The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Toledo
Akron Travels To Face Toledo on Tuesday
February 19 | Men's Basketball
Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Savage Arena – Toledo, Ohio
7:00 pm ET – ESPN + - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 317-208 | At Akron: 135-76
Toledo: Tod Kowalczyk| Overall Record: 410-290| At Toledo: 274-178
All-Time Series
Toledo Leads: 41-30 Groce vs. Toledo 3-8 (8-9 Overall)
First Meeting: Akron 37, Toledo 8 in Akron 1915-16 season
Last Meeting: Akron 77, Toledo 70 at James A. Rhodes Arena Feb. 2, 2024
In Akron:18-13 | In Toledo: 10-27 | Neutral: 2-1
Current Streak: 1W
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips travel to face the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday, February 20 for the 72nd all-time meeting. Akron and Toledo can be viewed on ESPN + with Chris Schmidbauer and Rhett Boyd 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.
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
The Rockets come into Tuesday's contest with a 16-9 overall record and a 10-2 record in the MAC. Toledo most recently took down Ohio 85-83 at Savage Arena last Friday to set up a battle for first place with the Zips.
Dante Maddox Jr. was one of five Rockets to score in double-figures as he led the way with 21 points. Javan Simmons had a 13-point, 16-rebound double-double as well. Toledo is 7-3 over their last 10 games and holds a 10-2 record at Savage Arena.
Four Rockets are scoring in double-figures this season with Ra'Heim Moss leading the way with 16.4 points per game. Maddox Jr. (15.9), Tyler Cochran (13.5), and Javan Simmons (13.0) are also scoring 10 or more points per game. Cochran leads the way with 6.8 rebounds per game while Moss is leading in assists with 2.9. Simmons is leading the Rockets in total blocks with 24.
Toledo holds the conference's top offense with 80.8 points per game while holding the third-worst defense with 77.6 points allowed per game. The Rockets also hold the MAC's best FG percentage (.481) and worst opponent FG percentage (.492). The Rockets are also second in 3-point fg percentage (.376).
The Rockets are 82nd in effective fg% (.533), 33rd in fast break points (13.80), 27th in fg% (.481), 31st in free throw percentage (.762), 42nd in free throws made per game (16.2), 32nd in scoring offense (80.8), 99th in steals per game (7.3), 23rd in 3-point percentage (37.6), 55th in turnover margin (+2.4), 90th in turnovers forced per game (13.16), and 76th in fewest turnovers per game (10.7).
The Rockets also see Simmons ranked 33rd in field goal percentage (.580). Cochran is ranked 53rd in steals (50) and 49th in steals per game (2.00).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
The Zips rebounded with a 73-62 road win at Buffalo on February 17. Akron leads the MAC with an 11-1 conference record and holds a 19-6 overall record.
The Zips are 7-3 in true road games and will have played the past three games (James Madison, Buffalo, and Toledo) away from James A. Rhodes Arena.
Akron scored 47 points in the second half against Buffalo while Enrique Freeman had a 16-point and 15-rebound double-double. Freeman went 7-of-15 from the field while hauling in five offensive rebounds. Freeman was joined by Ali Ali (15), Greg Tribble (13), Tavari Johnson (12), and Sammy Hunter (11) in double-figure scoring. The Zips also shot 58 percent from the field in the second half against Buffalo.
The Zips hold the MAC's top-scoring defense (64.5) and scoring margin (+10.6). Akron is also second in the conference in opponent fg% (.424), third best fg% (.458), and best opponent 3-point fg% (.299). the Zips have also held opponents to the fewest rebounds per game (31.7) and hold the best rebound margin (+5.2).
Akron is 87th in the country in effective fg% (.532), 42nd in rebound margin (+5.2), 99th in defensive rebounds per game (26.32), 21st in scoring defense (64.5), 38th in scoring margin (+10.6), 23rd in 3pt percentage defense (.299), and 78th in 3-pointers made per game (8.5).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 72nd meeting in series history between Akron and Toledo, and the 18th meeting for a Groce coached squad (10th at Akron). Toledo owns a 41-30 all-time series advantage while Groce is 8-9 all-time and 3-8 at Akron against the Rockets. The Zips have won 11 of the last 23 meetings and snapped a four-game losing skid with a 95-94 overtime win on Jan. 16, 2021, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Zips took down the Rockets 77-70 at James A. Rhodes Arena in the first meeting between these two teams on February 2.
2023 saw Toledo sweep the series with an 84-74 win at the JAR (Feb. 7) and an 84-63 win in Toledo (Feb. 21). In 2022, the Rockets won the regular season matchup 84-67 on Jan. 28, but the Zips retaliated by knocking off the No. 1 seeded Rockets in the 2022 MAC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA First Round.
Akron is 17-13 all-time at Rhodes Arena, 10-27 on the road at Savage Arena, and 2-1 in the MAC Tournament with a loss at Quicken Loans Arena.
LAST TIME AGAINST TOLEDO (FEB. 2)
AKRON, Ohio - Ali Ali totaled 26 points and Enrique Freeman added 20 and the Akron men's basketball team beat the Toledo Rockets 77-70 at home Friday.
Akron took down Toledo for the first time at home since January 16, 2021, when the Zips won 95-94.
The Zips (17-5, 9-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Ali, who had 26 points and two blocks. Freeman tacked on a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds and Mikal Dawson chipped in as well with 14 points and two blocks.
Freeman surpassed Zip's great Loren Cristian Jackson to become No. 6 on the Akron all-time scoring list.
Ali scored his 1,00th career point and now has 1,019 career points and 902 as a Zip.
Akron shared the ball well in Friday's game, racking up 15 assists on 25 made field goals. Freeman's four assists led the Zips and Kaleb Thornton also chipped in with three assists of his own.
Akron did a great job disrupting Toledo's shots in the contest, coming away with seven blocks. Freeman's three rejections led the way individually for the Zips.
After jumping out to a 27-20 advantage, Akron went on a 7-0 run with 6:20 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Ali, to increase its lead to 34-20. The Zips then lost some of that lead but still entered halftime with a 47-36 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 47 points.
The Zips then held on for the victory in the second half. Akron made the most of four offensive rebounds to tack on five second-chance points out of 30 total in the period.
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 7-3 in true road games this season. The Zips have posted wins over South Dakota State (81-75), Northern Kentucky (77-76), NIU (73-51),Ball State (80-76), Kent State (77-71), Eastern Michigan (77-46), and Buffalo (73-62) while falling to UNLV (72-70),Miami (OH) (70-68), and James Madison (73-59).
THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 22 double-doubles this season, ranking 2nd in the NCAA, and is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double. He is 1-of-14 players in Div. I to average a double-double and has recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 11 times. Freeman recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16 and has recorded seven straight since Jan. 23.
Additionally, he ranks 91st in total blocks (38), 84th in blocks per game (1.52), 30th in fg% (.585), 74th in fg made (161), 30th in free throws attempted (169), 39th in made free throws (123), 80th in total points (457), 72nd in points per game (18.3), 2nd in total rebounds (323), 2nd in def. rpg (9.52), 25th in off. rpg (3.40) and 1st in rebounds per game (12.9).
THE FINAL 10
Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman was one of 10 finalists for the 2024 Karl Malone Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on February 1. The annual honor is in its tenth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips return home to James A. Rhodes Arena to face rival Kent State on Friday, February 24 for a 6 pm start.
