Akron 7-0 at Home, Defeats Concord 100-50

Sunday, December 15

Akron, Ohio

2 PM

University of Akron

8-2,0-0MAC

100

Concord University

4-9,2-4MEC

Concord

Akron

100

December 15 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Post Game Press Conference

AKRON, Ohio – Following a week off for final exams, the Akron Zips passed the test Sunday afternoon against the visiting Concord Mountain Lions, taming the visitors by a score of 100-50.

It was a balanced, scoring effort for Akron, with 11 different players scoring, led by senior guard Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.), who knocked down six 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 19 points. Four other Zips reached double figures, with junior forward Jaden Sayles (Cincinnati, Ohio) posting a career-high 16 points, senior wing Xeyrius Williams (Springfield, Ohio) notching his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, senior guard Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) added 14 points and freshman guard Greg Tribble (Cincinnati, Ohio) contributed 11 in the win.

Junior guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) recorded a scoring milestone as well, scoring his 800th career point in the second half with a free throw. Of his 801 career points, 605 of them have come in an Akron uniform. The junior guard also dished out a game-high seven assists.

Akron trailed just once and took the lead for good less than a minute into the contest. From there, they used their combination of size, speed and shooting advantages to mute the Mountain Lions (4-8) and build a lead that reach as many as 33 points.

A 46-point first half represented the second-highest point total in a half for the Zips (8-2) this season, trailing only the 51 they tallied in the second half against West Virginia. While they led in most statistical categories on the afternoon, points in the paint and rebounding were the areas where the Zips' dominance stood out the most.

The outrebounded Concord 52-33 and held a 42-28 edge on points in the paint, using their height advantage to power their way to the basket for a series of dunks, putbacks and layups that allowed them to seize control of the game and maintain it without any series comeback threats by the visitors.

Akron also turned in another suffocating effort on defense, limiting Concord to 25.7-percent shooting, including just one made 3-pointer in 22 attempts from beyond the arc. That defense helmed Akron runs of 13-0 and 18-2 in the first half, with turnovers by the visitors further powering each Akron push. On the strength of those two bursts, the Zips headed to the locker room at the half with a 46-28 edge on the scoreboard.

Junior forward Liam Evans led Concord with 13 points in the loss and junior guard Malik Johnson added 10 for Concord.

Akron heads out on the road for its next two contests, which will take place Dec. 20 and 21 as part of the D.C. Holiday Hoops Fest. The Zips will take on Tulane at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 and face either Liberty or Towson the following day, with tip time for the second game to be determined. Both contests can seen on FLOHOOPS and heard on 1350-AM. Their next home contest - and their final game of the calendar year - comes on Dec. 30, when the Massachusetts Minutemen visit James A. Rhodes Arena for a 7 p.m. game.