Akron Continues Road Swing Against Northern Illinois

GAME PREVIEW: Akron at Northern Illinois, Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 3 PM ET | NIU Convocation Center | ESPN+

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Akron Continues Road Swing Against Northern Illinois

Akron Zips (4-2, 2-1 MAC) vs Northern Illinois (1-9, 0-5 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 12 • NIU Convocation Center • DeKalb, Ill. • 3 p.m. (ET) • ESPN+

AKRON HEAD COACH
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 239-174 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 59-43 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 30-27 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 64-57 (at Ohio and Akron)

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH
Lamar Chapman (Lane '93)
Overall Record: 0-2 (1st Season)
Record at NIU: 0-2 (1st Season)
MAC Record: 0-2 (1st Season)

ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 27-12 - Groce vs. NIU 3-1 (7-1 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 72, Northern Illinois 49 at NIU Convocation Center on Jan. 14, 2020
First Meeting: Akron 75, Northern Illinois 68 in DeKalb on Jan. 23, 1988
In Akron:17-2, Neutral: 0-0, In DeKalb: 10-10

BROADCASTS
TV/Video: ESPN+: - Andy Garcia (PxP), Mark Lindo (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network - Dave Skoczen (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst)
WHLO 640 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron men's basketball team continues its MACtion road swing in DeKalb, Ill. against Northern Illinois. On Jan. 12, 2021, the Zips are scheduled to lineup against the Huskies on ESPN+ with a 2 p.m. tipoff time at the NIU Convocation Center.

The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen and Joe Dunn calling the action. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest. The free audio stream is available at iHeart Radio and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

THE AKRON-NORTHERN ILLINOIS SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 40th meeting in series history between Akron and NIU, and 9th meeting for a Groce coached squad. Akron holds an all-time 27-12 series advantage while Groce is 3-1 at Akron and 7-1 against the Huskies all-time.

The Zips have won 10 of the last 13 games, claiming the lone meeting in 2019-20 in DeKalb, 72-49. The two teams split 2018-19 season series with a 73-56 setback in DeKalb and a 67-65 triumph in Akron. The Zips won the 2017-18 lone matchup, 82-67, at James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron on Jan. 20. In 2016- 17, The Zips won 76-73, at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb on Jan. 31. Akron and the Huskies split the 2015-16 season's series, winning at Rhodes Arena on Jan. 26, 76-66, but falling at NIU Convocation Center on Feb. 13, 80-79.

Akron is 17-2 all-time against the Huskies at Rhodes Arena. However, Akron and NIU are deadlocked with a 10-10 overall record in DeKalb. The Huskies have won the last 6-of-10 meetings at the NIU Convocation Center.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The Huskies own a 1-9 overall record, and 0-5 in league play, standing 1-4 at home and 0-5 on the road this season. NIU averages 58.8 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting from the floor and 26.3 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 4.1` triples a game. In addition, the Huskies shoot 60.9 percent from the free throw line on 9.5 attempts per game.

Northern Illinois has three players averaging double-digits in points as Tyler Cochran leads the way with 13.8 points per game and is the squad's top rebounder with 7.4 boards per night, but has not played the Huskies last two games.

Trendon Hankerson and Darius Beane follow with 12.1 and 11.8 points per game respectively. Both players have dished out 16 assists, while Hakerson grabs 4.6 rebounds per game (46 Rebs) and Beane secures 4.4 per night (44 Rebs). Additionally, Hankerson is a threat from deep, draining nearly half of NIU's triples with 19 of the team's 41 trifectas to date.

Defensively, NIU limits its opponents to scoring 64.6 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting from the floor and 28.8 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.1 long distance strikes per night. The Huskies caused 192 turnovers (12.0 to/g) with 93 steals (5.8 stl/g). Northern Illinois outrebounds the opponent by a +5.1 margin as the opponent grabbed 554 total boards (34.6 rebs/g) compared to the Huskies 636 total rebounds (39.8 rebs/g) secured.

