Zips Open MACtion with a 20-Point Win Over Ohio

Tuesday, December 22

Akron, Ohio

2 PM

University of Akron

3-1,1-0MAC

Ohio

4-3,0-1MAC

Ohio

Akron

December 22 | Men's Basketball

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Post Game Press Conference

AKRON, Ohio – Every time the Ohio Bobcats thought they had the answer, the Akron Zips changed the question, befuddling the visitors and earning a resounding 90-70 win in their Mid-American Conference opener on Tuesday afternoon at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Junior guard Bryan Trimble, Jr. (Kansas City, Mo.) led Akron with a season-best 22 points on 6-of-6 shooting from long distance, while senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) added 21 points and eight assists. In a well-balanced offensive effort, senior guard Maishe Dailey (Beachwood, Ohio) tallied 16 points and senior forward Camron Reece (Oakland, Calif.) banked 10 points and eight rebounds.

Akron torched the nets all afternoon long, burying the Bobcats under an avalanche of 3-pointers as they sank 14-of-25 shots (56 percent) from long distance and shot a sparkling 63.6 percent from the field overall. Each time Ohio looked to make a run, the Zips (3-1, 1-0 MAC) quickly countered with a big shot. Leading the long-range shooting brigade were Trimble, Jackson and Dailey who combined to make 14 of their 20 combined triples on the day.

Additionally, the Zips dominated in the rebounding battle, besting Ohio 37-25 and outscoring the Bobcats 40-32 on points in the paint.

Trimble, Jackson and Dailey countered time and again with a three after a small Ohio scoring run, allowing Akron to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second half. The margin reached as high as 25 late in the game, helping the hosts make an emphatic statement in their first MAC contest of the campaign.

The Zips surged out of the gate, building an early 11-2 lead behind stifling defense and 3-pointers by Jackson and Trimble. Ohio steadily inched its way back into the game behind the inside-outside play of junior guard Jason Preston, with the two sides settling into a hard-fought defensive battle in which baskets were at a premium for much of the opening 20 minutes.

With the game played mostly in the half court and at a slower pace early on, possessions were few and Akron's 62.1-percent shooting - including 7-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc - in the half gave the Zips a decided edge. They also controlled the glass as sophomore forward Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) followed up his 20-point, 20-rebound effort from the team's most recent game by snaring five rebounds and blocking two shots before intermission.

Buoyed Freeman's post presence, the Akron defense held Ohio to 13 first-half field goals and outrebounded the Bobcats 18-10. Following their strong start, the Zips built their edge to as many as 13 points (44-31) and never trailed in the half.

Preston led the Bobcats (4-3, 0-1 MAC) with 16 points and senior forward Dwight Wilson contributed 11 points in defeat.

Akron will enjoy a 10-day break before returning to MACtion to kick off the new year on Jan. 1 at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Fans can also follow the game on WHLO 640-AM and live stats on GoZips.com.