Akron Hosts Northern Illinois on Senior Day

Saturday, March 2

Akron, Ohio

6 PM

University of Akron

Northern Illinois

March 01 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Akron (20-8, 12-3 Mid-American) vs Northern Illinois (10-18, 4-11 Mid-American)
Saturday, Mar. 2 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
6:00 pm ET – ESPN + - WHLO 640

HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 318-210 | At Akron: 136-78
Northern Illinois: Rashon Burno| Overall Record: 32-58| At Northern Illinois: Same

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 31-14     Groce vs Northern Illinois: 7-3 (11-3 Overall)
First Meeting:              Akron75,Northern Illinois 68 At NIU (January 23, 1988)
Last Meeting:              Akron 73, Northern Illinois 51 At NIU Convocation Center (Jan. 2, 2024)
At Akron: 19-3 | At NIU: 12-11 |
Current Streak: 2W

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips host Northern Illinois on Saturday, March 2 for the 46th all-time meeting. Akron and Northern Illinois can be viewed on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Dave Bacon 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 HUSKIES
The Huskies spot a 10-18 overall record, a 4-11 record in conference, and a 4-10 record on the road when they travel to James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday. Northern Illinois is coming off a 75-72 road victory at Toledo on Tuesday, February 27. The road victory broke a three-game losing streak.

David Coit scored 27 points, playing all 40 minutes, and went 10-for-25 from the field and 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Coit also added five assists in the win. Will Lovings-Watts has a 14-point, 10 rebound double-double. The Huskies shot just below 51 percent against the Rockets from the field and went 43.5 percent from 3-point range.

Coit is averaging 19.9 points per game and is scoring 21.1 in conference action. Along with Coit, Zarique Nutter (15.4) and Xavier Amos (13.8) are also scoring in double-figures. Amos is leading the way in rebounds with 5.8 rebounds per game with Nutter close behind with 5.7. Coit is also the leader on NIU in assists with 3.3. Yanic Konan Niederhauser has 51 blocks this season to lead the Huskies while Amos is second with 33.

In the previous meeting with Akron, Coit scored 21 points in 36 minutes on a 6-of-13 shooting night from the field. He was the only Husky to score in double-figures in the 73-51 loss at the NIU Convocation Center.

The Huskies are first in the MAC in blocked shots per game with 4.93 blocks per game.

NIU is 25th in the country in blocks per game (4.9) and 88th in free throw attempts (21.1).

ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron is coming off a 74-67 loss at Ohio on Tuesday. The Zips were up at the half but were outscored 45-32 in the second half. Greg Tribble and Ali Ali both scored 16 points while Enrique Freeman recorded his 25th double-double with a 13-point, 11-rebound performance.

Enrique Freeman is currently 1st in the nation in double-doubles (25), rebounds (362), and rebounds per game (12.9). He leads the Zips in rebounds per game, points (18.1) and total blocks (41). He's also 89th in the country in blocks per game (1.43).

The Zips came away with a 22-point victory at NIU when the two teams played last, with Akron winning 73-55. Freeman had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and was joined by Ali Ali, Nate Johnson, and Greg Tribble in double-figure scoring.

The Zips are third in scoring among MAC schools with 74.7 points per game. Akron is also first in the MAC in scoring defense (65.3) and scoring margin (+9.4). Akron also spots the third-best fg percentage (.458) and opponent fg percentage (.427). The Blue and Gold are holding teams to a conference-low .303 3-point fg percentage while holding the third-best rebounding average (36.9), best opponent rebound average (31.9), and rebounding average (5.0).

Akron is 85th in the country in effective fg% (.530), 41st in rebound margin (+5.0), 99th in defensive rebounds per game (26.29), 23rd in scoring defense (65.3), 46th in scoring margin (+9.4), 25th in 3-point fg defense (.303) and 92nd in 3-point fg made per game (8.3)

INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 46th meeting in series history between Akron and NIU, and 15th meeting for
a Groce coached squad. Akron holds an all-time 31-14 series advantage while Groce is 7-3 at Akron and
10-3 against the Huskies all-time. This is the second straight season Akron has started MAC play with NIU,
as the Zips won 76-51 at the JAR.

The Zips have won 14 of the last 19 games against the Huskies.

Akron is 12-11 all-time on the road against NIU while holding an 19-3 edge at the JAR

Akron and NIU split the season series in 2021-22 and which saw the Zips win the first meeting at NIU (70-64) while the Huskies responded with a win at James A. Rhodes Arena (66-63). The two teams
split the series in 2020-21 as well. The Huskies claimed the first meeting on a last second shot for a 67-65 win at the NIU Convocation Center and Akron bounced back with an 81-76 triumph at The JAR.

Akron won the lone meeting in 2019-20 in DeKalb, 72-49. The two teams split 2018-19 season series with a 73-56 setback in DeKalb and a 67-65 triumph in Akron. The Zips won the 2017-18 lone matchup, 82-67, at James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron on Jan. 20. In 2016-17, The Zips won 76-73, at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb on Jan. 31. Akron and the Huskies split the 2015-16 season's series, winning at Rhodes Arena on Jan. 26, 76-66, but falling at NIU Convocation Center on Feb. 13, 80-79.

LAST TIME AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS (JAN. 2, 2024)
DEKALB, Ill. - Enrique Freeman notched a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Akron men's basketball team beat the Northern Illinois Huskies 73-51 on the road Tuesday.

The Zips (9-4, 1-0) had four players score in double figures, led by Freeman. Ali Ali tacked on 16 points and six rebounds and Nate Johnson chipped in as well with 13 points and six rebounds.

The Akron offense was very productive from beyond the arc, knocking down eight threes on 19 attempts. Johnson was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining three treys in the contest.

The Akron defense held Northern Illinois shooters to just 32.1 percent from the field, including 18.2 percent from three-point range. The Zips also kept Zarique Nutter to 3-of-14 shooting and nine points in the game. The Huskies did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only eight offensive rebounds and scored 11 second chance points while Akron pulled down 30 defensive rebounds.

After jumping out to an 11-8 advantage, Akron went on a 10-0 run with 10:53 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Johnson, to increase its lead to 21-8. The Zips then added six points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 35-16 advantage.

Following intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 51-31 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Kaleb Thornton's three, to grow the lead to 56-31 with 11:02 to go in the contest. The Huskies narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 73-51 win.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 468-134 (.777) all-time record at the James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 17 seasons, Akron has posted a 264-39 (.871) record at the JAR. The Zips are 12-0 at the JAR this season and have won their last 15 home games dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Under coach Groce, Akron is 87-14 (.861) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23.

Akron owns a 101-21 (.828) home-opening record and 37-4 (.902) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 21-of-22 home opening games. Akron is 21-8 in MAC openers, and 12-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 18 seasons, the Zips are 15-3 in MAC openers and 7-1 at home. Akron has won the last 9-of-10 MAC openers.

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. 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 DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 25 double-doubles this season, ranking 1st 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 12 times. Freeman recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16 and has recorded 10 straight since Jan. 23.

Additionally, he ranks 93rd in blocks (41), 89th in blocks per game (1.46), 30th in fg% (.582), 56th in fg made (181), 35th in free throws attempted (183), 47th in made free throws (131), 76th in total points (508), 76th in points per game (18.1), 1st in total rebounds (362), 2nd in def. rpg (9.43), 21st in off. rpg (3.50) 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?
Akron stays home as it hosts Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, March 5 at the JAR for a 7 pm start.