Zips Defensive Prowess, Offensive Surge Leads to 67-65 Win Over Northern Illinois

Saturday, January 26

Akron, OH

5:00 pm

University of Akron

12-8 (4-3MAC)

Northern Illinois

11-9 (4-3MAC)

Northern Ill.

Akron Zips

Zips Defensive Prowess, Offensive Surge Leads to 67-65 Win Over Northern Illinois

January 26 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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AKRON, Ohio – Facing the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies for the second time in 14 days, the Akron Zips cashed in their chance for revenge, downing the visitors by a score of 67-65 Saturday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.

In a seesaw affair, Akron responded with heart after Northern Illinois erased an 11-point deficit and tied the game at 54-all late in the second half. A 3-pointer by junior forward Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) with 1:39 left in game put Akron ahead for good, 57-54, but the outcome remained in doubt until a missed free throw by Northern Illinois with 3.2 seconds left and the ensuing scramble for a loose ball that neither team corralled as the clock ran out.

Sophomore guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) led a balanced Akron attack with 22 points, Utomi added 14 and senior guard Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals, including two huge 3-pointers in the final minute with the outcome in doubt.

As a team, the Zips made 14-of-35 (.400) of their triples.

The Zips flipped the switch after a sluggish start and sprinted past the Huskies in a key Mid-American Conference battle for both teams, outscoring them 32-11 in a span from the middle of the first half until the midway point of the second half.

After falling behind by as many as 11 points midway through the first half, the Zips (12-8, 4-3 MAC) clawed their way back into the game on the strength of their defense, which held the Huskies without a point for 6:25 in the latter stages of the half as deflections, steals and forced turnovers helped inject life into the Akron offense.

A resounding, two-handed dunk by junior forward Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) helped punctuate a 10-0 run that allowed Akron to tie the game at 24-all, forcing Northern Illinois to call a timeout. The run included four Northern Illinois turnovers and allowed the Zips to head to the locker room at intermission with momentum and confidence even as the Huskies (11-9, 4-3 MAC) claimed a 28-24 lead.

The Zips stormed back into the game at the outset of the second half, tallying eight of the period's first 10 points, punctuated by a layup by Ivey at the 16:57 mark to give the hosts their first lead (32-30) since the 17:34 mark of the first half.

After the teams traded leads, Akron finally took control on a 3-pointer from the right wing by Jackson, followed by an Ivey steal and a corner triple from junior guard Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.) to stake the hosts to their largest lead of the day to that point, 41-33. The Akron lead would eventually reach as high as 11, setting up the dramatic finish.

Junior guard Eugene German led Northern Illinois with 23 points and senior guard Dante Thorpe added 16.

The Zips will have a full week off before their next game, a Feb. 2 road contest against the Ohio Bobcats that is scheduled to tip off at 3:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3.