The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
22-5,13-1MAC
Ball State
8-19,3-11MAC
Lyles and Johnson Lead Akron Past Ball State, 78-65
February 20 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind - Amani Lyles totaled a career-high 26 points and Tavari Johnson added 25 as the Akron men's basketball team knocked off the Ball State Cardinals 78-65 on the road Friday.
The Zips recorded their 12th consecutive conference victory with the win over Ball State.
Lyles and Johnson's stellar scoring performances led the Zips (22-5, 13-1) in the contest. Lyles tacked on eight rebounds and Johnson added six rebounds and six assists. Eric Mahaffey helped out with seven points and six rebounds while Evan Mahaffey recorded six points, five rebounds and five assists.
Johnson moved up to 19th on the all-time scoring list, and now has 1,268 career-points as a Zips. He also moved into a tie for 7th for single season assists with 141 this season.
Akron utilized great ball movement in Friday's game, piling up 17 assists on 29 made field goals. Johnson's six assists paced the Zips and Evan Mahaffey also added five assists of his own.
Akron forced 14 Ball State turnovers in Friday's game. The Zips turned those takeaways into 14 points on the other end of the floor. Sharron Young led the way individually with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 30-28, Akron went on a 7-0 run with 4:17 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Johnson, to take a 35-30 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 40-36 advantage. Akron did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 40 points close to the basket.
Following the intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 54-48 before going on a 9-0 run to grow the lead to 63-48 with 9:49 to go in the contest. The Cardinals narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 78-65 win. Akron capitalized on seven Ball State turnovers in the period, collecting 10 points off those turnovers.
Game Notes
» Akron found success from beyond the arc, knocking down nine treys in the game.» The Zips held the Cardinals to only 39.7 percent shooting from the field.
» Akron never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Akron recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» Amani Lyles, Tavari Johnson, and Shammah Scott combined to account for 76 percent of the Zips points.
» Akron had a 40-35 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Akron defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Amani Lyles had a game-high 26 points and Tavari Johnson added 25.
» Akron got a team-high eight rebounds from Amani Lyles.
What's Next?
The Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, February 24, to host Buffalo for a 7 p.m. start.
