Akron Battles Ball State on CBS Sports Network

Friday, January 10

Akron, Ohio

9 PM

University of Akron

Ball State

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January 09 | Men's Basketball

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Akron Zips (12-3, 2-0 MAC) vs Ball State (9-6, 2-0 MAC)
Friday, Jan. 10 • James A. Rhodes Arena • Akron, Ohio • 9 PM • CBS Sports Network

Ball State Head Coach
James Whitford (Wisconsin '94)
Overall:98-111 (6th season)
Record at BSU: 98-111 (6th season)
MAC Record: 43-67 (6th season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 223-168 (12th Season)
Record at Akron: 43-37 (3rd Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 16-22 (3rd Season)
Overall MAC Record: 50-52 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 23-18 - Groce vs. Ball State: 0-3 (3-6 Overall)
Last Meeting: Ball State 57, Akron 56 at Worthen Arena on Feb. 16, 2019
First Meeting: Ball State 39, Akron 38 in Akron 1937-38 season
The Zips in Akron 13-6, at Neutral Site 2-0, in Muncie 8-12

Broadcast
TV/Video: CBS Sports Network - Alex Del Barrio (PxP), Tim Doyle (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
A pair of undefeated teams in Mid-American Conference play will battle on CBS Sports Network on Friday, Jan. 10 at James A. Rhodes Arena as the Akron Zips host the Ball State Cardinals in an East vs West league matchup. The game is slated for a 9 p.m. tipoff.

Both teams are riding three-game winning streaks as the Zips look to improve to 10-0 at home and extend its homecourt winning streak to 12 games. Akron defeated Eastern Michigan on the road in the MAC season opener (69-45) and started the week with an 84-69 win over Western Michigan at the JAR. Ball State earned its pair of wins at home, beating Toledo 61-57 and Buffalo 88-68.

The Zips are off to a solid start, standing 12-3 overall with an unblemished 9-0 record at home, 1-2 on the road and 1-1 in neutral site contests, while the Cardinals stand at 9-6 on the season.

Zips Rank 19th in Mid-Major Top 25 Poll
For the first time since the 2016-17 season, Akron basketball returned to the The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll at No. 19. The Zips received 194 votes to climb eight spots on the Jan. 6 rankings. The Zips were previously ranked 27th overall with 43 points. In 2016-17, the Zips climbed as high as No. 7 in the mid-major poll, receiving 577 votes by Jan. 30.

In addition, the Zips debuted at No. 63 in the first NCAA NET Rankings and now stands 49th overall. In the Ken Pom rankings, Akron owns an 83rd ranking and has the top defensive efficiency rating in the MAC after two games (84.7) which stands 79th in the NCAA. Akron is third in the MAC in scoring according to Ken Pom (113.7).

Scouting the Cardinals
The Cardinals own an 9-6 overall record, standing 5-3 at home, 2-1 on the road and 2-2 in neutral site games this season. Ball State averages 72.4 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the floor and 34.8 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 9.7 triples a game. In addition, the Cardinals shoot 67.1 percent from the free throw line on 10.9 attempts per game.

Ball State has three players scoring in double figures led by Ishmael El-Amin with 14.4 points per game. He is shooting 48.7 percent from the floor (74-of-152), including a team-best 45 percent average from deep (36-of-80). His 36 made triples leads the team while adding 52 rebounds (5th), 38 assists (3rd) and 16 steals (3rd). El-Amin also owns team-highs at the free throw line, converting at an 82.1 percent rate on 36-of-39 free throw attempts.

Tahjai Teague follows with 13.9 points per game and controls the paint for the red and black, connecting at a 52.4 percent rate from the floor (86-of-164). He owns the team's top marks in rebounds, steals and blocked shots, securing 7.9 boards a game (118 total rebounds) while corralling 25 steals and blocking 21 shots. Kyle Mallers rounds out the double-digit scoring with 10.3 points per game. He in second from beyond the 3-point arc with 35 triples on 86 attempts for a 40.7 average. He has 64 rebounds and 11 steals. In addition, Luke Bumbalough adds 32 long-distance strikes on 35.2 percent shooting en route to 7.8 points per game.

