Akron Hosts Second Game Against Buffalo at The JAR

Akron (18-8, 10-3) vs Buffalo (12-14, 6-7)
Saturday, Feb. 18 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7 PM • ESPN+

What's Ahead
Akron snapped a two-game setback streak in Ypsilanti, Mich. as the Zips host game two against the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted ESPN+ from the James A. Rhodes Arena with Michael Reghi (pxp) and Jeff Phelps (analyst) on the call. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

Game Coverage
TV: ESPN+: https://bit.ly/3xvrYd8
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/3gDBthm
Live Radio: WHLO 640AM - https://ihr.fm/3fFmzLo

Head Coaches
Buffalo Head Coach
Jim Whitesell (Luther '82)
Overall Record: 454-347 (28th Season)
Record at UB: 67-46 (4th Season)
MAC Record: 42-25 (4th Season)

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 294-199 (15th Season)
Record at Akron: 112-68 (6th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 98-71 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 38-33 • Groce vs. Buffalo: 4-8 (9-12 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 81, Buffalo 64 at Alumni Arena on January 31, 2022
First Meeting: Akron 84, Buffalo 74 in Akron 1954-55 season
MAC Tournament: Buffalo Leads: 5-2

The Akron-Buffalo Series
Saturday's game marks the 72nd meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 22nd meeting for a Groce coached squad, 13th at Akron. Akron holds an all-time 38-33 series advantage while Groce is 9-12 overall and 4-8 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 seven times in postseason play with Buffalo holding a 5-2 edge.

Akron claimed the first game of the 2023 series 81-64 at Alumni Arena and the lone regular season meeting in 2021-22 on New Year's Day after trailing by as many as 14 points and won by 12 points (88-76). The two team also met in the MAC Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as No. 4 Akron claimed a 70-68 over No. 5 Buffalo to advance to the semifinals against No. 1 Toledo. Buffalo claimed the previous meeting at the MAC Tournament 81-74 in overtime to advance to the MAC Tournament finals.

The Zips dropped the only regular season meeting in 2021 as Buffalo led by as many as 22 points and the Zips battled back to a one possession game with Buffalo winning 80-78 at Alumni Arena. In 2019-20, 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 13 meetings.

Scouting The Bulls
Buffalo enters the game at 12-14 overall and 6-7 in the MAC. The Bulls average 78.9 points per outing on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and a 32.7 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.1 triples a game. The Bulls are 9-4 at home, 2-7 on the road and 1-3 at neutral sites this season.

Buffalo has four players scoring in double figures as Curtis Jones leads the squad in scoring with 15.6 points per game on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor and 36.7 from deep with a team-best 65 made 3-pointers. He is second on the glass with 5.0 rebounds per game (130 rebs).

Zid Powell follows with 12.7 points per game shooting 41.1 percent shooting from the floor with 13 3-point field goals. He adds a team-high 41 steals and third in assists (62). Isaiah Adams is third in scoring with 11.2 points per game. He is second-best from beyond the arc with 47 made triples , while
LaQuill Hardnett follows with 10.3 points per games. He made 17 trifectas and leads the squad on the glass 7.4 rebs per game (186). Armoni Foster leads the team in assists (102) and third in steals (24).

Defensively, Buffalo allows its opponents to score 77.8 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting from the floor and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing only 7.6 long distance strikes per night. The Bulls have caused 376 turnovers (14.5 to/g) with 211 steals (8.1 stl/g). The Bulls outrebounds the opponent by a +2.6 margin, allowing the opponent to grab 926 total boards (35.6 rebs/g) compared to the 993 total rebounds secured by the Bulls (38.2 rebs/g).

Home Sweet Home
The Zips own a 452-135 (.767) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 248-38 (.864) record at the JAR. Under coach Groce Akron is 72-13 (.825) at home. The Zips are 10-0 at home in 2022-23. 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. During COVID shortened season, Akron posted a 9-1 mark at the JAR (2020-21) and last season the Zips posted a 12-3 record. 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 University of Akron Athletics

Akron Hosts Second Game Against Buffalo at The JAR

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