GAME PREVIEW: Akron Travels to Buffalo, Tuesday, March 2 at 2 PM | Alumni Arena

GAME PREVIEW: Akron Travels to Buffalo, Tuesday, March 2 at 2 PM | Alumni Arena | ESPN3

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Akron Travels to Buffalo for Mid-Day Game on ESPN3

Akron Zips (14-6, 12-5 MAC) at Buffalo Bulls (12-7, 10-5 MAC)
Tuesday, March 2 • Alumni Arena • Buffalo, N.Y. • 2 p.m. • ESPN3

AKRON HEAD COACH
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 249-178 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 69-48 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 40-31 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 74-61 (at Ohio and Akron)

BUFFALO HEAD COACH
Jim Whitesell (Luther '82)
Overall Record: 419-320 (26th Season)
Record at UB: 32-19 (2nd Season)
MAC Record: 21-12 (2nd Season)

ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 35-31- Groce vs. Buffalo: 1-6 (6-10 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 86, Buffalo 73 at Alumni Arena on Feb. 29, 2020 First Meeting: Akron 84, Buffalo 74 in Akron 1954-55 season
MAC Tournament: Buffalo Leads: 3-1

BROADCASTS
TV/Video: ESPN3: Paul Peck (PxP) and Matt Mattia (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 Akron Zips are looking to snap a two-game setback streak as the Zips travel to Buffalo on Tuesday, Maarch 2 at 2 p.m. on ESPN3. Akron has won 10 of the last 13 games, and lost two consecutive games twice this season.

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-BUFFALO SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 67th meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 17th meeting for a Groce coached squad, Eighth at Akron. Akron holds an all-time 35-31 series advantage while Groce is 6-10 overall and 1-6 at Akron. In three of those five setbacks, the Zips led at halftime and took a one possession game to the final minutes. The Zips and the Bulls have met four times in postseason play with Buffalo holding a 3-1 edge.

Akron and UB split the series last season as Akron won at Alumni Arena, 86-73, and the Bulls posted a 77-74 win at the JAR on a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in the game. The Bulls won three games against the Zips -n 2018-19, including an 82-46 win in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament. The No. 21/22 ranked Bulls defeated the Zips at Alumni Arena (77-64) and started the series sweep when the No. 24/25 ranked Bulls defeated Akron at James A. Rhodes Arena 76-70 on Feb. 12. The Bulls swept the 2016-17 season's series with an 87-65 win in Akron and an 80-68 win in Buffalo. The Zips swept the regular season series in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and have won five of the last 12 meetings.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
Buffalo enters the contest with an 12-7 overall record and 10-5 in MAC play and under second year head coach Jim Whitesell. The Bulls are riding a three-game winning streak and have won six of the last seven games. Buffalo is 6-3 (5-3 MAC) at home, 5-3 (5-2 MAC) on the road and 1-1 in neutral site games.

Buffalo has four players scoring in double figures in points, led by Jeenathan Williams with 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He adds a third-best 50 assists and 19 steals with even blocked shots. Williams shoots 48.2 from the floor with 136 field goals with 20 coming from deep (.303). Josh Mballa follows with 15.3 points and a MAC-best 10.1 rebounds per game and 161 total boards. He is second in steals (27) and fourth in assists (33).

Jayvon Graves is third in scoring with 14.5 points per game. Graves has buried a second-best 29-of-100 from long distance (.290) and is shooting 41.9 percent from all areas of the court with 108 field goals. He is second in assists (67), third in rebounds (107, 5.6) and first in steals (28). Ronaldo Segu rounds out the double-digit scoring with 12.9 points per outing with a team-best 83 assists. He is the team-leader from beyond the 3-point arc with 35 triples and a 40.7 shooting percentage.

Defensively, Buffalo limits its opponents to 72.7 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the floor and 28.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 5.8 long distance strikes per night. The Bulls caused 263 turnovers (12.9 to/g) with 158 steals (8.3 stl/g). Buffalo outrebounds the opponent by a +6.9 margin. The opponents snagged 675 (35.5) total boards compared to the 833 (43.8) total rebounds secured.

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, 71-59, and Northern Illinois, 67-65. Akron bounced with a six-game winning streak, knocking off the top-ranked Toledo Rockets in overtime, 95-94, the top-ranked Bowling Green Falcons for the first road win, 69-57, the Central Michigan Chippewas, 81-67, the Western Michigan Broncos, 79-68, the rematch against Eastern Michigan, 86-65 and Ball State, 74-42. The Rockets ended the Zips consecutive game win streak, 91-76, but the Zips bounced back with a rivalry sweep of the Kent State Golden Flashes, 72-61,a win over Miami, 83-76 - both on the road. The Zips avenged a loss to NIU with an 81-76 victory and defeated Ball State, 88-79, on the road to extend a new winning streak to four games, Ohio snapped that streak on Tuesday, 90-73.

The Zips are 12-4 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 74-19 (.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 195-93 overall (.669), including a 120-25 mark in MAC play at home (.822). The Zips' 195 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 112 of their last 161 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.