THE LAST MEETING
The Akron Zips posted a 72-49 victory over Northern Illinois at the NIU Convocation Center on Jan. 14, 2020. Tyler Cheese led Akron in scoring with 23 points and collected 16 points in the second half with added seven rebounds and two assists. Loren Cristian Jackson recorded 17 points en route to a 24-point halftime advantage. Jackson dished out a team-best eight assists and registered three steals.

In the first half, it took two minutes for the initial bucket as Jackson buried a deep triple. Moments later, Jackson drained a second 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run to open the game. NIU missed eight consecutive buckets as Akron's suffocating defense forced tough shots. It wasn't until the 15:09 mark when the Huskies scored their first points on a fastbreak by Eugene German, who finished as NIU leading scorer with 17 points.

The Zips followed with a barrage of 3-pointers as Jackson, Williams and Cheese all cashed-in from deep. Akron opened the game shooting 6-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc, but went 2-of-7 for the rest of the half. Akron held a 44-20 halftime lead. Jackson scored 17 points in the opening 20 minutes. The Huskies opened the second half with a 9-0 run before Cheese broke Akron's scoring drought with a pair of free throws, 46-29. Despite the interruption, NIU continued to cut into the Zips lead, scoring nine more unanswered points and reducing Akron's lead to single digits, 46-38.

Again, Cheese answered with 11 of the Zips next 13 points to put Akron in front, 59-40. Cheese started with three consecutive lay-ins mixed with a dunk, before capping the 13-2 run with a triple from the right-wing. With 9:04 remaining in regulation Akron led 59-40. Cheese scored 16 second-half points as the Zips cruised to a 72-49 victory. Akron finished the game shooting 47.4 percent from the floor (27-of-57) and 39.3 from deep (11-of-28). Akron held a 9-10 advantage in the turnover battle, but NIU outrebounded the Zips 50-41.

AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron opened 2020-21 MAC play with a 90-70 win over Ohio and followed with a 66-62 win over rival Kent State, before falling to Eastern Michigan on the road, 71-59. The Zips are 2-1 under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 68-18 (.795) 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 185-91 overall (.669), including a 114-24 mark in MAC play at home (.822). The Zips' 185 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 103 of their last 150 MAC games (.685). Previously, the Zips posted a 59-36 mark (.617) in the last 95 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 112-53 in the regular season against the West Division (.679), including winners of 55 of the last 72 regular-season games since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season.

UP NEXT
On Saturday, Jan. 16 the Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena to host the MAC leading Toledo Rockets. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 PM. Fans can follow the action on ESPN+, 640 WHLO AM or GoZips.com.

QUICK HITS

• Loren Cristian Jackson named Lute Olson National Player of the Week (Jan. 4) and MAC Player of Week last two weeks (Dec. 28 & Jan.4)
•Loren Cristian Jackson leads the team in scoring (22.8 ppg), Assists (7.0 APG), 3-Point FG (3.7/g)
• The Zips are 4-0 at James A. Rhodes Arena and currently own an 9-game winning streak at the JAR
• Enrique Freeman's 21-rebound effort stands as the most by an Akron player since 1985.
• Bryan Trimble posted a career-high 6-of-6 from deep in MAC opener against Ohio
• Jackson, Dailey and Trimble combined for 14-of-20 from beyond the arc against Ohio 70.0 Percent
• Akron Top 100 NCAA rankings, 3rd 3PT FG % Def (24.1), 6th FT % (80.6), 17th DRebs/g (29.8), 26th 3Pt. FG/g (9.7), 30th Rebs/g (41.7), 35th Fewest Turnovers (81), 36th Fewest Fouls (110), 37th Reb Margin (+7.7), 54th Scoring Offense (79.8), 65th Scoring Margin (+10.5), 89th Ast/g (15.0), 93rd FG% (46.4), 100th ORebs/g (11.33), 100th W-L % (66.7)

Akron Continues Road Swing Against Northern Illinois

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Cheese

Enrique Freeman

Loren Cristian Jackson

The University of Akron Athletics