Freeman’s 14th Double-Double Leads Akron to 78-51 Win Over Eastern Michigan

Tuesday, February 14

Ypsilanti, MI

7 PM

University of Akron

18-8,10-3MAC

Eastern Michigan

6-20,3-10MAC

Akron

Eastern Mich.

Freeman’s 14th Double-Double Leads Akron to 78-51 Win Over Eastern Michigan

February 14 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Junior forward Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) registered his 14^th double-double of the season as Akron defeated Eastern Michigan 78-51 at The George Gervin GameAbove Center on Tuesday night.

Freeman led all scorers with 22 points while grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds, while four Zips registered double-digit points. Senior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) followed with 16 points, four assists and four rebounds, while freshman guard Nate Johnson (Liberty TWP., Ohio) posted a career-high 13 points to go along with a career-best seven boards. Graduate Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich.) rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points and added five rebounds as Akron won the battle of the boards 45-27.

The Zips controlled the scoreboard early thanks to an 8-0 run that included a pair of long distance jumpers from Castaneda and Hankerson while junior Sammy Hunter capped the run with an offensive rebound and put back for two of his nine total points. Freeman added six consecutive points as Akron claimed a 29-20 halftime advantage.

For the second time in as many games, the stingy Akron defense made it tough for the second-leading scorer in the Mid-American Conference as Emoni Bates (20.5 ppg) went just 1-of-7 from the floor. He was limited to six first-half points, with four coming from the charity stripe as Eastern Michigan (6-20, 3-10 MAC) went without a 3-point bucket and missed the mark eight times.

In the second half, Akron (18-8, 10-3 MAC) used a 17-4 run that lasted 4:18 and held the home team scoreless for nearly three minutes to stretch the lead to 21 points by the five-minute mark, 69-48. Akron scored 11 points off turnovers and a dozen second chance points in the second frame while limiting the Eagles to just 1-of-7 from deep and 11-of-25 from the field.

Akron held EMU to shooting under 40.0 percent from the field (19-of-50, .380) and under 10 percent from deep (1-of-15, .067). Bates led Eastern Michigan with 13 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the floor and 1-of-9 from downtown, while Noah Farrakhan registered 11 on 5-of-10 shooting.

The Zips will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 18 at James A. Rhodes Arena, hosting a rematch against the Buffalo Bulls at 7 p.m.