Gulf Coast Showcase: Akron and Evansville Set for Final Showdown

Gulf Coast Showcase: Akron and Evansville Set for Final Showdown
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Game 6 Notes: Akron vs Evansville (PDF)

What's Ahead
The Akron Zips wrap-up action at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. against Evansville at Hertz Arena. The Zips opened the tournament with a 63-43 setback to Fordham and fell 57-45 in second round action to App State.

Fans can follow the action with FloHoops livestream (subscription required - https://flosports.link/3tmkxC6) or listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

Akron Zips (2-3) vs Evansville (2-5)
Wednesday, Nov. 24 • Hertz Arena • Estero, Fla. • 11 am

All-Time Series
Fifth Meeting: 4-0 - Groce vs. Evansville 0-0 (at Akron)
Last Meeting: Evansville 76, Akron 68 - Feb. 23, 1983 at Evansville
First Meeting: Evansville 82, Akron 70 - NCAA Mideast March,1957 at Evansville
1963-64 NCAA DII National Championship - Evansville 72, Akron 59 (March 12, 1964 at Evansville)

Broadcast
TV/Video: FloHoops - https://flosports.link/3tmkxC6
Radio: Akron Sports Network-Dave Skoczen (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst)-WHLO 640 AM (iHeart Radio)
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats

Evansville Head Coach
Todd Lickliter (Butler '79)
Overall Record: 180-153 (12th season)
Record at Evansville: 11-34 (3rd Season)
The Valley: 7-29 (3rd Season)

Akron Zips Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 251-183 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 71-52 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 40-32 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 74-62 (at Ohio and Akron)

The Akron-Evansville Series
Wednesday's game marks the fifth meeting in series history between the Zips and the Aces. Evansville owns a 4-0 all-time record against the Akron. The two teams have not played in almost four decades as the last meeting was during the 1982-83 season, the Aces won 76-68 at Evansville. In Akron's first Division I season (1980-81), Evansville defeated the Zips 71-51 at Evansville. The series began during the 1957-58 season in the DII NCAA Mideast Tournament hosted by Evansville, the Aces won 82-70. The two teams also met for the 1963-64 DII NCAA Championship at Evansville as the Aces won the DII title, 72-59.

Scouting the Aces
Evansville wraps-up the Gulf Coast Showcase with a 2-5 overall mark after falling to Rice in three overtime periods (109-104) and Vermont (58-49). The Aces defeated IUPUI (60-40) and DePauw (69-58) and fell to Cincinnati (65-43), Belmont (81-43) and UCF (75-59).

The Aces have three players averaging double figures in scoring as Jawaun Newton leads the way with 14.0 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting from the floor (36-of-77) and team-best 34 rebounds. Shamar Givance follows with 11.6 points per game and a team-high 26 assists, while Evan Kuhlman has buried a team-best 13 long-distance buckets (.371, 13-of-35) en route to scoring 10.7 points per game. Noah Frederking has also posted double-dight 3-point FG made with 11 on 28 attempts for a 39.3 percent shooting effort and averages 9.0 points per game.

Defensively, Evansville limits its opponents to 69.4 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the floor and 34.7 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.3 long distance strikes per night. The Aces caused 83 turnovers (11.9 to/g) with 47 steals (6.7stl/g). Evansville is outrebounded the opponent by a -3.9 margin as the opponents' snagged 233 (33.3 reb/g) total boards compared to the 206 (29.4 reb/g) total rebounds secured.

Regular Season Tournaments
Akron is 66-44 all-time and 45-37 in the Division I era (since 1980) in regular season tournaments and 6-6 over the last four years under Groce (6-9 at Akron). Akron posted 3-1 record in the Global Sports Shootout and 1-1 mark in the DC Holiday Hoops Fest in 2019-20, In 2018-19, the Zips went 2-2 at the Cayman Island Classic, and in Groce's first season, Akron posted an 0-3 mark at the 2018 Diamond Head Classic.

