Game 4: Zips Host South Carolina Upstate on Monday

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Akron Zips (2-1) South Carolina Upstate (1-3)
Monday, Nov. 18 • James A. Rhodes Arena • Akron, Ohio • 7 PM • ESPN+

USC Upstate Head Coach
Dave Dickerson Maryland '90)
Overall Record: 75-113 (8th Season)
Record at USC Upstate: 7-29 (2nd Season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 213-166 (12th Season)
Record at Akron: 33-35 (3rd Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 14-22 (3rd Season)
Overall MAC Record: 48-52 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 1-0 - Groce vs. USC Upstate: First Meeting
Last Meeting: Akron 64, USC Upstate 60 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Nov. 16, 2007
First Meeting: Same

Broadcast
TV/Video: ESPN+ – Michael Reghi (PxP), Jacki Windon (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats
Radio: Akron Sports Network - Steve French (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst), WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips

What's Ahead
Akron continues its homestand at James A. Rhodes Arena on Monday, Nov. 18 against South Carolina Upstate at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ as the Zips look to remain undefeated at the James A. Rhodes Arena (2-0) and the Global Sports Shootout (1-0).

The Broadcasts
The game is scheduled to be televised on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi calling the action and Jacki Windon providing analysis. The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron 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. The free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/AkronZips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

Scouting the Spartans
South Carolina Upstate enters the game with a 1-3 record after dropping two-straight games to N.C. Central (73-64) and Virginia Tech (80-57). The Spartans opened the season with a loss to the College of Charleston (74-55 before winning their home opener 103-62 against Truett-McConnell.

Upstate has two players averaging double-digits, led by Everette Hammond with a team-best 13.0 points per game. He is shooting 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the field and has the team high in trips to the free throw line while making 11of-14 at the charity stripe. He has a team-best three blocked shots with a second best six steals and three assists.

Bryson Mozone follows with 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has buried a team-best nine made 3-pointers (9-of-31) and grabbed a team-high 26 boards. Tommy Bruner and Josh Aldrich add 8.0 and 7.5 points per night, respectively, while Dalvin White has dished-out a team-high 18 assists.

Defensively, Upstate allows opponents to score 72.3 points a night on 48.4 percent shooting from the floor and 35.3 percent from 3-point range, permitting 7.5 long distance strikes per night. The Spartans caused 73 turnovers (18.3 to/g) with 30 steals (7.5 stl/g). Upstate is slightly outrebounded the opponent by a -1.7 margin as the opponent grabs 36.0 rebounds per game compared to their 34.3 boards per game.

The Akron-USC Upstate Series
Monday's game marks the second meeting in series history between Akron and USC Upstate. Akron won the lone meeting on Nov. 16, 2007 at James A. Rhodes Arena, 64-60. For Coach Groce, the game marks the first meeting against the Spartans in his head coaching career.

Zips' Scoring in Bunches
The Zips have four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Xeyrius Williams with 18.7 points per game. Williams is followed by Tyler Cheese (16.7), Loren Cristian Jackson (12.7) and Channel Banks (11.0). Over the first three games, the Akron Zips have seen at least three players score in double digits. Akron had five double-figure scorers against Malone (Williams 17, Banks 15, Cheese 15, Reece 13 and Jackson 12), four against West Virginia (Williams 20, Banks 16, Jackson 16 and Cheese 15) and three against N.C. Central (Cheese 20, Williams 19 and Jackson 10).

X Marks the Spot
Senior Xeyrius Williams is leading the Akron offense, averaging nearly a double-double with 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per night. He owns team-highs in rebounds (24), 3-point field goals made and attempted (9-of-31), and blocked shots (7). Williams is shooting 93.8 percent from the free throw line and is one attempt shy of the team lead at 15-of-16.

UP NEXT
Akron completes the three-game homestand at James A. Rhodes Arena on Thursday, Nov. 21 against Youngstown State at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The Zips will finish the Global Sports Shootout against No. xx Louisville Cardinals in Louisville, Ky. at the KFC YUM! Center on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Game 4: Zips Host South Carolina Upstate on Monday

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Players Mentioned

Channel Banks

Tyler Cheese

Loren Cristian Jackson

Xeyrius Williams

The University of Akron Athletics