Akron Travels to Buffalo for Final Regular Season Road Trip

Tuesday, February 27

Buffalo, NY

7 p.m.

University of Akron

Buffalo

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Akron Travels to Buffalo for Final Regular Season Road Trip

February 26 | Men's Basketball

Akron Zips (12-16, 5-11) at Buffalo Bulls (21-8, 13-3)
Tuesday, Feb. 27 • Alumni Arena • Buffalo, N.Y. • 7 PM ET • ESPN3

Buffalo Head Coach
Nate Oats (Maranatha Baptist '98)
Overall Record: 58-38 (3rd Season)
Record at UB: 58-38 (3rd Season)
MAC Record: 34-23 (3rd Season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 192-147 (10th Season)
Record at Akron: 12-16 (First Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 5-11 (First Season)
Overall MAC Record: 39-41 (at Ohio and Akron)

Broadcast
TV/Video: ESPN3 – Paul Peck (PxP) and Amy Audibert (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips

What's Ahead
The Akron Zips travel to Buffalo, N.Y. for their final regular-season road game to battle the Buffalo Bulls at Alumni Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The rematch is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. ET. and round two will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Paul Peck calling the action and Amy Audibert providing analysis.

Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats or by Zips' radio. The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) with Steve French calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest on a free audio stream at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.

The Akron-Buffalo Series
Tuesday's game marks the 61st meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 11th meeting for a Groce coached squad, second at Akron. Akron holds an all-time 33-27 series advantage while Groce is 5-5 overall and 0-1 at Akron.

Akron fell 87-65 in the first meeting this season at James A. Rhodes Arena. The Zips swept the regular season series the last two years, winning four of the last six meetings. Last season, Akron defeated Buffalo 89-83 at Alumni Arena and 91-90 at James A. Rhodes Arena. During the 2015-16 season, the Zips claimed a 75-71 (Jan. 5) on the road and 80-70 (Feb. 16) at home. However, Akron fell 64-61 to the Bulls in the 2016 MAC Championship game at Quicken Loans Arena. Akron owns a 6-4 record over the last three seasons as the Bulls won 2-of-3 meetings in 2014-15, including a 68-59 win on March 19 in the semifinal game of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. The Zips are 1-2 against the Bulls in the MAC Tournament all-time.

Scouting the Bulls
Buffalo enters the contest with a 21-8 overall record, including a league-best 13-3 record in MAC play. The Bulls rattled off eight straight league wins to open MACtion, falling to Kent State on the road, 82-79. They bounced back with a pair of wins before dropping their second game at Northern Illinois, 90-88, in overtime. The Bulls have won the last 3-of-4 MAC games, including a 108-82 win against Ohio. Buffalo is 13-1 (8-0 MAC) at home, 7-5 (5-3 MAC) on the road, and 1-2 at neutral sites this season.

Four players are currently averaging double figures for the Bulls, led by C.J. Massinburg with 17.0 points per outing. He is shooting 46.6 percent from the floor (158-of-339), and 39.4 percent from long range with 69 made 3-point field goals (69-of-175). Massinburg also leads the squad at the free throw line (108-of-146, .740) and on the glass (220 rebs, 7.6 rebs/g). In addition, he is second in steals (33) and third in assists (73).

Nick Perkins is second in team scoring with 16.8 points per game. He makes 48.2 percent of his shots (175-of-363) with 31 made 3-pointers (31-of-92, .337). He ranks second on the team in rebounds (179), pulling down 6.2 per game.

Jeremy Harris follows with 15 points per game. Almost half of Harris' shots come from long distance as he buried a team-high 74 trifectas with 158 total field goals made.He shoots 46.5 from the floor and 42.0 from deep.

Wes Clark rounds out the double-digit scoring with 14.9 points per night on 46.5 percent shooting (100-of-215). In 19 games, Clark has drained 35 long-distance shots (35-of-90, 389), dished out 107 assists, and swiped 24 passes. Davonta Jordan leads the Bulls with 124 assists and adds 7.7 ppg.

Defensively, Buffalo allows opponents to score 77.2 points a night on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.1 percent from deep with 6.8 triples per game. The Bulls caused 409 turnovers (14.1 tpg) while collecting 171 steals (5.9 stl/g) and 109 blocked shots (3.8 blk/g). On the glass, Buffalo outrebounds its opponents 1126-1060 for a +2.3 margin.

