The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Men's Basketball Battles Buffalo Tonight for Spot in MAC Title Game
March 13 | Men's Basketball
Follow Akron Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram | Follow Coach Dambrot on Twitter
Akron vs. Buffalo Game Notes in PDF Format
MAC Tournament Central | MAC Tournament Bracket
Game Day Coverage:
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn)
Follow Free Live Statistics
Watch Free Video Stream
#7 Akron (21-13) vs. #2 Buffalo (20-9)
Friday, March 13, 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-Buffalo Series: Akron leads the all-time series 30-23, with the Zips winning two of the last three meetings. Akron is 1-0 against Buffalo in the MAC Tournament, with the only meeting coming on March 14, 2009, a 65-53 win in the MAC Title Game. The win was Akron's first tournament title.
Scouting the Bulls: Buffalo enters tonight's game with a 20-9 record and is the No. 2 seed, earning a bye to the semifinals. The Bulls closed the regular season having won five-straight games.
Justin Moss leads the team in points (18.3) and rebounds (9.4) per game. Shannon Evans (15.4 ppg) is the only other player scoring in double figures.
News, Notes and Storylines
- Akron continues MAC Tournament play on Friday against Buffalo.
- The Zips are coming off a 53-51 win over Kent State in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament.
- Akron is 23-7 in the MAC Tournament under head coach Keith Dambrot, going 17-3 in its last 20 tournament games.
- In 11 years under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year.
- With the win over Kent State, the Zips became just the fifth program in the nation to win at least 21 games in each of the last 10 seasons (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State).
- In the MAC Tournament, Akron is 5-6 in the opening round (4-0 under Dambrot), 1-0 in the second round (all under Dambrot), 8-2 in the third round (8-1 under Dambrot), 7-2 in the Semifinals (all under Dambrot) and 3-4 in the Championship game (all under Dambrot).
- Akron is 22-8 when playing in Cleveland under coach Dambrot, including a 20-7 record at Quicken Loans Arena.
- Akron has hit eight or more 3-pointers in 26 games this season. The Zips are 17-9 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 (9.4).
What You May Not Know About the Series
- Akron and Buffalo have faced each other twice in the post season, including the 1965 NCAA Division II Mideast Regional (W, 69-58) and the 2009 MAC title game (W, 65-53).
- The Zips are the last team to post a road winning streak in the series (2-0, 2008-09). In fact, there have only been two road winning streaks in the series, both posted by Akron (3-0, 1977-78 and 1998).
- The winning team has scored at least 70 points in nine of the last 12 games in the series.
On the Line vs. Buffalo
- An Akron win will advance the Zips to Saturday's Championship Game of the MAC Tournament and a meeting with either Toledo or Central Michigan.
- A victory will give Akron a spot in the title game for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Odds and Ends
- Akron is 20-0 this season when leading with 5:00 to go in a game.
- The UA defense is holding opponents to 43.9 percent shooting from inside the arc, 43rd nationally. The Zips are holding opponents to just 0.952 points per possession, 74th 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 41 games (19) than he had in his previous 60 games (5).
- UA has at least one blocked shot in 66-straight and 118 of the last 119 games. Additionally, Akron has blocked multiple shots in 117 of those 118 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, passing the 2007-08 squad (294). Akron has made 321 long balls this season.
- 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 are making their 18th appearance in the MAC Tournament, posting a 24-14 record in 38 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 before this season.
- In the MAC Tournament, the No. 7 seed is 35-35 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 three of four years, including the Zips this season.
- 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.
- The Zips have 23 wins in the MAC Tournament since 2005, the most of any program in the league.
- Twelve active players on the roster have played in the MAC Tournament, combining to play in 42 tournament games.
Looking Ahead
- With a win, Akron will advance to the Championship Game of the MAC Tournament and would face either Toledo or Central Michigan on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
- With a loss, the Zips will wait to hear its named called for one of the postseason tournaments.
