The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
11-2
Lipscomb
4-13
Akron Outlasts Lipscomb for Eighth Straight Victory, 80-73
January 02 | Men's Basketball
Follow Akron Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram | Follow Coach Dambrot on Twitter
AKRON, Ohio – In Akron's final non-conference game, Lipscomb challenged the Zips for 40 minutes, but the Zips played poised basketball in the final minutes to win its eighth straight game, 80-73, over the Bisons on Saturday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Akron Zips improve to 11-2 with the win while the Bisons fall to 4-13 overall. Akron's 11-2 overall record marks the best start for the Zips in the Keith Dambrot time here and the Zips' best start in the Division I era – In the 1986-87 season, under head coach Bob Huggins, Akron started 10-2.
Junior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore guard Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nevada) scored a team-high 20 points each. Robotham's 20-point performance was a career high and grabbed a second-best six rebounds with five assists. Johnson added five rebounds and blocked three shots while sophomore guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) rounded out the three Zips to score in double figures with 10 points, and a career-high eight assists.
Lipscomb had three players turn in double-digit efforts in the points column. J.C. Hampton scored a game-high 21 points. Wishon Brett added 12 and Garrison Mathews chipped in 10.
Akron shot an efficient 39.4 percent (26-of-66) from the field and shot better from distance at 13-of-32 (40.6 percent). The Bison shot at 39.7 percent clip in the bout connecting on 27-of-68 shots from the floor, and shot 32.4 percent from the perimeter (11-of-34)
The Zips missed three of their first four shots to begin the contest and found themselves down 6-2 early. Johnson worked the post for two and Jackson and Robotham found the bottom of the net from the perimeter as the Zips went on an 8-2 run to reclaim the lead, 10-6.Â
Lipscomb knotted up the game at 22 with 7:59 to play in the first half. The Bisons went on an 8-2 run of their own with all four baskets coming from lay-ups. At that point in the game, Lipscomb outscored Akron 14-4 in the paint.Â
After letting the Bisons back into the ball game, the Zips stepped up offensively to extend their lead to nine. Johnson, junior forward Kwan Cheatham (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jackson led a 10-1 run for Akron including five points from Johnson.
In the closing minutes of the half, the Bisons cut the Akron lead to as little as five points but at the final whistle, the Zips lead 36-29. After being outscored in the paint by 10 points midway through the half, the Zips trailed just 14-12 inside.
Two minutes into the second half, the Bisons again found themselves squared with the Zips at 36 all. Lipscomb opened up the second half with a 7-0 run before taking their first lead of the game, 42-39, since the 15:56 mark of the first half on a three-pointer from Wishon.
Sophomore guard Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) sparked an Akron comeback to reclaim the lead from the Bison at the 12:30 mark. Ivey stole the ball at the defensive end and took it all the way down the court and finished with a massive slam dunk. The next possession, Ivey again stole the ball, dished it to Jackson who cut to the basket and completed a three point play to give the Zips a 47-45 lead.
Johnson rattled in seven straight and nine of 11 points for the Zips down inside the paint and from the charity stripe to preserve and extend the Akron lead, 61-56, with 5:31 to play.
In the final four minutes of play, Lipscomb trailed by as little as four points and the game looked as if it would be close until the end. But the Zips offense stepped up, extended its lead to 11 and finished with the seven point victory.
The Akron basketball team will begin Mid-American Conference play on Tue., Jan 5, traveling to Buffalo for the MAC opener. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the action on American Sports Network, ESPN3, GoZips.com (live stats), or by Zips' radio broadcast on Akron-IMG Sports Network available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.Â