Rebounding after a Loss
Since the start of the 2004-05 season, the Zips have been one of best teams in the nation when it comes to rebounding after a loss. Excluding season-ending losses, Akron is 99-42 (.702) following a loss. During this run, Akron has only posted 31 losing streaks. In fact, of those 31 losing streaks, 18 have been just two games and 23 have consisted of two or more games on the road (road/neutral site). This season, Akron posted its first four-game winless streak in over a decade. The last time Akron lost, five-in-a-row was Jan. 5-19, 2002, under former head coach Dan Hipsher. Head coach John Groce is 7-8 following a loss at Akron, three 3-game skids and a 4-game setback.

Zips First Road Win
Akron is coming off its first road win of the season and the John Groce era after defeating Bowling Green 81-79 on February 20, 2018. Daniel Utomi led Akron with his ninth 20-plus scoring performance of the season with 29 points, while Jimond Ivey drained the go-ahead bucket with 11 seconds remaining in the game. Ivey finished with 12 points.

Last Time Out Against Buffalo
The Akron Zips weren't able to snap their two-game Mid-American Conference losing streak, falling 87-65 to the visiting Buffalo Bulls in the MAC home opener at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Freshman guard Virshon Cotton led the Zips' scoring with a career-high 23 points while adding two steals, two rebounds and an assist in 29 minutes off the bench. Junior guard Jimond Ivey added 16 points, including three of the team's six 3-pointers.

The Zips were ice cold at the outset, missing their first 12 field goal attempts, turning the ball over seven times, and falling behind 27-7 in the game's first 12-plus minutes.

Akron's first seven points all came from the foul line as they got into the bonus early. Freshman forward Jaden Sayles buried the first set of bonus buckets, while Cotton made three charity tosses and Sayles collected two more freebies to get the Zips on the board. A baseline jumper by freshman center Mark Kostelac broke Akron's drought from the field, but the Zips were unable to get closer than 15 points before intermission and trailed 38-17 at the break.

Seven of Buffalo's first 13 points came off Akron turnovers as the Bulls methodically built a double-digit edge that also included six second-chance points. Junior guards Jeremy Harris and C.J. Massinburg combined for nine early points to get Buffalo off to a strong start and the duo combined for 27 points on the night.

The bright spot in the opening 20 minutes for the hosts was strong defense beyond the arc, as they forced the Bulls into 1-of-16 shooting (6.3 percent) from 3-point range prior to the break. Buffalo was able to compensate for its errant marksmanship from long distance by controlling the paint, outrebounding the Zips 40-34 and recording a 44-12 edge on points in the paint.

The Zips were also able to get on track from behind the arc in the second half thanks in large part to Ivey's efforts and made 6-of-11 triples in the second stanza. Despite the improved shooting, the Zips weren't able to cut the margin to fewer than 24 points as Buffalo continued its strong inside play behind 17 points from junior forward Nick Perkins.

Behind Cotton's efforts, Akron received 38 points in bench scoring as four reserves recorded double-digit minutes. It was the first home loss of the season for the Zips, who won their first seven contests of the campaign at home.

Duvivier Scores 1,000 Career Points
Malcolm Duvivier scored his 1,000th point on Saturday, Feb. 17 against Kent State. He recorded a career-high 27 points against the Golden Flashes. During his three-year career at Oregon State, Duvivier scored 623 points for the Beavers. Currently, Duvivier has posted 410 points for Akron, bringing his career total to 1,033 points.

Zips Starting Lineup
With the losses of Emmanuel Olojakpoke (surgery) and Jaden Sayles (injury), the Zips have shuffled the lineup depending on the opponent's personnel. In fact, of the 10-player roster, eight Zips have been thrust into a starting role over the last few weeks. Duvivier, Ivey, and Utomi have started all 27 games to date, and they have been joined by Eric Parrish (18), Virshon Cotton (6), Torrey Patton (6), Mark Kostelac (7), and Lucas Smith (4).

Zips in the MAC
The Zips have posted a 48-27 mark (.640) in the last 75 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 5-2 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch. Akron is 100-47 in the regular season against the West Division (.680), including winners of 43 of the last 56 regular-season games since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season.

Akron is 52-13 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.800). UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 160-75 overall (.680), including a 97-20 mark in MAC play at home (.829). The Zips' 160 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 79 of their last 116 MAC games (.681).