Defensively, Ball State limits its opponents to scoring 61.3 points per game (league best) on 40.3 percent shooting from the floor and 32.7 percent from 3-point range, allowing 5.9 long distance strikes per night. The Cardinals caused 226 turnovers (15.1 to/g) with 113 steals (7.5 stl/g). Ball State outrebounds the opponent by a +2.3 margin as the opponent grabbed 510 total boards (34.0 rebs/g) compared to the 544 total rebounds (36.3 rebs/g) secured.

The Akron-Ball State Series
Friday's game marks the 42nd meeting in series history between Akron and Ball State, and 10th meeting for a Groce coached squad, fourth at Akron. Akron holds a 23-18 all-time series advantage while Groce is 3-6 against the Cardinals and 0-3 at Akron. Akron is 13-6 all-time against BSU at home, 8-11 at BSU and 2-0 in neutral site games. Akron is 1-1 all-time versus Ball State in the MAC Tournament.

The Cardinals own a three-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2017-18 season. Ball State snapped Akron's 15-game winning streak in the series that year with a double overtime thriller in Muncie, Ind. (111-106). UA's Jimond Ivey broke Worthen Arena's all-time scoring mark of 41 points previously held by Bonzi Wells (Ball State, 1996) and Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan, 1998). Ivey's nine 3-pointers set an arena record and he tied the arena record for made field goals (15) set in 1992 by Xavier's Brian Grant. In addition, the 217 combined points are the most in Worthen Arena history, while Akron's 106 points are the most ever by a visiting team and the most ever by the losing team in that arena.

The Cardinals won the second meeting of 2017-18 by a 90-77 score at Rhodes Arena and claimed last year's lone meeting 57-56 on a tip-in at the buzzer. In 2016-17, Akron claimed both games. Isaiah Johnson lifted Akron to a 65-63 win in dramatic fashion with a buzzer-beating jumper at James A. Rhodes Arena (Feb. 7, 2017). A few weeks later, the two teams met in the semifinal game of the MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seeded Zips defeated the No. 4 Cardinals 74-70 at Quicken Loans Arena (March 8, 2017).

Ball State's previous win against Akron came in the 2003-04 season when the Cardinals defeated the Zips 76-72 in the first round of the MAC Tournament at Worthen Arena. Ball State also won the regular season matchup that season 77-71 in overtime.

The Last Meeting...
The Akron Zips men's basketball team held the lead for 31:59, but a late tip-in lifted Ball Sate to a 57-56 final at Worthen Arena.

In a game that featured six tied scores and six lead changes, Ball State only led for 3:19 as the game came was decided in the closing seconds when the Cardinals Trey Moses tapped in the game winner after missing two shots and recording two rebounds.

Akron attempted to regain the lead before the buzzer sounded, but the shot rattled in-and-out as time expired. Loren Cristian Jackson and junior Tyler Cheese both contributed double-digit scoring efforts with 11 and 10, respectively. Jackson was perfect from the free throw line, draining all-five attempts, while Cheese nearly recorded a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds. Channel Banks contributed a team-best four steals and four rebounds with nine points, while Deng Riak secured a team-best nine rebounds.

In the opening stanza, the Akron defense limited Ball State to shoot just 9-of-31 (.291) from the field and 1-of-10 (.100) from long distance while forcing seven turnovers with two steals and two blocked shots. The Cardinals went 2-of-4 from the free throw line and held a 22-20 advantage on the glass.

The Zips also faced some adversity on the offensive side of the ball, only connecting on 10-of-30 (.300) shots from the floor and 3-of-15 (.200) from deep. However, Akron recorded a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line.

Ball State opened the second half with a 6-1 run to make it a 30-27 for Akron, but the Cardinals used another six-point scoring burst for a one-point, 37-36, advantage with 12:22 left to play in the game.

Eight seconds later, Jackson responded with an old-fashioned 3-point play to give the lead back to the Zips, 39-37. Cheese followed with a layin, and the Cardinals battled back and tied the game again, using two fast break opportunities for a 41-41, but Ball State couldn't regain the lead and with 3:28 left to play Akron led, 54-49.

Ball Stat buried four straight bonus buckets to bring cardinals within one point, 54-53, and after a missed shot Ball State grabbed the lead for the third time, 55-54 with 56.3 seconds remaining in the game. Jackson buried two free throws, but Ball State scored the final bucket of the game.

The Zips finished the game shooting 93.3 percent from the free throw line (14-of-15), 30.2 percent from the field (19-of-63) and 16.0 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (4-of-25), while Ball State went 75.0 percent from the charity stripe (12-of-16, 34.4 percent from the floor (21-of-61) and 17.6 percent from deep (3-of-17).

