The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
12-4,3-1MAC
Bowling Green
11-6,2-3MAC
Zips Earn 77-67 Road Win at Bowling Green
January 09 | Men's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team got a 38-point showing from the bench on the way to a 77-67 victory against the Bowling Green Falcons on the road Friday.
The Zips (12-4, 3-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Amani Lyles, who put together a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Bowen Hardman added 15 points off of the bench, Eric Mahaffey helped out with 14 points and seven rebounds while Sharron Young added 10 points, four assists, two steals and two rebounds.
Akron utilized fantastic ball movement in Friday's game, piling up 19 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Tavari Johnson lent a helping hand the most for the Zips with seven assists.
The Akron defense caused its share of mistakes in Friday's game, forcing 15 Bowling Green turnovers while committing 14. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the other end of the floor. Evan Mahaffey's four steals led the way individually for the Zips.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 5-2 advantage, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 17:16 left in the first half to increase its lead to 13-2. The Zips then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-27 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 43 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Evan Mahaffey's layup, to grow the lead to 71-61 with 1:57 to go in the contest. The Zips held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 77-67 win. Akron capitalized on seven Bowling Green turnovers in the period, collecting 10 points off those turnovers.
Game Notes
» Amani Lyles notched a double-double for the Zips with 18 points and 10 rebounds.» Akron found success from three point land, knocking down 11 treys in the game.
» Akron never trailed on the way to a 77-67 victory.
» The Zips put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 73 percent of made field goals.
» The Akron bench made an impact by adding 38 points to its scoring output.
» Bowen Hardman and Eric Mahaffey came off the bench to score 15 and 14 points, respectively.
» Akron had a 40-36 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Akron defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Amani Lyles led the Zips with 18 points.
» Akron got a game-high 10 rebounds from Amani Lyles.
What's Next?
Akron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena to host Ball State on Tuesday, January 13 for a 7 p.m. start.