Akron is 27-10 in the MAC Tournament in the last 12 seasons, going 21-6 in its last 27 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year and have made nine MAC Tournament title game appearances in the last 11 seasons with an unprecedented 12-straight semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of the consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 24-10 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Zips won 12 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season. However, the 2012-13 Zips won 19-straight games and rattled-off 13 consecutive league games during that run. Kent State owns the MAC regular season consecutive win record (21), and single-season record (17-1).

In 2016-17, the Akron Zips finished 14-4 in league play. Akron averaged 76.8 points per game in the MAC while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 36.7 from long distance with 10.0 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips averaged 14.8 assists (266), 10.7 turnovers per game (193), 5.8 steals (104), and 3.1 blocked shots (56), but were slightly outrebounded 604-615 in league play.

Home Sweet Home
Akron is 11-4 at Rhodes Arena under first-year head coach John Groce, who became the third Akron coach since 1940 to win his first six home games in his first season as head coach. The Zips rattled off seven straight wins at the JAR before falling in the MAC home opener to Buffalo.

The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA. In 34 seasons at the JAR, the Zips own a 391-121 (.764) all-time record, and in the last 13 seasons, Akron has posted a 184-26 (.879) record at the JAR.

Utomi Earns MAC East Player of the Week
Sophomore Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) earned Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week accolades after leading the Akron men's basketball team with two great performances during the week of Feb. 18-24, the league announced Monday.

Utomi led Akron to a 1-1 record last week by averaging 26.5 points per game, defeating Bowling Green 81-79 on the road and falling 64-62 in overtime against Miami at James A. Rhodes Arena. For the week, Utomi shot 54.8 percent from the field (17-of-31), 43.8 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (7-of-16), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (12-of-14). He averaged 3.5 rebounds (7) and 3.5 assists (7) per game while swiping 2.5 steals (5) on average.

Against the Falcons, Utomi scored 29 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the floor (8-of-13) that included a 4-of-7, 57.1-percent effort from downtown. He went 9-of-10 from the free throw line, dished out five assists, grabbed three rebounds, and secured three steals. Against Miami, he shot 50 percent from the floor (9-of-18 ) and 33.3 percent from deep (3-of-9) with a 3-of-4 effort from the charity stripe. Utomi added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

In the Spotlight
Sophomore wing Daniel Utomi opened the 2017-18 season as a starter and used the opportunity to lead the Zips to a season-opening win over Cleveland State with a (then) career-high 20 points. He topped that performance in the second game of the season, dropping 32 points and knocking down a career-best eight 3-pointers to lead Akron to a 76-59 win over UT Martin. Utomi is the only Zip to score double digits in 24 games with eight 20-plus point performances.

Utomi currently leads the team's scoring efforts with 16.3 points per game, shooting 43.7 percent from the floor (149-of-341) and 39.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc with 79 made triples (79-of-201). Currently, Utomi ranks 61st in the NCAA in 3-pointers per game (2.82), 73rd in 3-point FG made (79), 82nd in 3-point attempts (201), and 74th in 3-point FG percentage (.393).

Leading a Young Crew
The Akron Zips look to veteran leaders junior guard Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) and graduate transfer Malcolm Duvivier (Toronto, Ontario) to navigate through the 2017-18 campaign. Ivey, the only returning starter from last year's squad, has played 91 career games for the blue and gold, starting 52 of those contests. He earned a starting role last season and has averaged 10 points per game for two consecutive seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17).

In 2017-18, Ivey ranks third in scoring for Akron with 13.6 points per night and pulls down 5.7 rebounds per game (160). Ivey Leads in assists with 3.6 per outing (102). He set the all-time single-game scoring record with a career-high 48 points. He posted three double-doubles, most recently against Miami (2/24) with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Ivey scored 25 points against Davidson and followed with 24 points against Concord.

The other seasoned vet on the squad is a transfer from Oregon State. Duvivier played three seasons with the Beavers, accounting for 95 games played with 62 starting appearances. Over that three-year span, he averaged 23.85 minutes per game against some of the best competition in college basketball with 6.56 points, 2.03 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per night. As a sophomore, He scored 10.7 points per game. Only two additional Zips have appeared in more than 30 games for their collegiate careers.