Akron has posted multiple wins in 13 of the last 16 in-season tournaments, including three championships. The Zips won two tournaments in 2016-17, the Savannah Invitational (4-0) and Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (2-0). In 2015-16, Akron went 2-0 at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic to claim the title. In 2014-15, Akron posted a 2-1 record in the Gildan Charleston Classic following the previous tournament runs at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off (2012, 2-1), 2K Sports Classic (2011, 2-2), the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic (2010, 3-1), the Glenn Wilkes Classic (2009, 2-2), the Legends Classic (2008, 2-2), the Top of the World Classic (2007, 2-1) and the San Juan Shootout (2005, 2-1).

The Second Round
The Akron Zips shooting woes continued in game two of the Gulf Coast Showcase as Appalachian State handed Akron a 57-45 setback on Tuesday afternoon at Hertz Arena.

Sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) posted his third double-double of the season to lead Akron. Freeman recorded 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds, while shooting a team-best 70-percent from the floor (7-of-10). The Zips finished the game shooting just 30.5 percent from the field (18-of-59), including a 21.2 percent effort from deep (7-of-33) and only 2-of-7 from the charity stripe. Junior Bryan Trimble, Jr. (Kansas City, Mo.) added nine points and sophomore Mikal Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) notched eight points.

Akron opened the game on a 10-5 run and held the lead at the 13:25 mark, but a 4:53 scoring drought allowed the Mountaineers to take a 18-10 advantage. The Zips cut the deficit in half with back-to-back paint points, a dunk by Freeman and a layin by graduate K.J. Walton (Indianapolis, Ind.), but App State responded with a pair of baskets. Akron used a 7-0 run to end the half and trail by only one point, 22-21 at intermission.

App State started the second half with five unanswered points, and the Mountaineers eventually extended the lead to 15 points with 3:43 left to play, 49-34. The Zips were able to cut the deficit to 10 points on Freeman spin move in the paint and an sophomore Ali Ali (Indianapolis, Ind.) triple from the left wing which made the score 49-39 with 2:03 left to play.

Michael Almonacy scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Mountaineers, while Donovan Gregory and Adrian Delph followed with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Akron won the battle of the boards 38-33 and registered a eight steals and forced nine turnovers, while committing 14 turnovers as a tream.

Akron will wrap-up the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase against Evansville on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action on FloHoops live streaming service, the Akron Sports Network WHLO 640 AM or via live stats on GoZips.com.

The Opening Round
The Akron men's basketball team struggled shooting from the floor as the Zips dropped the opening round game of the Gulf Coast Showcase to Fordham, 63-43, on Monday at Hertz Arena.

The Zips shot only 31.4 percent from the field (16-of-51), including just one made 3-point field goal (1-of-18). Sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) led the Zips in scoring with nine points while pulling down a team-best 11 rebounds. Junior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) followed with eight points and buried Akron's only triple with 2:44 remaining in the game, breaking an 0-of-17 streak for the game.

Akron opened the game with a 6-2 lead, but the Rams used runs of 9-3 and 8-2 to take a 19-11 lead by the 7:36 mark. Fordham outscored Akron 11-8 in the closing minutes of the first half for a 30-19 halftime lead.

Akron opened the second half with another 6-2 run, cutting the Rams lead to seven points, 32-25. The Rams eventually pushed the lead back to 20 points, 49-29, with 7:46 remaining in the game.

Antonio Daye, Jr. led Fordham with 19 points and Darius Quisenberry followed with 17 for the win. Fordham narrowly edged the Zips on the glass 37-31 as Antrell Charlton and Kyle Rose secured seven rebounds each.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to host Marshall on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at James A. Rhodes Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action on ESPN3/+or listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

Gulf Coast Showcase: Akron and Evansville Set for Final Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Ali Ali

Xavier Castaneda

Mikal Dawson

Enrique Freeman

Bryan Trimble, Jr.

K.J. Walton

The University of Akron Athletics