Akron Takes Down Top-Ranked Bowling Green, 74-59

Tuesday, February 11

Akron, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

18-6,8-3MAC

Bowling Green

18-7,9-3MAC

Bowling Green

Akron

Akron Takes Down Top-Ranked Bowling Green, 74-59

February 11 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Postgame Presser and Highlights

AKRON, Ohio – In a battle between the two of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference East Division, an amped-up Akron Zips defense grounded the visiting Bowling Green Falcons in a decisive 74-59 win that knotted the two rivals in the loss column in the division standings at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday.

Junior Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) led all scorers with 28 points, while senior Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga) contributed 17 in the win. In addition, the trio of senior Channel Banks (Las Vegas, Nev.). senior Xeyrius Williams (Springfield, Ohio) and junior Camron Reece (Oakland, Calif.) had nine, eight and seven points, respectively. Williams led the Zips on the glass, posting his 13^th double-digit rebounding performance with 10 boards.

Akron kept the clamps on the Falcons all game long, clipping the wings of their normally potent offense to the tune of 35.8 percent shooting (24-of-67) and 24.0 percent shooting from 3-point range (6-of-25). The Zips (18-6, 8-3 MAC) also forced 10 turnovers and converted them in 11 points, fueling their offense in a game where defense ruled the day.

Bowling Green made numerous runs throughout the second half, closing to within one at 45-44 midway through the half, but Akron shook off a series of calls by the officials that went in favor of the Falcons (18-7, 9-3 MAC) and uncorked a 14-4 run punctuated by a fast break 3-pointer from the right wing and a subsequent fast break jumper from the right elbow by Banks that elevated the Akron advantage to 59-48 with 7:51 remaining in the game.

It was a different Bowling Green team than the one Akron was expecting to face just a few days earlier, as the all-time leading 3-pointer shooter in program history, Dylan Frye, left the Falcons over the weekend for person reasons.

Despite his departure, the Falcons entered the game in first place in the MAC East, one and a half games ahead of the Zips. They left it tied with Akron in the loss column, although the Falcons have a one-game edge in the win column thanks to having played one more MAC game than Akron.

The Zips delivered a consistent, even effort in the opening 20 minutes and because of it, took a 35-29 lead to the locker room at the half.

Although their shooting was a bit below their season average - including 3-of-13 marksmanship from 3-point range - the Zips made up for it with hard-nosed defense that limited the Falcons to 37.1-percent shooting (13-of-15), including just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc.

Compounding the impact of that effort, Akron outrebounded Bowling Green by four in the first 20 minutes and allowed the Falcons to get to the foul line for just two shots. Jackson, after Eastern Michigan made it a mission to take him out of the game offensively in the Zips' previous game, returned to form with 16 points in the first half. He made all of his team's 3-pointers in the half and also canned one more triple in the frame than the Falcons did as a team.

Junior forward Daeqwon Plowden led Bowling Green with 18 points and 10 rebounds in defeat and redshirt junior guard Justin Turner added 12.

Akron will head north for its next two games, with road tilts at Central Michigan and Western Michigan before returning home to face the Miami RedHawks on Feb. 22.

The Central Michigan contest is next up for Akron, with the Zips and Chippewas doing battle Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in a Valentine's Day affair that will air on ESPNU and can heard on 1350-AM.