In 2017-18, Duvivier averages 14.6 points with 3.0 assists per game (84 assists). Duvivier scored a career-high 27 points against Kent State in the same week he scored 26-points against Ball State, besting his 24-points against App State and Concord. He has scored in double figures in 20 games with six 20-plus performances, 21 points against Davidson and Western Michigan and 22 points against Miami. Against Concord, Duvivier hit a career-best seven triples and has made at least five 3-pointers in six games, including 6-5-7 three-straight game stretch. Duvivier has 77 made 3-pointers. Currently, Duvivier ranks 72nd in the NCAA in 3-pointers per game (2.75), 87th in 3-point FG made (77), 92nd in 3-point FG percentage (.379), and 77th in 3-point attempts (203).

IVEY Breaks Single-Game Scoring Record
Ivey became the all-time single-game scoring leader with a 48-point performance against Ball State (1/27), breaking the old mark by Joe Jakubick set on Feb. 5, 1983 against Murray State.

Ivey broke several records in the 111-106 double-overtime loss to Ball State at Worthen Arena. Ivey scored 48 points to set Akron's all-time single-game scoring record which stood for 35 years. He also broke Worthen Arena's all-time scoring mark of 41 points previously held by Bonzi Wells (Ball State, 1996) and Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan, 1998). Ivey's nine 3-pointers set an arena record and he tied the arena record for made field goals (15) set in 1992 by Xavier's Brian Grant.

Ivey was magnificent on both ends of the floor against the Cardinals, shooting 65.2 percent (15-of-23) from the field that included a 75 percent effort (9-of-12) from downtown. Ivey scored 34 points in regulation and registered seven points in each of the 5-minute overtime periods. He was 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a blocked shot in 49 minutes of work.

Top 3-Point Tandems in the Nation
1. Fetcher Magee (129) and Nathan Hoover (57) (Wofford)# 186
2. Kendall Stephens (104) and Caleb Martin (74) (Nevada) 178
3. Kendrick Nunn (121) and Martez Walker (54) (Oakland) 175
4. Markus Howard (86) and Andrew Rowsey (88) (Marquette)* 174
5. Jordan Barnes (110) and Brenton Scott (62) (Indiana State) 172
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (88) and Devonte' Graham (84) (Kansas) 172
Luwane Pipkins (94) and Carl Pierre (78) (UMass) 172
8. Tyler Nelson (84) and Ferron Flavors Jr. (81) (Fairfield) 165
Jonah Antonio (88) and Junior Robinson (77) (Mt. St. Mary's)^ 165
10. Marcus Burk (81) and Chris Clemons (78) (Campbell) 159
11. RJ Cole (96) and Charles Williams (61) (Howard) 157
J.T. Escobar (82) and Ivan Gandia-Rosa (75) (North Florida) 157
13. Shep Garner (87) and Tony Carr (68) (Penn State) 155
Kassius Robertson (86) and Jordan Barnett (69) (Missouri) 155
15. Trae Young (101) and Brady Manek (53) (Oklahoma) 154
16. Daniel Utomi (76) and Malcolm Duvivier (76) (Akron) 152
Gary Trent Jr. (77) and Grayson Allen (75) (Duke) 152
Connor Burchfield (81) and Matt Milon (71) (William & Mary) 152
19. Lance Tejada (76) and Pat Andree (75) (Lehigh) 151
Dakota Mathias (77) and Carsen Edwards (74) (Purdue) 151

#Please note, Wofford's, Trevor Stumpe also has 43 made threes on the year.
*Please note, Marquette's Sam Hauser also has 77 made threes on the year.
^Please note, Mount St. Mary's Greg Alexander also has 68 made threes on the year.
$Please note, Arizona State's Tra Holder also has 57 made threes on the year.
*Before games Friday, Feb. 23

Cotton's Career Week
During the week of Jan. 9, freshman guard Virshon Cotton led the Zips men's basketball team through a 1-1 week en route to lifting Akron to its first Mid-American Conference win by draining a game-winning 3-pointer against Bowling Green. Cotton led Akron's scoring effort in both games, scoring a career-high 23 points twice last week. For the week, Cotton scored 46 points (23 pts/g) on 11-of-19 (.579) shooting from the field and 6-of-11 (.545) from deep. He buried 18-of-22 (.818) free throws to go along with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Against Bowling Green, Cotton buried the game-winner from long distance with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation. He led Akron to an 80-78 victory with a career-high 23 points on 6-of-9 (.667) shooting from the floor which included a 5-of-7 (.714) performance from downtown. Cotton added a 6-of-7 (.857) effort from the free throw line to go along with three rebounds and three assists.