THE LAST MEETING
The Akron Zips snapped a six-game losing skid to Buffalo at Alumni Arena as the Zips defeated the Bulls 86-73 behind yet another 35-point performance by junior Loren Cristian Jackson.

With the game tied 69-69, Jackson scored 11 consecutive points to give the Zips an 80-73 advantage. Xeyrius Williams kept the run going with a big slam dunk off an inbounds play while Channel Banks also contributed down the stretch by draining three consecutive free throws and Jackson split a pair to end the game. All-in-all Akron finished the game on a 17-4 run for the win.

It was a classic Akron-Buffalo back-and-forth game, featuring seven lead changes and 11 tied scores. Buffalo sprinted out to a 10-2 advantage, scoring on the first four possessions of the contest. The Bulls held on to a 2-or-3 possession lead for the initial five minutes until Williams connected on a fastbreak layin while being fouled. He buried the free throw, cutting Akron's deficit to 13-9 at the 14-minute mark.

From there, both teams jockeyed for position, throwing punch and counterpunch for the reminder of the first half. Jackson connected with a step-back 3-pointer to tie the game a 20-points apiece, but the home team pushed the lead back to eight points, on a pair of 3-pointers from Savion Gallion and Jeenathan Williams.

The Zips climbed back into the game on a Jackson triple and three points from Greg Tribble before Williams hit a trailing 3-pointer for a 33-32 lead. However, Buffalo answered and claimed a 38-37 advantage before intermission.

In the second half, Akron came out on a mission. The Zips immediately grabbed the lead after Deng Riak finished with a jump-hook in the paint and Jackson sliced his way to the hoop for a layup. The Zips pushed the lead to six points, 47-41, but the Bulls fought back to tie the game at 50-50 with 13:58 left to play.

The home team used a 7-2 run to take a five-point lead, but Akron battled back and never let off the gas. Jaden Sayles sparked the final run for the Zips to take the lead with his only bucket of the game. Williams and Banks followed as Williams pulled the Zips within one-point on a mid-range jumper and Banks elevated Akron to a two-point advantage with a corner 3-ball, 59-57. The two teams traded baskets to reach the 69-69 stalemate.

Jackson led all-scorers with 35 points on 12-of-27 from the field, 4-of-11 from deep and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. He added six assists and six rebounds in the winning effort. Jackson now has five 30-plus point performances this season while notching a career-best 35 points three times, including back-to-back games. Williams recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Williams controlled the defensive glass with 10 rebounds and scored twice while securing three offensive boards. Banks rounded out the Zips' double-digit performers with 14 points. He drained several timely 3-pointers to keep Akron in the game or in the lead. He buried 3-of-7 from long distance and added a 2-point field goal with a 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line. Banks had two of the Zips five steals.

Jeenathan Williams led the Bulls with 18 points while Antwain Johnson and Jayvon Graves added 12 and 11, respectively. Akron won the battle of the boards 49-37 and only committed four second-half turnovers.

WALK-ON TO A STARTING ROLE - ENRIQUE FREEMAN
Starting forward sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) is a walk-on player that joined the Zips for the 2019-20 season. He is on a full academic scholarship and spent the 2018-19 year completely focused on his academics. During his second year on campus he walked into the gym for walk-on tryouts. Groce and staff added him to the team, and Freeman quickly adjusted to the role of student-athlete. He appeared in seven games last season, scoring five total points with a 1-of-1 showing from the floor and 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line. He grabbed four rebounds and had one block. In the offseason, Freeman put on 20 pounds with workouts and eating habits.

This season he has appeared in all 20 games with 17 starting appearances. Against Malone, he had a career showing with 22 points and 21 rebounds. That effort stands as the most rebounds by an Akron player since 1985.

Currently, he is third in scoring for the Zips with 7.9 points per game (157 pts) and leads the squad on the glass with 8.8 rebounds per game (176 rebs). He has three double-doubles and is leading the MAC in field goal percentage (.753, 67-of-89), defensive rebounds (6.2 - 123), rebounding (8.8 - 167) and blocked shots (1.8 - 36) and 5th in offensive rebounds (2.7 - 53). In addition, he ranks No. 45 in the NCAA in rebounds per game, 48th in blocked shots per game, 53rd in total blocks, No. 54 in defensive rebounds per game, No. 64 in total rebounds and No. 88 in offensive rebounds per game (2.65).

LCJ - ACTION JACKSON
Jackson leads the MAC in scoring with 21.4 points per game and is second in the MAC assists with 6.4 per game. Jackson has scored 427 total points on 41.8 percent (133-of-318) shooting from the field and 33.6 percent (48-of-143) from beyond the 3-point arc with five 30-plus point performances. His five 30-point games ranks second in the NCAA behind Iowa's Luka Garza's six 30-plus point efforts. Jackson notched three double-doubles in points and assists this season and ranks fourth in the league in free throw percentage (87.6; 113-of-129).

