Akron Sweeps Homestand with an 18-Point Win Over Mississippi Valley State, 81-63

Saturday, December 16

Akron, Ohio

2 p.m.

University of Akron

6-2

Mississippi Valley State

0-10

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY S

AKRON

Akron Sweeps Homestand with an 18-Point Win Over Mississippi Valley State, 81-63

December 16 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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AKRON, Ohio – Playing at home for the last time in the next 13 days, the Akron Zips (6-2) made the most of their homecourt edge, bursting from the starting gate and defeating visiting Mississippi Valley State 81-63 Saturday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Sophomore guard Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) tallied a game-high 23 points and added seven rebounds as four players scored in double figures while Akron outrebounded the Devils 43-32. Graduate transfer Malcolm Duvivier (Toronto, Ontario) followed with 14 points for the Zips, while junior guard Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) and sophomore forward Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) added 11 points in the win. Olojakpoke led the Zips on the glass with nine rebounds.

The Zips led by as many as 22 and never saw their lead dip below double digits after the 12:22 mark of the first half.

Akron trailed for just 1:44 on the clock and took the lead for good on a layup by Utomi with 16:29 remaining in the first half. With Ivey spearheading an early long-range shooting barrage, the hosts made 5-of-9 from 3-point range in the game's first 10 minutes to build a double-digit lead and were never threatened the rest of the way.

Mississippi Valley State (0-10) tried to slow the Zips using half-court pressure and trapping, but Akron's ball handlers were able to slice through the press and make pinpoint passes that led to a series of easy baskets in the early going.

The lead swelled to as many as 20 before intermission, with Utomi and Ivey combining for 18 in the opening period as Akron shot 51.9 percent (14-of-27) and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-14). For the game, the Zips were 12-of-28 (42.9 percent) from long distance. Defensively, they recorded nine steals, including three each for Utomi and Duvivier, and held Mississippi Valley State to 23-of-63 (36.5 percent) shooting, including just 1-of-12 (8.3 percent) 3-point marksmanship.

The 63 points were the second-lowest total allowed this season by Akron defensively, bested only by the 59 they surrendered in a home win over UT-Martin on Nov. 18.

The Devils made a run to begin the second half, outscoring the Zips 7-2 to open the period before a 3-pointer from the wing by Duvivier stemmed the tide and pushed Akron's lead back to 15 at 47-32.

A second long ball by Ivey moments later restored the lead to 19, and the Devils never cut it below 17 points the rest of the way, with 11 different players seeing time on the court in the lopsided victory.

Akron is back in action on Dec. 22 in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they will face USC at 7:30 p.m. EST in the Hawaii Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The game can be seen on ESPNU and heard at 1350-AM.