coach of the Zips on Monday (250-120).
- In the MAC Tournament, Akron is 5-6 in the opening round (4-0 under Dambrot), 0-0 in the second round, 7-2 in the third round (7-1 under Dambrot), 7-2 in the Semifinals (all under Dambrot) and 3-4 in the Championship game (all under Dambrot).
- Akron is 20-8 when playing in Cleveland under coach Dambrot, including a 18-7 record at Quicken Loans Arena.
- Akron has hit eight or more 3-pointers in 25 games this season. The Zips are 16-9 when they make at least eight long balls in a contest. Akron is second in the Mid-American Conference and eighth nationally in 3-pointers made per game (9.5).
- The UA bench has dominated the last 11 games, out-scoring the opposition, 356-124 (32.4 ppg vs. 11.3 ppg, +21.1 ppg).
What You May Not Know About the Series
- Akron and Western Michigan have met in the MAC Tournament six times since 2004-05, with the Zips owning a 4-2 record.
- Akron and Western Michigan have combined to win four of the last six MAC Championships.
- The meeting will include two coaches with at least 220 wins as a MAC coach (Dambrot, 270; Hawkins, 224).
On the Line vs. Western Michigan
- An Akron win will advance the Zips to Thursday's third round of the MAC Tournament and a rubber match with neighborhood rival Kent State.
- A victory will give Akron a spot in the quarterfinals for the ninth time overall and eighth time in the last 11 years (Akron advanced straight to the semifinals in 2012 and 2013).
- A victory will give the Zips 20 wins for the 10th-straight season, becoming one of just nine programs to do so.
Odds and Ends
- Akron is 18-0 this season when leading with 5:00 to go in a game.
- The UA defense is holding opponents to 44.3 percent shooting from inside the arc, 50th nationally. The Zips are holding opponents to just 0.960 points per possession, 91st nationally.
- 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.
- The Zips have seven players with at least 30 made 3-pointers this season.
- Deji Ibitayo has more double-figure scoring performances in his last 39 games (19) than he had in his previous 60 games (5).
- UA has at least one blocked shot in 64-straight and 116 of the last 117 games. Additionally, Akron has blocked multiple shots in 115 of those 116 games.
- Of Akron's 13 losses, 10 have been by seven points or less, eight have been by five points or less, and six have been by just one possession (three points or less).
- Thanks to 14 3-pointers against Northern Illinois on March 9, the Zips broke the single-season school record for 3-pointers made (304), passing the 2007-08 squad (294).
- 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).
- Freshman guard Noah Robotham will miss the rest of the 2014-15 season after tearing his right ACL vs. Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 21.
- Head coach Keith Dambrot was named the 19th-best college coach for the money in 2014 by Forbes Magazine.
MAC Tournament Notes
- The Zips will be making their 18th appearance in the MAC Tournament, posting a 22-14 record in 36 games.
- Two of Akron's three MAC Tournament Championships have come without receiving a bye (No. 5 seed, 2009; No. 6 seed, 2011).
- The Zips are one of three teams to play in Cleveland at the MAC Tournament in each of the last 11 seasons (Buffalo, Western Michigan).
- Akron has never played a MAC Tournament game as the No. 7 seed.
- In the MAC Tournament, the No. 7 seed is 33-35 overall. The No. 7 seed has advanced to seven MAC Title Games, twice when playing three games to reach the championship game (Toledo, 2006; Buffalo, 2005). In the current MAC Tournament format, the No. 7 seed has won at least two games in two of three years.
- The Zips have appeared in seven MAC Title Games in the last eight years. Only Gonzaga (8) has made more conference title games in the last eight years, playing in 17-straight WCC Championship contests.
Looking Ahead
- With a win, Akron will advance to the third round of the MAC Tournament and would face Kent State on Thursday, March 12. Tip off would be 30 minutes following the first game of the first game (approximately 9 p.m. ET).
- With a loss, the Zips will wait to hear its named called for one of the postseason tournaments.
