Akron Falls 94-84 at West Virginia

Friday, November 8

Morgantown, W.Va.

7 PM

University of Akron

1-1,0-0MAC

West Virginia

1-0,0-0Big 12

Akron

West Virginia

November 08 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Post Game Press Conference

Morgantown, W.Va. – The Akron men's basketball team had four players score in double-digits as the Zips fell 94-84 on the road to Big 12 conference member West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum in front of 12,513 fans on Friday evening.

Senior Xeyrius Williams (Springfield, Ohio) led all scorers with a game-high 20 points, while senior Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.) and junior Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) recorded 16 points each. Senior Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) rounded out the double-digit scoring with 15 points while junior Camron Reece (Oakland, Calif.) collected a team-best 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.

West Virginia (1-0) led by as many as 17 points, but that didn't stop the Zips from battling back and making it a two-possession game with 45-seconds left to play thanks to three consecutive free throws from Williams. On the ensuing possession, Akron forced a turnover as Williams swiped an errant WVU pass in the paint, but a blocked shot by WVU's Logan Routt at the other end of the floor forced the Zips to send the Mountaineers to the free throw line. WVU buried four-straight free throws to keep the game out of reach for Akron.

Akron (1-1) started the game with back-to-back triples from Cheese and another from Banks for an 11-5 advantage by the first media break. WVU surged with a pair of 3-pointers and an old-fashioned 3-point play to gain control of the scoreboard and help fuel an 18-8 run before the second media break in action, 23-19.

The home team extended the lead to nine-points, 28-19, but timely shooting by Williams and Banks kept the game close midway through the first half, 28-24. Over the next four minutes, the two teams traded buckets until an 11-1 run by West Virginia separated the teams by 14 points, 41-27. At halftime, WVU led 47-33.

In the second half, Akron immediately cut the deficit to as low as six points, 56-50, but the Mountaineers continued to use mini scoring spurts to get back to a double-digit lead. Akron made one final push in the final three minutes of the game.

WVU also had four players in double figures as Derek Culver and Jermaine Haley notched 16 points apiece. Emmitt Matthews, Jr. and Miles McBride followed with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Akron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena for a three-game homestand, starting on Friday, Nov. 15 against North Carolina Central. The homestand continues against South Carolina Upstate (Mon., Nov. 18) and Youngstown State (Thur., Nov. 21). All games are part of the Global Sports Shootout and scheduled for 7 p.m. tip-off times.