Akron in the MAC
The Zips have posted a 53-33 mark (.616) in the last 86 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 6-3 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch. Akron is 108-52 in the regular season against the West Division (.675), including winners of 51 of the last 67 regular-season games since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season. Akron is 62-15 (.805) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 171-85 overall (.668), including a 107-22 mark in MAC play at home (.829). The Zips' 171 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 91 of their last 133 MAC games (.684).

In the NCAA...
The Zips debuted at No. 63 in the first NCAA NET Rankings and now stands 51st overall. Statistically, Akron ranks in the NCAA Top 100 in 16 13th 3Pt FG Defense (26.9), 25th 3Pt FGM (145), 27th 3Pt. FG/G (9.7), 27th W-L % (80.0), 32nd D-Reb/G (28.67), 32nd 3Pt FG % (37.5), 35th Scoring Margin (12.7), 37th FT % (75.7),40th FG % Defense (38.8), 42nd FT M (237), 56th 3Pt FG Att (387), 61st Scoring Defense (63.5), 72nd Rebs/G (38.87), 81st FT A (313), 82nd Scoring Offense (76.3) and 91st Total Rebounds (583)

Defending the JAR
Akron is 9-0 at James A. Rhodes Arena and is riding an 11-game home court winning streak, dating back to the 2018-19 season. Last year, Akron posted a 91-67 win over Bowling Green on senior night and hosted the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, defeating No. 9 Miami 80-51.

The Zips only allow opponents to score 57.6 points per game at home on 35.0 percent shooting from the field (196-of-560) and 24.6 percent from deep (42-of-171). Akron has allowed 518 total points in nine games – 79 points was the most for the opposition at Rhodes Arena this season. In fact, Akron has held six teams to 60 points or less, including five teams to 50 or less.

2020 Vision
Four different players have scored at least 20 points 12 times this season. Tyler Cheese own five of those performances, scoring 20 points three times coupled with 21-point and 25-point efforts. Loren Cristian Jackson follows with four 20-plus point performances, registering a season high 28 points, a pair of 26 -point showings and a 20-point effort. Xeyrius Williams and Channel Banks round out the 20-point performers list as Williams posted a 20-point and career-best 25-point games. Banks is also a career-high with 21 points. In addition, the Zips have three 19-point efforts by Williams (N.C. Central), Cheese (YSU) and Jackson (YSU).

Zips Scoring in Bunches
The Zips have four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Loren Cristian Jackson with 16.4 points per game followed by Tyler Cheese (15.0), Xeyrius Williams (13.7) and Channel Banks (12.3). Over the first 15 games, the Akron Zips have seen at least three players score in double digits in every game. 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), YSU (Cheese 19, Jackson 19, Banks 12 and Reece 10), Southern (Cheese 21, Williams 15, Banks 14, and Reece 11), Concord (Banks 19, Sayles 16, Williams 12 and Tribble 11) and Liberty (Banks 17, Jackson 17, Williams 15 and Cheese 12).

Jackson Named MAC East Player of the Week
Loren Cristian Jackson earned Mid-American Conference Eastern Division Player of the Week honors as a result of two outstanding performances during the week of Dec. 30 – Jan. 5, the league announced on Monday.

Jackson led the Zips to a pair of victories, averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He buried 54.2 percent (13-of-24) of his shots from the field, including a 53.3 percent (8-of-15) effort from beyond the 3-point arc. For the week, he recorded 43 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and a steal. Jackson shot 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the charity stripe.

Jackson led the Zips to an 85-79 win over UMass with a game-high 26 points on 50.0 percent (5-of-10) shooting from the floor and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from downtown. Jackson grabbed three rebounds and dished out a trio of assists.

In the MAC opener at Eastern Michigan, Jackson contributed 17 points to the 69-45 triumph. Again, Jackson was hot from the floor, connecting with 60.0 percent (6-of-10) of his shots from the field and 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from deep. He secured six rebounds, dished out five assists and had a steal.

