Akron Game Time Against WMU Changed to 6 PM on Tuesday at The JAR

Akron Game Time Against WMU Changed to 6 PM on Tuesday at The JAR
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Game 15 Notes: Akron at Western Michigan

Akron Zips (9-5, 2-2 MAC) vs Western Michigan (4-12, 0-5 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 18 • James A. Rhodes Arena • Akron, OH • 6 PM • ESPN3

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 261-186 (14th Season)
Record at Akron: 79-54 (5th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 42-34 (5th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 76-64 (at Ohio and Akron)

Western Michigan Head Coach
Clayton Bates (Florida, 1995)
Overall: 9-28 (2nd season)
Record at WMU: 9-28 (2nd season)
MAC Record: 4-17 (2nd season)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 35-20 (7-2 MAC Tournament) - Groce vs. Western Michigan: 5-1 (8-3 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 79, Western Michigan, 68 in Kalamazoo, Mich. on January 23, 2021
First Meeting: Akron 79, Western Michigan 74 March 5, 1988 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
In Akron:18-7, Neutral: 5-2, In Kalamazoo: 12-11

Broadcast
TV: ESPN3 – Michael Reghi (PxP) and Jacki Windon (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
In the first of three games this week, the Akron Zips are scheduled to host the Western Michigan Broncos on Tuesday, Jan. 18 for a 6 p.m. tip-off on 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-Western Michigan Series
Tuesday's game marks the 56th meeting in series history between Akron and Western Michigan with the Zips owning a 35-20 all-time series advantage. In addition, the Zips and the Broncos have met nine times in postseason history as Akron holds a 7-2 edge.

Head coach John Groce is 8-3 all-time against the Broncos and 5-1 at Akron. Akron has won 11 of the last 12 meetings and 23 of the last 27 games of the series. The Zips won the season series in 2019-20 with an, 84-69 at Rhodes Arena and 71-67 in Kalamazoo. Akron won the lone game in 2020-21 (79-68) and 2018-19 (56-48).

In 2017-18, the two teams split the series (1-1) as the Broncos defeated Akron in the MAC opener 87-75 in Kalamazoo, ending the Zips five-year, six-game winning streak – Western Michigan's pervious win came during the 2014 MAC Tournament semifinals on March 14. WMU needed overtime to advance to the title game, defeating Akron 64-60 at Quicken Loans Arena. In the second meeting of 2017-18, Akron pulled-off an improbable come-from-behind victory to advance in the 2018 MAC Tournament. In the first round of the MAC Tournament at University Arena, the No. 11 seeded Zips earned a 79-78 win over No. 6 seeded Broncos after trailing by 19 points. In 2016-17, Akron swept the season series, winning game one 66-59 at James A. Rhodes Arena and followed with a 90-80 win in Kalamazoo, Mich. In the 2015-16 season's lone meeting, Akron posted a 62-53 win over the Broncos at Rhodes Arena.

Akron is 7-2 in the MAC Tournament against WMU and 5-2 on a neutral court. In addition, the Zips are 10-11 in Kalamazoo, winning six of the last eight meetings at University Arena. In 2002, Akron opened the MAC Tournament in Kalamazoo and advanced to Cleveland after a 90-83 win as the 11th seed. The Zips are 2-0 in the MAC Tournament at University Arena and 6-6 all-time in opening round games.

Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan is looking for its first league win as the Broncos are 0-5 in MAC play, dropping games at Toledo, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo and Miami. WMU is 4-12 overall, 2-0 in neutral site games, 2-6 at home and 0-5 on the road. The Broncos average 64.9 points per game on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor and 30.9 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.5 triples a game. In addition, the Broncos shoot 69.6 percent from the free throw line with 9.8 made per game.

Western Michigan has one player scoring in double figures as Lamar Norman Jr. scores a MAC second-best 19.3 points per game. He shoots 43.0 percent from the floor (101-of235) with more than half of his shots coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Norman buried 52 long distance buckets on 141 attempts for a 36.9 percentage from deep. He owns a second best 25 assists and 14 steals to go along with 46 rebounds.

Markeese Hastings controls the glass for the Broncos, grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game, securing 128 total boards. Hastings adds 8.7 points per game with a team-high 15 steals and eight blocked shots. Mack Smith dishes out a team-high 27 assists and Titus Wright owns a team-best 12 blocks with 8.6 and 5.5 points per game, respectively.

Defensively, Western Michigan allows its opponents to scoring 77.9 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting from the floor and 33.2 percent from 3-point range, allowing 8.1 long distance strikes per night. The Broncos caused 166 turnovers (10.4 to/g) with 8.5 steals (5.3 stl/g). WMU outrebounds the opponent by a +2.8 margin as the opponent grabbed 488 total boards (32.5 rebs/g) compared to the 529 total rebounds (35.3 rebs/g) secured.

Home Sweet Home
The Zips own a 437-132 (.766) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 232-36 (.866) record at the JAR. Under coach Groce Akron is 52-12 (.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 7-1 at The JAR this season.

UP NEXT
Akron continues MACtion with an away game at Bowling Green on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Stroh Center and a home contest against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 22 with a 7 p.m. tip. 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 Game Time Against WMU Changed to 6 PM on Tuesday at The JAR

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