The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
16-4 (5-2MAC)
Northern Illinois
16-4 (5-2MAC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois | 31 | 35 | 66 |
| Akron | 30 | 46 | 76 |
Zips Knock Down West Division Leader in an Electrifying Atmosphere
January 26 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – Junior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the Akron men's basketball team through an intense battle with Northern Illinois, as the Zips defeated the West Division leaders, 76-66, in front of an electric crowd at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday night.
With the win, the Zips remain an undefeated 10-0 at home, improving to 16-4 overall and 5-2 in MAC play while the Huskies drop to 16-4 and 5-2 MAC in the league.
Cheatham led the Zips in scoring with 18 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. Junior Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) scored 13 points apiece and sophomore Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nevada) rounded out the Zips scoring with 11 points.
Marshawn Wilson led the Huskies in scoring with 15 points off of the bench, with Travon Baker and Aaric Armstead scoring 10 points each.
For the game, Akron shot 43.2 percent (19-for-44), and hit 74.3 percent (26-for-35) of their shots from the charity stripe. Akron buried 12 three pointers in the contest, shooting 38.7 percent. The Huskies shot 41.4 percent (24-for-58) from the field while hitting 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from the free throw line. Northern Illinois shot 34.8 percent (8-for-23) from outside.
The Zips and Huskies opened the contest with strong defensive efforts, with both teams struggling to find a groove offensively. After the first nine minutes of play, the score was tied at seven, and Northern Illinois was called for eight team fouls while the Zips were whistled for five.
After struggling to find the bottom of the net, Cheatham gave the Zips a 17-16 lead after burying a three-pointer, and Robotham followed suit with a triple of his own to give Akron a 20-16 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the first half.
Robotham continued his hot shooting from behind the arc, hitting another three, giving the Zips a 25-19 lead; however, Northern Illinois closed the gap with a quick 4-0 run of their own. A 3-point bucket by Kretzer and two free throws from Cheatham kept the Zips ahead 30-24 with 4 minutes remaining.
The Huskies used a 7-0 run in the final two and a half minutes to take a 31-30 lead into the halftime break. Northern Illinois and Akron were called for a total of 21 fouls, 13 and 8, respectively. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half, with Northern Illinois hitting 38.7 percent of their shots and Akron connecting on 34.8 percent of their attempts.
After just nine combined points in first five minutes of the second half, Kretzer nailed a three from the corner to regain the lead for the Zips. Akron followed with a 7-0 run fueled by a Kretzer three-pointer and a strip by sophomore guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) that resulted in two freebies from the charity stripe, 45-39.
Northern Illinois answered the Zips' run with six unanswered points, tying the game 45-45 at the 11:05 mark. Senior wing Reggie McAdams (Elida, Ohio) answered by connecting from deep in the corner to put the Zips ahead by three with just under 10 minutes to play.
After five back-and-forth minutes, Akron jumped out to a 60-56 lead after a three from Cheatham. Jackson added a bonus bucket and drilled a 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock expired to put the Zips ahead by 10 points with 1:26 remaining in the game.
The Zips maintained the lead in the final minute of the game with Jackson hitting four free throws to secure the Zips victory.
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference play against West Division rivals, Ball State on Saturday, Jan 30 in Muncie, Ind. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on ESPN3 oron GoZips.com via live stats or by Zips' radio broadcast on Akron-IMG Sports Network available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.
