Akron Defeats Chicago State, 87-46

Friday, November 16

Akron, OH

7:00 pm

University of Akron

3-0

Chicago State

0-5

Chicago State

Akron Zips

November 16 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Post Game Press Conference

AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips men's basketball team defeated Chicago State 87-46 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday night to collect their third win of the season before departing for the Cayman Islands Basketball Classic at Grand Cayman Island.

The Zips three-game run to open the season tied the 2015-16 team for best start to a season in Akron's Division I era. That team won 13-of-15 games which was the best opening to a season in Akron basketball's Division I era.

Every player on the Zips bench touched the scoring column as junior Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.) posted a career-high 17 points on an impressive 75.0 percent, 6-of-8 shooting effort from the floor and a 3-of-4 (.750) performance from downtown.

Junior Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) and senior Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) completed the double-digit scorers with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Sophomore Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) and junior Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) went for eight and five, while six Zips tallied four points each – junior Deng Riak (Melbourne, Australia), junior Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.), sophomore Jaden Sayles (Cincinnati, Ohio), sophomore Mark Kostelac (Cleveland, Ohio), sophomore Jeremy Roscoe (Chicago, Ill.), freshman Scott Walter (Akron, Ohio).

Sophomore LePear Toles (Canton, Ohio) and freshman Jake Fischer (Columbus, Ohio) chipped in three points and junior Marquelle McIntyre (Greensboro, N.C.) had one point.

The Cougars were paced by Rob Shaw with 12 points, followed by Christian Jacob 11 points. Chicago State slightly outrebounded Akron 38-36, and the Zips won the turnover battle 14-20.

Riak opened the game with two made free throws for Akron, and Chicago State answered with a layin for the game's only tie at 2-2. The Zips responded with a 17-2 run, sparked by two charity buckets and a layup from Banks, and a barrage of shots followed. Utomi and Roscoe added four points each, while Jackson connected from deep and Ivey scored in the paint. At the 11:27 mark, the Zips led 19-4.

After a Cougar layin, the Zips used an 8-3 run to get more separation on the scoreboard, and after two-minutes of trading buckets, Akron closed the half with a 10-0 surge for a 39-13 lead at halftime.

Utomi scored 11 first-half points and Banks followed with six. Jackson and Roscoe added five and four points, respectively, while Ivey, Cheese and Olojakpoke chipped in three points apiece. The Zips held a 23-19 edge on the glass.
After the break, the Zips came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders as six of Akron's first nine field goals were from beyond the 3-point arc. The Zips used a 24-8 run for a 40-point advantage at the 13:32 mark, 63-23. During that stretch Banks knocked down three trifectas, while Utomi, Ivey and Jackson each added one.

Akron maintained the large lead until the final buzzer sounded, defeating Chicago State 87-46.

The Zips are scheduled to depart from Akron to the Grand Cayman Islands on Saturday, Nov. 17 for the second annual Cayman Islands Basketball Classic. The Zips will play three games in three days as Akron is scheduled to open against No. 19 ranked Clemson Tigers in Game 1 on Monday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. ET. Fans can follow the action live on GoZips.com via live stats and Zips radio network or the tournament can be viewed on Facebook live