Akron Zips Battle the Ball State Cardinals at The JAR on Tuesday at 7 pm

Akron Zips Battle the Ball State Cardinals at The JAR on Tuesday at 7 pm
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Game 13 Notes: Akron vs Ball State (PDF)

Akron Zips (8-4, 1-1 MAC) vs Ball State (7-7, 2-1 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 11 • James A. Rhodes Arena • Akron, OH • 7 PM • ESPN3

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 260-185 (14th Season)
Record at Akron: 78-53 (5th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 41-33 (5th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 75-63 (at Ohio and Akron)

Ball State Head Coach
James Whitford (Wisconsin '94)
Overall: 124-138 (9th season)
Record a tBall State: 124-138 (9th season)
MAC Record: 62-84 (9th season)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 26-18 • Groce vs. Ball State: 3-3 (6-6 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 88, Ball State 79 at Worthen Arena on Feb. 19, 2021 First Meeting: Ball State 39, Akron 38 in Akron 1937-38 season
The Zips in Akron 15-6, at Neutral Site 2-0, in Muncie 9-12

Broadcast
TV/Video: ESPN3 – Michael Reghi (PxP) and Jacki Windon (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network -Dave Skoczen (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst)-WHLO 640 AM (iHeart Radio)
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats

What's Ahead
Akron is looking to bounce back from a Mid-American Conference setback against Ohio as the Zips host Ball State on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at James A. Rhodes Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed ESPN3. The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron 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. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

The Akron-Ball State Series
Tuesday's game marks the 45th meeting in series history between Akron and Ball State, and 13th meeting for a Groce coached squad, seventh at Akron. Akron holds a 26-18 all-time series advantage while Groce is 6-6 against the Cardinals and 3-3 at Akron. Akron is 15-6 all-time against BSU at home, 9-11 at BSU and 2-0 in neutral site games. Akron is 1-1 all-time versus Ball State in the MAC Tournament.

The Zips swept the season series in 2021-22, defeating BSU 88-79 (Feb. 19, 2021) at Worthen Arena and winning 74-42 (Jan. 30, 2021) at James A. Rhodes Arena. In 2019-20, Akron snapped the Cardinals three-game winning streak with a convincing 75-60 win on Jan. 10 at The JAR. Ball State ended Akron's 15-game winning streak in 2017-18 which included a double overtime thriller in Muncie, Ind. (111-106). UA's Jimond Ivey broke Worthen Arena's all-time scoring mark of 41 points previously held by Bonzi Wells (Ball State, 1996) and Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan, 1998). Ivey's nine 3-pointers set an arena record and he tied the arena record for made field goals (15) set in 1992 by Xavier's Brian Grant. In addition, the 217 combined points are the most in Worthen Arena history, while Akron's 106 points are the most ever by a visiting team and by the losing team in that arena.

The Cardinals won the second meeting of 2017-18 by a 90-77 score at Rhodes Arena and claimed 2018-19 lone meeting 57-56 on a tip-in at the buzzer. In 2016-17, Akron claimed both games. Isaiah Johnson lifted Akron to a 65-63 win in dramatic fashion with a buzzer-beating jumper at James A. Rhodes Arena (Feb. 7, 2017). A few weeks later, the two teams met in the semifinal game of the MAC Tournament as the No. 1 seeded Zips defeated the No. 4 Cardinals 74-70 at Quicken Loans Arena (March 8, 2017). Ball State's previous win against Akron came in the 2003-04 season when the Cardinals defeated the Zips 76-72 in the first round of the MAC Tournament at Worthen Arena. Ball State also won the regular season matchup that season 77-71 in overtime.

Scouting the Cardinals
The Cardinals own a 7-7 overall record and 2-1 in league play, standing 5-1 at home, 1-4 on the road and 1-2 in neutral site games. Ball State averages 74.4 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the floor and 37.2 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 9.1 triples a game. In addition, the Cardinals shoot 67.9 percent from the free throw line on 14.8 attempts per game.

Ball State has three players scoring in double figures and four players with double-digit 3-pointers as Luke Bumbalough leads the way with 12.9 points per game. Bumbalough leads the squad behind the 3-point arc with 2.8 trifectas made per game and ranks third in the MAC. He is 39-of-57 made field goals are from long-distance as he shoots 38.6 percent from deep. He also leads the team in assists (46).

Tyler Cochran and Payton Sparks follow in scoring with 11.4 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Cochran owns a team-best 27 steals and is second in rebounds (5.1 reb/g, 72 reb) and assists (32), while Sparks leads the squad on the glass (6.2 reb/g, 87 rebs). Sparks shoots 51.9 percent (49-of-95) from the field and Cochran connects at a 49.6 percent rate (59-of-119).

In addition, Thomas Miryne adds a second-best 22 made 3-pointers and 9.4 points per outing, while Jalen Windham and Demarius Jacobs buried 17 and 12 shots from deep, averaging 8.7 and 7.7 points per game.

Defensively, Ball State limits its opponents to scoring 76.8 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the floor and 36.2 percent from 3-point range, allowing 8.9 long distance strikes per night. The Cardinals caused 181 turnovers (12.9 to/g) with 91 steals (6.5 stl/g). Ball State is outrebounded the opponent by a -1.6 margin as the opponent grabbed 517 total boards (36.9 rebs/g) compared to the 495 total rebounds (35.4 rebs/g) secured.

Home Sweet Home
The Zips own a 436-132 (.766) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 231-36 (.866) record at the JAR. Under coach Groce Akron is 51-12 (.839) at home. Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship. Last season the Zips posted a 9-2 mark at the JAR. Groce became the third Akron coach since 1940 to win his first six home games in the first season as head coach. The Zips rattled off seven straight wins at the JAR before falling in the MAC home opener to Buffalo. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA. The Zips are 6-1 at The JAR this season.

UP NEXT
Akron is back in MACaction, traveling to arch-rival Kent State for the first installment of the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network at the M.A.C. Center. Fans can also follow the action on Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (analyst) or live stats on GoZips.com.

The University of Akron Athletics

Akron Zips Battle the Ball State Cardinals at The JAR on Tuesday at 7 pm

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