The Zips opened the week with an 87-65 loss to Buffalo as Cotton posted a team-high 23 points on 5-of-10 (.500) shooting from the field. Cotton made a career-best 15 trips to the free throw line and connected with a career-high 12 bonus buckets for an 80.0 percent showing from the charity stripe. He added two steals, two rebounds, and an assist.

E-MAN SHATTERS CAREER MARK
Sophomore frontcourt player Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) shattered his career-scoring record against Fort Wayne, pouring in 24 points in 25 minutes of work. E-Man erased his previous game-high scoring effort (11 points) by halftime, tossing in 14 points before the break. He continued to elevate his personal stat sheet by doubling his career field goals made and attempted. He knocked down 10 field goals, six more than his previous high, on 13 shot attempts, seven more than before, for a 77.0 shooting percentage. E-Man also made two more trips to the free throw line, burying career-best four freebies on six attempts. In addition, Olojakpoke tied his career-high blocked shot performance with four denials.

E-MAN Season Cut Short
On Wednesday morning (1/10), sophomore frontcourt player Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) received difficult news. Due to a medical condition that required surgery, Olojakpoke will miss the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Full details will be disclosed at a later date.

Statement from Akron Basketball head coach John Groce on Emmanuel Olojakpoke:
"Yesterday (1/10), Emmanuel Olojakpoke had successful open-heart surgery. He is resting and expecting a full recovery. We fully anticipate this recovery will require him to miss the remainder of the 2017-18 season. The Zips basketball family is committed to assisting E-Man in his return to full health. We ask to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Please allow E-Man and the entire Olojakpoke family the privacy they deserve at this time." #EManStrong

Groce Debuts with a WIN
Zips' head coach John Groce has spent over two decades on the sidelines of a basketball court as a coach and enters his 10th season as the lead man, but first at Akron. On April 6, 2017, Groce was named the 22nd head coach in Akron Basketball history.

For the last six and a half months, Groce has been preparing a young team for the new season. On Nov. 11, Groce and the Zips accomplished something that has only been done 10 times in Akron's history, debuting a coaching career with a win. Akron defeated Cleveland State 67-57 in Groce's Akron coaching debut to become the first coach since the 1984-85 season to win their initial game.

In fact, the last coach to start his Akron career with a win was Bob Huggins during the 1984-85 season against Western Illinois, 64-57. Prior to Huggins, six coaches were unsuccessful in accomplishing that feat since Thomas Dowler did so in 1939-40 against Franklin, 34-25.

The LeBron James Shoe Deal and Nike Apparel
Since June 2008, the Akron men's basketball program has been partnered with Nike under which the Zips' shoes, game uniforms, warm ups and accessories are licensed under the Nike and LeBron James Trademarks.

The Zips are just one of three college programs in the country that are partnered with the LBJ line of Nike equipment, the others are Ohio State and Duquesne. Akron rocks six pairs of LBJ kicks in three different styles all customized to Akron Basketball.

The Akron Zips men's basketball team have four different uniforms. The white (home) and blue (away) uniforms represent a reinvigorated pride in our University, our City, and Zips Athletics. The designs for both home and away were inspired by the "Pride of the City". The goal is to strengthen the pride for the University of Akron within the community.

The home uniforms are white with dark blue trim and accents, while the away are dark blue with white trim and accents. The "Pride of the UniverCity" uniforms display the name Akron in a prestigious oldstyle script font on the chest with the number(s) below. The script font and numbers are the same color as the jersey top (white/white or blue/blue) and outlined with the opposite color. The inspiration for the script writing and to use Akron on the chest stemmed from tradition and an overwhelming amount of pride for the city of Akron and its University. The game shorts have three distinguishing marks. The right side of the shorts depicts the Zips' mascot Zippy, and her Fear the Roo head logo, while the left side dons the University's official seal. The final mark on the shorts is the notorious Z-logo, which appears on the front waistband.

New for 2017-18, Akron has a grey set of uniforms modeled after the Team USA uniforms. The Grey uniforms feature the script Akron on the chest in blue outlined in the university gold. The numbers are depicted the same way which matches the blue piping that outlines the uniform. The shorts feature the Z-logo on both sides of the leg and are piped with the blue.Akron also has a purple set of uniforms that are worn as a tribute to former coach and director of operations Dan Peters.

UP NEXT
The Akron Zips will play its final home game of the season on Senior Night against the Kent State Golden Flashes. The second installment of the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off time at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday, March 2. Fans can also follow the action on ESPN3, 1350-AM or GoZips.com.