The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
23-10,13-5MAC
Ohio
20-13,13-5MAC
Akron secures 65-62 victory against Ohio after trailing at the half - Advances to MAC Championship
March 15 | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team went into the halftime break trailing Ohio 26-16, but rallied from the deficit to beat the Bobcats 65-62 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Friday.
The Zips (23-10) had three players score in double figures, led by Enrique Freeman, who secured a double-double with 24 points and 21 rebounds. Ali Ali tacked on 16 points and eight rebounds and Sammy Hunter helped out with 14 points.
Freeman set a MAC Tournament record with his 21 rebounds while setting a new career-high in blocks with seven.
The Akron offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making eight threes on 22 attempts. Hunter was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining four treys in the contest.
The Akron defense held Ohio shooters to only 36.1 percent from the field, including 21.7 percent from three-point range. The Bobcats did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only eight offensive rebounds and scored 10 second chance points while Akron pulled down 30 defensive rebounds.
How It Happened
Akron struggled out of the gate, falling behind 26-16 heading into halftime.
Akron narrowed its deficit to 48-45 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Freeman's layup, to seize a 54-48 lead with 4:31 to go in the contest. The Bobcats narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still held on for the 65-62 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 49 points.
Game Notes
» Enrique Freeman notched an impressive double-double for the Zips with 24 points and 21 rebounds.» Akron rallied from a 10-point 26-16 halftime deficit to pick up the win.
» Akron found success from beyond the arc, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Zips held the Bobcats to only 36.1 percent shooting from the field.
» Enrique Freeman, Ali Ali, and Sammy Hunter combined to account for 83 percent of the Zips points.
» Enrique Freeman contributed on the defensive end with seven blocks in the game.
» Akron had a 40-34 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Zips were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording eight blocks as a team.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Enrique Freeman led the Zips with a game-high 24 points.
» Enrique Freeman dominated the boards with a game-high 21 rebounds to lead Akron.
What's Next?
The Zips will battle the Kent State Golden Flashes for the MAC Championship at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland with the contest set to air on ESPN 2.
