Akron Ends Game with Strong Defense and Relentless Offense for 83-76 Win over Miami on ESPNU

Friday, February 12

Oxford, OH

7 PM

University of Akron

12-4,10-3MAC

Miami

8-8,5-6MAC

Akron

Miami (OH)

Akron Ends Game with Strong Defense and Relentless Offense for 83-76 Win over Miami on ESPNU

February 12 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Akron Ends Game with Strong Defense and Relentless Offense for 83-76 Win over Miami on ESPNU
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Oxford, Ohio –A combination of smothering defense and 14 consecutive points from senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) lifted the Akron Zips to an 83-76 win on the road against the Miami RedHawks on ESPNU Friday night.

A national audience witnessed two of the league's best point guards putting on a show as Jackson scored a game-high 25 points and Miami's Mekhi Lairy registered 24 points. Jackson collected 14 of the Zips' final 16 points as Akron limited the RedHawks to just three points in the final four minutes of the game.

Junior Bryan Trimble, Jr. (Kansas City, Mo.) tallied the Zips final two points and finished with a second-best 15 points for Akron. Sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) added nine points and a team-best seven rebounds, while senior Maishe Dailey (Beachwood, Ohio), junior Michael Wynn (Albany, N.Y.) and sophomore Ali Ali (Kendallville, Ind.) chipped in eight points each.

Dailey led the Zips (12-4, 10-3 MAC) with five assists and two steals with one of those steals coming around the 4-minute mark of a tied game, 73-73, which led to a Jackson old-fashioned 3-point play. It proved to be the final lead change of the contest as Jackson followed with an amazing off-balanced 3-pointer with a hand in his face and last second on the shot clock for a 79-74 lead with 1-minute remaining in the game. Jackson followed with a driving layin.

In total, the game featured 14 lead changes and six tied scores. The Zips led for 20:26 while the home team held the advantage for 15:35. Akron opened the game with the lead and built an early eight-point cushion, 18-10, by 13:09 in the first half.

The RedHawks (8-8, 5-6 MAC) cut into Akron's lead and knotted the game 25-25 behind mid-range jumper and 3-pointer from Isaiah Coleman-Lands – he finished with a dozen points. Miami triggered another defensive stop and Myja White buried a trifecta to give Miami its first lead of the game with 8:13 left in the first half, 28-25. Both teams scored 12 points the rest of the half as Miami held a 40-37 halftime advantage.

Both teams came out of the break with high energy, and by the 15:13 mark Akron took control of scoreboard on Trimble 3-pointer. 49-47. Jackson and Dailey also hit deep shots during that stretch. The Zips buried nine of their 14 triples in the second stanza en route to a 46-point half.

Akron finished the game shooting 49.2 percent from the floor (30-of-61), including a 14-of-34 showing from deep. The Zips slightly outrebounded Miami 30-28 as the RedHawks connected with 52.9 percent of their field goals (27-of-51) and 35.7 percent from long range (5-of-14).

The Zips are scheduled to be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. against Northern Illinois at James A. Rhodes Arena. Fans can follow the action on ESPN3/+, 640 WHLO AM or GoZips.com.