Akron Hosts Second Game Against Western Michigan at The JAR

Akron (19-9, 11-4) vs Western Michigan (7-21, 3-12)
Saturday, Feb. 25 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7 PM • ESPN+

What's Ahead
Akron is looking for its 20th win of the season as they host Western Michigan for a rematch at James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted by ESPN+ 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://es.pn/41uJegC
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/3gDBthm
Live Radio: WHLO 640AM - https://ihr.fm/3fFmzLo

Head Coaches
WMU Head Coach
Dwayne Stephens (Michigan State '93)
Overall Record: 7-21 (1st Season)
Record at WMU: 7-21 (1st Season)
MAC Record at WMU: 3-12 (1st Season)

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 295-200 (15th Season)
Record at Akron: 113-68 (6th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 99-72 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 37-21 (7-2 MAC Tournament) Groce vs. Western Michigan: 7-2 (10-4 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 63, Western Michigan 55 at Read Fieldhouse Jan. 21 , 2023
First Meeting: Akron 79, Western Michigan 74 March 5, 1988 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
In Akron:19-7, Neutral: 5-2, In Kalamazoo: 13-12

The Akron-Western Michigan Series
Saturday's game marks the 59th meeting in series history between Akron and Western Michigan with the Zips owning a 37-21 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 10-4 all-time against the Broncos and 7-2 at Akron. Akron has won 13 of the last 15 meetings and 25 of the last 30 games of the series. Akron posted the win in the first meeting (63-55). The Zips and the Broncos split the series last season as both teams defended their home court, (L, 61-57 OT) and (W, 74-73). Akron won the first meeting of 2022 in dramatic fashion, coming from 11 points down to win at in the final possession. 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 12-12 in Kalamazoo, winning six of the last nine 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
The Under the direction of first-year head coach Dwayne Stephens, Western Michigan is 7-21 overall and 3-12 in league play. WMU is 6-6 at home, 1-14 on the road and 0-1 in neutral site games this season. The Broncos average 70.0 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the floor and 32.9percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.8 triples a game. In addition, the Broncos shoot 71.2 percent from the free throw line with 11.4 made per game.

Western Michigan has two players scoring in double figures as Lamar Norman Jr. is fourth in scoring in the MAC with 17.7 points per game. He shoots 40.7 percent from the floor with more than half of his shots coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Norman buried 76 long distance buckets on 228 attempts for a 33.3 percentage from deep. He owns a team-best 79 assists. Tray Maddox, Jr. follows with 11.5 points per game while adding 80 rebounds, 47 assists and 18 steals. Markeese Hastings controls the glass for the Broncos, grabbing 9.5 rebounds per game, securing 265 total boards. Hastings adds 8.1 points per game with a team-best 26 steals and team-high 17 blocked shots. Titus Wright adds 8.5 points per game.

Defensively, Western Michigan allows its opponents to scoring 74.0 points per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and 35.7 percent from 3-point range, allowing 8.1 long distance strikes per night. The Broncos caused 281 turnovers (10.0 to/g) with 175 steals (6.3 stl/g). WMU outrebounds the opponent by a +4.4 margin as the opponent grabbed 911 total boards (32.5 rebs/g) compared to the 1,035 total rebounds (37.0 rebs/g) secured.

Home Sweet Home
The Zips own a 454-136 (.767) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 250-39 (.864) record at the JAR. Under coach Groce Akron is 74-14 (.825) at home. The Zips are 13-1 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 Western Michigan at The JAR

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