Zips Open Season with 97-49 Win Over Cedarville

Saturday, December 12

Akron, Ohio

2 PM

University of Akron

1-0,0-0MAC

Cedarville

-01,01 GMAC

Cedarville

Akron

December 12 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips men's basketball team wasted no time launching an all-out offensive blitz once they finally stepped onto the court in a 97-49 win over visiting Cedarville on Saturday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Led by senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.), the Zips fired away from 3-point range from the opening tip-off, ultimately converting 16-of-40 looks (40.0 percent) from distance to easily outpace the Yellow Jackets (0-2).

Jackson led Akron with 19 points and a game-high nine assists on the day and sophomore forward Ali Ali (Kendallville, Ind.) added 12 points in the win. Sophomore forward Jermaine Marshall (Birmingham, Ala.) also reached double figures in his Akron debut, scoring 12 points and making all four of his field goal attempts. Sophomore Mikal Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points, while senior Maishe Dailey (Beachwood, Ohio) collected nine points.

With their perimeter barrage, the Zips (1-0) took the lead at the 18:46 mark of the first half and never trailed again. After building a 15-point halftime advantage (39-24), Akron opened the second stanza with full-court defensive pressure early, allowing the Zips to extend its lead to as many as 48 points en route to a season-opening victory.

The outside shooting touch extended across the roster as six different Akron players converted a shot from beyond the arc. As proficient as the Zips were shooting triples on the day, they were equally effective defending against them.

Cedarville was able to make just four of its 19 triples, a number compounded by the Yellow Jackets' inability to get to the free throw line. With no attempts from the charity stripe in the opening half and just four attempts for the game, the visitors had to subsist on an offensive diet of medium and long-range attempts from inside the arc.

Even there, the Zips were able to force tough shots, deflect passes and limit Cedarville to one look per possession as they outrebounded the visitors 46-23. That performance on the glass also allowed Akron to regularly get out in transition and post a 25-1 edge in fastbreak points.

It was a solid all-around effort after the Zips saw the remainder of the Mid-American Conference tip off its schedule over the past two weeks. Given their chance to get into action, they quickly showed the form that led MAC coaches to pick them to finish third in the conference this season. Nine different players scored six or more points for the Zips, showing a hint of the balance that figures to position the Zips as a contender in the conference this season, with 11 players total reaching the scoring column in the game.

Freshman forward Jay Maughmer led Cedarville with 13 points in the loss and junior guard Brandon Redendo chipped in with nine points for the Yellow Jackets.

After a brief two-day break, Akron is slated to return to action on Dec. 15, hosting St. Bonaventure in a non-league tilt at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland at 2 p.m. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN+ and WHLO 640 AM.