Senior Night at James A. Rhodes Arena against Ball State

Akron (20-9, 12-4) vs Ball State (20-9, 11-5)
Tuesday, Feb. 28 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7 PM • ESPN+

What's Ahead
Akron looks to avenge an early season setback against Ball State, as the Zips host the Cardinals for Senior Night at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28 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+:
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/3gDBthm
Live Radio: WHLO 640AM - https://ihr.fm/3fFmzLo

Head Coaches
BSU Head Coach
Michael Lewis (Indiana '00)
Overall:20-9 (1st season)
Record at BSU: 11-5 (1st season)
MAC Record:11-5 (1st season)

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 296-200 (15th Season)
Record at Akron: 114-68 (6th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 100-72 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 28-19 Groce vs. Ball State: 5-4 (8-7 Overall)
Last Meeting: Ball State 70, Akron 63 at Worthen Arena on January, 6, 2023
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 11-12

The Akron-Ball State Series
Tuesday's game marks the 48th meeting in series history between Akron and Ball State, and 16th meeting for a Groce coached squad, 10th at Akron. Akron holds a 28-19 all-time series advantage while Groce is 8-7 against the Cardinals and 5-4 at Akron. Akron is 16-6 all-time against BSU at home, 11-12 at BSU and 2-0 in neutral site games. Akron is 1-1 all-time versus Ball State in the MAC Tournament.

The Cardinals claimed the first meeting in 2022-23 as Akron was without senior Xavier Castaneda in Muncie (70-63). The Zips swept the series last season, winning 84-74 at The JAR (Jan. 11) and 79-60 at Worthen Arena (March 1). Akron 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 20-9 overall record and 11-5 in league play, standing 12-1 at home 6-6 on the road and 2-2 in neutral site games. Ball State averages 76.2 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the floor and 37.2 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.5 triples a game.

Ball State has four players scoring in double figures as Jarron Coleman leads the way with 14.5 points per game. Coleman paces the squad from deep, draining 68 long distance buckets while shooting 36.2 percent from long range. He also leads the team in assists (110) and steals (40).

Jaylin Sellers follows in scoring with 13.8 points per game and owns a team-best 47.6 shooting percentage from deep with a second best 50 made triples. Payton Sparks is third in scoring, averaging 12.8 points per night on 59.3 percent shooting from the floor. Sparks also leads the squad on the glass, grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game (242 rebs). Rounding out the double-digit scoring is Demarius Jacobs with 12.1 points per game. He leads the team in blocks (35) and second in assists (97) and steals (39).

Defensively, Ball State limits its opponents to scoring 69.9 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting from the floor and 37.2 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.0 long distance strikes per night. The Cardinals caused 346 turnovers (11.9 to/g) with 167 steals (5.8 stl/g). Ball State outrebounds the opponent by a +3.6 margin as the opponent grabbed 951 total boards (32.8 rebs/g) compared to the 951 total rebounds (32.8 rebs/g) secured.

Home Sweet Home
The Zips own a 455-136 (.767) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 251-39 (.864) record at the JAR. Under coach Groce Akron is 75-14 (.825) at home. The Zips are 14-1 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.

Akron in the MAC
Akron is 52-20 over the last three seasons in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.714) in the league. The Zips are 38-16 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 89-25 (.795) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 221-102 overall (.681), including a 133-31 mark in MAC play at home (.822). The Zips' 221 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 136 of their last 195 MAC games (.694).

Senior Night at James A. Rhodes Arena against Ball State

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Players Mentioned

Xavier Castaneda

The University of Akron Athletics