Zips Edged by No. 25/24 Buffalo, 76-70, Utomi Hits Milestone

Tuesday, February 12

Akron, OH

7:00 pm

University of Akron

14-10, 6-5MAC

Buffalo

21-3, 9-2MAC

BUFFALO

Akron Zips

Zips Edged by No. 25/24 Buffalo, 76-70, Utomi Hits Milestone

February 12 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Post Game Press Conference/ Highlights

AKRON, Ohio – Playing host to a ranked team at home for just the fifth time in program history and the first since the 2006-07 season, the Akron Zips took the fight to the No. 25/24 Buffalo Bulls before falling 76-70.

Sophomore guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) led the Zips with 20 points, and three others scored in double figures. Junior guard Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) followed with 16 points, six rebounds and a career-high six steals, while senior guard Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) had another solid all-around game with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Rounding out the double-digit scorers was junior forward Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas). He contributed 14 points and five rebounds. In addition, Utomi became the 45^th member of Akron's 1,000-point club on the Zips' first scoring possession. Utomi buried a 3-pointer from the top of the arc for career-point number 1,001. He finished the game with 1,012 career points.

The Zips showed grit and grind even after the Bulls pulled away early in the second half with a 13-4 run that saw Akron go without a field goal for a 3:41 stretch as the Buffalo lead increased to 11 at 47-36. The Zips could get no closer than three the rest of the way as the Bulls (21-3, 9-2 MAC) forced 15 turnovers and held Akron to just eight made 3-pointers.

Still, the Zips made run after run in the closing minutes, as Jackson drilled a clutch triple from the left wing to pull the Zips within five, 60-55, and Utomi delivered a key block on the defensive end to keep the hosts within reach of the Bulls.

Moments later, after a loose ball scramble won by Akron, Ivey drilled a long 3-pointer from the right wing with the shot clock winding down to make the score 62-58 in favor of Buffalo, but the Bulls were able to close it out in the final three minutes.

Despite difficulty shooting, the Zips (14-10, 6-5 MAC) kept themselves in the game with what has made them a winning team all season long: defense.

Against a Buffalo offense clocking in at a MAC-leading 85.0 points per game, the Zips were locked in defensively from the outset and the league's top scoring defense held the Bulls to just 30 points and 42.3 percent shooting in the opening half. The also forced 18 Buffalo turnovers in the game and limited the Bulls to 29.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

In an intense game where emotions ran high on both sides, each team was assessed a technical foul in the opening half and traded runs that led to five lead changes before the break. Despite playing against a foe with more overall size, Akron kept it even on points in the paint and led by as many as three in the first 20 minutes before going to the locker room down by two, 30-28.

Jackson and Utomi led Akron with eight points each in the first half, while Ivey and Cheese each had a team-best four rebounds during the same span.

Senior guard C.J. Massinburg led Buffalo with a game-high 21 points.

Akron's most recent home game against a Top 25 team came against No. 20 Nevada on Dec. 22, 2006, a 73-71 loss that went down to the final minute.

Akron is back in action Feb. 16 on the road against MAC West foe Ball State. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN3 and heard on 1350-AM.