Jackson currently ranks 7th all-time in scoring at Akron with 1,502 points in 84 games played. For his career Jackson has scored 1,698 points and dished out 420 assists which ranks 8th among active players in the NCAA. He is the only player (NCAA) this year to average 20+ points and 6+ assists per game.

In the national rankings, Jackson ranks 9th assists per game (6.4), 10th points per game (21.4), 11th free throws made (113), 14th total assists (128), 26th total points (427), 32nd free throw attempts (129), 36th free throw percentage (87.6), 41st field goals attempted (318), 75th field goals made (133), 76th 3-point field goal attempts (143), 87th assist turnover ratio (2.13), 89th minutes per game (34:83) and 114th 3-point field goals per game (2.4).

HIGH MAJOR PLAYERS
The Zips have three players from high-major schools that are making an impact in 2021. Junior Bryan Trimble,Jr.(St. Johns) averages a second-best 12.8 points per game and leads the team from beyond the 3-point arc, connecting with 70 triples out of 85 field goals made. He leads the MAC and No. 6 in the NCAA with 3.5 trifectas made per game. Trimble shoots 41.2 percent from long distance, ranking 3rd in the MAC and 30th in the NCAA. He is 70-of-170 from deep, ranking 14th (3FGM) and 23rd (3FGA).

Senior Maishe Daily (Iowa) adds 6.1 points per game with 21 made 3-pointers. Dailey is third in rebounds (70), grabbing 3.5 per game while dishing out 1.5 helpers for 30 total assists.

Michael Wynn (Wake Forest) has been making an impact offensively and defensively. He scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds against EMU. He knocked down a crucial 3-pointer that sparked the Zips' run to put away the eagles. He followed with a season-high 10-point performance against Ball State, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep and the charity stripe.

JACKSON NAMED TO LUTE OLSON AND LOU HENSON PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Senior Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) was named to a pair of mid-season watch lists, appearing on the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award and Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award lists, CollegeInsider.com. On Jan. 4, Jackson garnered the Lute Olson National Player of the Week accolades, placing him in the conversation for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. Jackson is one of 35 players mentioned for early consideration for national player of the year honors. In addition, Jackson made his second appearance on the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award watch list in 2020-21, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball. Jackson appeared on the preseason Lou Henson list after being named a finalist in the 2019-20 voting and earning Lou Henson All-America Team honors. Jackson is one of three players in the Mid-American Conference to receive recognition this season, and one of 40 players in division I basketball. Joining Jackson on the list in the MAC were Toledo's Marreon Jackson and Bowling Green's Justin Turner.

THE POLLS - ZIPS RANK IN MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
Akron basketball returned to the The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll on Feb. 1, 2021 the Zips entered the poll at No. 18. after wining six-straight games all against league opponents, and now the Zips rank No. 12. Last season, the Zips finished with their best ranking at No. 12 (2/24/20) and Akron received one vote for the AP Poll on Jan. 27 and Jan. 13 of 2020.

The Zips rank No. 93 in the NCAA NET Rankings. In the Ken Pom rankings, Akron is currently 106th overall and owns the fourth-best defensive efficiency rating in the MAC (102.5) and stands 149th in the NCAA (101.2). The Zips rank fourth in the MAC in offensive efficiency according to Ken Pom (110.0) and 77th in the NCAA (108.8).

UP NEXT
The Akron Zips will be back in action on Friday, March 5 at James A. Rhodes Arena, hosting Miami in a 7 p.m. game on Senior Night. Fans can follow the action on ESPN3/+, 640 WHLO AM or GoZips.com.

QUICK HITS
• Jackson named Lute Olson and Lou Henson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List
• LCJ, Lute Olson National Player of the Week (1/4), MAC Player of Week last two weeks (12/28 & 1/4)
• Jackson has five 30-plus point performances this season, Ranking No. 2 in the NCAA
• Jackson is 7th All-time in Scoring at Akron with 1,502 points in 84 games
• Jackson scored double-digits 19-of-20 games and has three double-doubles
•Jackson leads the team in scoring (20.9 ppg) and assists (6.5 APG) - No. 1 in MAC (both categories)
• Jackson has buried three or more 3-point FG in seven games with a 7-of-14 best against Kent State
• Enrique Freeman's 21-rebound effort stands as the most by an Akron player since 1985.
• Freeman leads the league in FG % (.750) and DReb with 6.32 per game (120 DREBS)
• Bryan Trimble, Jr. posted a career-high 6-of-6 from deep against Ohio and 25 points against CMU
• Trimble has hit three or more 3-point FG in 13 games with a 7-of-10 best performance (Kent State)
• Jackson, Dailey and Trimble combined for 14-of-20 from beyond the arc against Ohio 70.0 Percent

GAME PREVIEW: Akron Travels to Buffalo, Tuesday, March 2 at 2 PM | Alumni Arena | ESPN3

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Players Mentioned

Channel Banks

Enrique Freeman

Loren Cristian Jackson

Deng Riak

Jaden Sayles

Greg Tribble

Bryan Trimble, Jr.

Xeyrius Williams

Michael Wynn

The University of Akron Athletics