The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
17-4 (6-2MAC)
Ball State
13-8 (4-4MAC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 39 | 34 | 73 |
| Ball State | 28 | 36 | 64 |
Zips' Strong Performance Leads to a 73-64 Win Over Ball State
January 30 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Akron men's basketball team used a 14-0 run and 52-percent shooting performance en route to a 73-64 Mid-American Conference win over Ball State on Saturday at Worthen Arena. The Zips have won four straight games, improving to 17-4 overall and 6-2 in MAC play while BSU fell to 13-8 and 4-4 in league play.
The Zips lead by 11 points by halftime, 39-28, however the Cardinals battled back in the second half to pull within three points, 56-53. At the 9:32 mark. the Zips stepped up the defensive pressure and held BSU scoreless for more than seven minutes while exploding for 14 unanswered points.
Junior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) started the run by splitting a pair of free throws on consecutive trips down the floor. After Akron secured a third defensive rebound, Johnson was fouled, again, driving through the lane, but this time he made the shot and converted the 3-point play. Senior Jake Kretzer (Bainbridge, Ohio) and sophomore Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nev.) followed with back-to-back triples while sophomore Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) capped the scoring outburst with a drive down the lane.
With 1:44 left to play, BSU finally found the bottom of the net when Sean Sellers buried a long range jumper. Akron answered at the opposite end of the floor as senior Pat Forsythe (Brunswick, Ohio) used a strong post move for a bucket.
The Cardinals connected from long distance on back-to-back possessions, but the Zips' lead was too much to overcome as Kretzer buried two free throws to put the game away.
The Zips distributed the basketball evenly, accumulating 18 assists while draining 26 field goals on 50 attempts. Akron went 10-of-24 from downtown for a 41.7 percent effort. Meanwhile, BSU also had the hot hand, shooting 24-of-49 from the field (.510), including a 12-of-25 effort from deep (.480).
The difference in the game appeared to be on the defensive side of the ball and at the free throw line. Akron caused 18 turnovers and collected 10 steals while cashing in on 11-of-15 from the charity stripe. The Cardinals connected with 2-of-5 bonus buckets and had seven steals on 15 UA turnovers.
The Zips won the battle of the boards 29-22.
The Zips had three players score in double figures, led by senior Reggie McAdams (Elida, Ohio). McAdams poured in 15 points on 50-percent shooting from all areas of the floor. He was 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc while grabbing career-high eight rebounds. Jackson followed with 14 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe while Johnson recorded 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Kretzer and Robotham chipped in eight points apiece while Forsythe and Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio) each had seven points.
Robotham issued a team-high seven assists while Kretzer and sophomore Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) followed with three each.
Jeremie Tyler and Bo Calhoun led the Cardinals with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday, Feb. 2, traveling to Athens, Ohio to play the East Division rival Ohio Bobcats. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. ET. and will be televised on Time Warner Cable and ESPN3. Fans can also follow the action on 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.