Pass the Cheese
Senior Tyler Cheese ranks second in scoring for the Zips, averaging 15.0 points per game, ranking10th in the MAC. He registered double-digit points in 12-of-15 games with a season high of 25 points. He posted games of 21, 20 (three times) , 21, 19, 17 and 15 (two times). Cheese is fourth on the squad in 3-pointers made (25) and is shooting at a 38.5 percent clip from deep (25-of-65). In the MAC, he stands 7th in free throw percentage (.800, 52-of-65), 10th assists (3.0), 11th assists/turnover ratio (1.1) and 16th in 3-point FG percentage (.385).

ARE YOU XEYRIUS?
Senior Xeyrius Williams impacts both sides of the floor for the Zips, nearly averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per night. He owns team-highs in rebounds (142) and blocked shots (19). Williams is shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw line (24-of-28). In the NCAA, Williams ranks 11th in defensive rebounds per game (7.8), 36th total rebounds (142), 38th rebounds per game (9.5), 94th double-doubles (4), 124th total blocks (19) and 139th blocked shots per game (1.27). He ranks among the league's best in five categories including rebounding (2nd), defensive rebounds (2nd), blocked shots (4th), free throw percentage (4th) and scoring (19th). He has scored with double figures nine times this season, including a career-high 25 points against Marshall – Others: vs WVU (20), vs Malone (17), vs NC Central (19), vs Merrimack (14), vs Southern (15), vs Concord (12), vs Tulane (16) and vs Liberty (15). He has four double-doubles this season. He earned MAC East Player of the Week.

Reece's Piece's
Junior Camron Reece is a huge piece for the Zips frontcourt, clocking 18-minutes per game and averaging 7.1 points on 56.9 percent shooting from the floor. He scored in double-digits five times this season, including a career-high 13 points on two occasions, vs Malone and Marshall. Reece is an electric player that gets the crowd involved as a result of his supreme athleticism and high-flying dunks. He grabs 5.0 rebounds per game and posted seven blocked shots. Reece has made 24-of-35 free throws for a 68.6 free throw percentage.

Like Money in the Bank$
Senior Channel Banks leads the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage, draining 46.8 percent from long distance. His 3.0 triples per game leads the Zips an ranks third in league play and ninth in the NCAA. Banks has buried a team-high 44-of-94 from deep and ranks in the nation's Top 25 in three categories from deep the other two are 3-point FG per game (20th) and 3-point FG made (25th). Banks scored in double figures in 10-of-15 games which includes a career-high 21 against UMass. He is ranked 15th in the MAC for steals with 1.3 per game.

Action Jackson
Junior Loren Cristian Jackson is the leading scorer for the Zips, averaging 16.4 points per game and ranks 15th in the MAC. He scored double-digit points in 12-of-15 games, including a season-high 28 points against Marshall. He leads the squad in assists (74), dishing out 4.9 helpers per game while making 57-of-66 from the charity stripe (.864). Jackson buried a second-best 35 triples. Jackson is ranked in the top of the MAC in six categories, including assist/to ratio (3rd, 2.2 ), free throw percentage (3rd, .864), assists (4th, 4.9), scoring (5th, 16.4), 3-point FG made (12th, 2.3) and 3-point FG percentage (15th, .380). In the NCAA, Jackson ranks 53rd free throw percentage, 59th assists turnover ratio, 59th total assists and 65th assists per game. He earned MAC East Player of the Week.

Williams Named MAC East Player of the Week
Xeyrius Williams was named Mid-American Conference Eastern Division Co-Player of the Week, sharing the honor with Ohio's Jason Preston (12/9/19). Williams led the Zips to a pair of wins last week, averaging 20 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocked shots and 1.0 steals per game. He connected with 44.1 percent of his shots from the field (15-of-34) which included a 50 percent showing from beyond the 3-point arc (8-of-16). For the week, he scored 40 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, dished out four assists, blocked two shots and had two steals. Against Marshall, Williams posted his second double- double of the season with 25 points and 14 rebounds, both career-highs. He added a blocked shot and a steal en route to the Zips 85-73 triumph. Against Southern, Williams tallied 15 points with five boards, a blocked shot and a steal for Akron to remain unbeaten at home, 72-57.

The Broadcasts
The Zips game is available for broadcast on CBS Sports Network with Alex Del Barrio (Analyst) calling the action andTim Doyle 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.

UP NEXT
Akron will make its second conference road trip, traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to play western division foe Northern Illinois. The Zips and Huskies are scheduled to collide on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET and to be broadcasted on ESPN+ 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.