Akron Falls to Liberty, 80-67

Saturday, December 21

Washington D.C.

3:30 PM

University of Akron

9-3,0-0MAC

Liberty

14-0,0-0ASUN

Akron

Liberty

December 21 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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WASHINGTON DC – The Akron men's basketball team fell 80-67 to Liberty in the DC Holiday Hoops Fest Championship on Saturday evening.

Four Zips notched double figures in scoring as senior Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.) and junior Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) led the team with 17 points each. Banks had another stellar night from deep, connecting with a team-best 5-of-8 from long range. He added five rebounds and an assist, while Jackson dished out a team-high five assists and connected on 6-of-11 shots from the field including a 3-of-5 effort from deep. Seniors Xeyrius Williams (Springfield, Ohio) and Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) rounded out the double-digit scoring for Akron (9-3) with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Liberty (14-0) scored the first four points of the game before Williams answered with back-to-back field goals, one from beyond the 3-point arc and the other in the paint to give Akron its first lead of the game at 5-4. The two teams battled back and forth during the initial frame until the Flames used a series of small runs to hold a 2-4 point lead in the opening 12 minutes.

Akron made the first double-digit run as Jackson initiated the an 11-point scoring outburst with a trifecta from the wing. The Zips, trailing by four points at the time, received another long-distance strike from Banks, taking a 23-21 advantage with 5:58 remaining in the half. Williams added a fadeaway in the paint and a corner 3-ball for a 28-21 lead with 4:35 left. The seven-point advantage was the Zips largest of the game.

During the final 4:35, Liberty answered with a 11-point run that lasted the remainder of the half, taking a 32-28 lead into the break. The Flames continued to score the ball in the second half, continuing the run to 15 points.

The Zips By the 15-minute mark, Liberty led by 10 points, 44-34, and never slowed down, eventually leading by as many as 20 points – the largest deficit for the Zips this season.

For the game, Akron shot 44.4 percent from the floor (24-of-54), 48.1 percent from deep (13-of-27) and 85.7 percent from the free throw line while only committing nine turnovers, which sounds like a recipe for success.

However, the Flames collected 54 points in the paint en route to a 66.7 shooting percentage from the field (34-of-51) while only connecting on 6-of-12 from deep and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. Scottie James earned tournament MVP with a 15-point performance. Caleb Homesley led Liberty with 16 points while Elijah Cuffee (12) and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (12) each added double-figure points.

Akron will have a few days off for the holiday break, and the Zips return to action on Monday, Dec. 30 at James A. Rhodes Arena against UMass. The final game of the calendar year scheduled for 7 p.m. and is scheduled to be broadcasted on ESPN3 and can be heard on at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/AkronZips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.