Zips Handle CMU For Tourney Win
Cleveland, Ohio – Some people wondered how the University of Akron Men’s Basketball team would respond after a heartbreaking loss to close out the regular season against rival Kent State. Akron had three days to prepare for their opponent in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament. They faced Central Michigan who defeated the Zips in an upset win earlier in the year. Thursday Akron got revenge as they handled the Chippewas 81-60 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
For much of the first half, CMU and Akron traded shots with Central on top most of the time, but in the waning minutes of the half Akron began to pull away. Their precise shooting, stifling defense and low turnovers (a total of eight) proved to be too much for CMU.
The key in the win was Jerimah Wood. Leading the Zips with 17 points and 9 rebounds, the Chippewas could not solve him. When the double teamed him, Wood easily found ways to dish off a pass to the open man. With 10 minutes left to go in the game, coach Keith Dambrot was able to rest Jeremiah and his twice surgically repaired knee for Friday night’s game against Western Michigan.
Nate Linhart added 16 points and 6 rebounds and Nick Dials landed 5 points, and 6 assists. Off the bench Brett McKnight put in 12 points and Darryl Roberts added 8 points.
Akron, the number three seed, will next face second-seeded Western Michigan Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 pm. For all of your Zips game day information, visit the UofAZIPS.com Game Day page.
MAC East Title Slips By Zips
Akron, OH – Zips fans have to be sick and tired of desperation 3-pointers at the buzzer. Remembering back to last year’s MAC Championship game, fans remember all too well how Miami’s Doug Peno’s prayer-of-a-shot killed Akron’s hopes at a Championship title. Sunday night at the JAR, wasn’t any easier to watch. This time the bullet was delivered by Kent State’s Al Fisher with 2.0 seconds on the clock as the Kent State Golden Flashes defeated the Akron Zips 61-58 to clinch the MAC East title.
The final score would not be an accurate measure of how well the Zips played. From the start, Akron was cold in shooting and lethargic on defense. Nothing was going right for the Zips. One could argue that Akron played poorly for 35 minutes and didn’t pull it together until the last 5 minutes. The score was 55-44 with 1:54 to go in the game, but Fisher’s shot was the killer.
They were out-shot and out-hustled much of the first half. Coach Keith Dambrot could not seem to get his team going as they went to the locker room at half time down 32-15.
Keith Dambrot stated that the Zips need to learn from what went wrong and make changes in the upcoming MAC Tournament. “If we learn from this, six days from now things could go a lot different”.
For Akron, Nick Dials had 5 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds including a huge 3-pointer late in the game. Jeremiah Wood put in 23 points, 21 in the second half, including a long 3-pointer to tie the game at 58. Wood is 2-3 on 3-pointers this season. He also grabbed 7 rebounds. Brent McKnight 11 points, 5 rounds while Cedrick Middleton scored 7 points and had 2 rebounds.
Akron shot a dismal 32% from the field. Even worse they went 3-23 from 3-point range. They were 74% from the foul line. 5The Attendance was 5,607 (sell out).
Akron finishes the regular season 21-9, 11-5 while Kent lands at 25-6, 13-3. Akron earned a bye in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Their next game will be in round two on Thursday at 2:30PM at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. For all of your Zips game day information, visit the UofAZIPS.com Game Day page.
The Cedrick Express Helps Lift The Zips Over OU
Oxford, Ohio – Cedric Middleton’s timing is so timely that NASA could use him to help shoot down their next errant satelite. Tuesday night, Middleton and the Zips battled Ohio University on the road, a game with a lot on the line. Middleton’s 19-points helped lift the Zips over the Bobcats 80-77 giving them a chance to play for a tie atop the MAC East this Sunday against Kent State.
Middleton started the year struggling. Last season he averaged over 14 points a game, but early in the season this year there were games where he didn’t score or only scored one basket. Tonight, Middleton lead the Zips in scoring. In his last five games, Cedrick has lead the Zips in scoring averaging 17.6 points per game which includes a career high 20 points vs. Buffalo.
Coach Keith Dambrot realizes how crucial Cedrick’s timing is helping the Zips win big in their last 4 games. “Middleton continues to shine and make big plays. I’m excited for him.”
The Zips were very efficient from the field in the win over the Bobcats shooting 60%. They were able to make big plays at crunch time including Nick Dials’ 4-4 from the free throw line with under a minute to go. “Every play we ran at crunch time worked” coach Dambrot added.
Jeremiah Wood was 8-8 from the field for 19-points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover. It was Wood’s 3rd straight double figure scoring game since returning from knee surgery two weeks ago. Chris McKnight and 13-points while Nate Linhart added 8 points with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Nick Dials put in 11 points on 6 assists with 1 steal.
The Zips were 44% from 3-point range and went 12=16 from the foul line. Akron was significantly out rebounded 17-33 but the had 21 assists to only 9 turnovers.
With the win, Akron improves to 21-8, 11-4 while Ohio drops to 18-11, 8-7. The win also clinched the 3rd seed in the MAC Tournament. Akron has already earned a bye in the first round.
Akron’s final regular season match-up is this Sunday against division rival Kent State at the JAR. The sold out game time is set for 6:00PM. An Akron win will give them a tie for the Division lead with the Golden Flashes. Kent is coming off of a major upset loss to Bowling Green which knocked them out of the Top 25 rankings. For all of your Zips Game Day information visit the UofAZIP.com Game Day page.
Zips Earn Tough Road Win Over Miami
OXFORD, Ohio (via ESPN/AP) — During difficult times, winning teams will call on different players to step up to shoulder the load. The Akron Zips are no different. After losing Jeremiah Wood, one of their leading rebounders and scorers, someone needed to fill the gap. Not many would have figured Cedrick Middleton into the mix. Middleton has struggled all season with his shooting, but lately he’s shown signs of stepping out of the funk he fell into. Tuesday night was Cedrick’s turning point as he helped lift the Zips over the Miami Redhawks 56-52.
The last minute of regulation provided plenty of excitement including a put-back dunk by Quade Milum and a pair of game-clinching free-throws by Cedrick Middleton.
The dunk by Milum, who had six points, came with 36 seconds remaining. The free throws with one second remaining by Middleton, who led the Zips with 18 points, iced the victory. Chris McKnight contributed 10 for Akron (19-7, 9-4), while Nick Dials had eight. The Zips shot 46.5 percent for the game, including 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line during the second half. Tim Pollitzled the RedHawks (13-12, 7-6) with 18 points, while Kenny Hayes added 13 — his 12th straight game in double figures.Akron broke an eight-game home winning streak for Miami.
Akron returns to Rhodes Arena this Saturday to battle Virginia Commonwealth in the ESPN Bracketbuster. Game time is set fo 11:00am. Visit the UofAZIPS.com Game Day page for more information.
Wood Could Return On Saturday
Akron, Oh – Coach Ketih Dambrot stated on the MAC Men’s basketball coaches weekly teleconference that Senior Forward Jeremiah Wood has a good chance to be back on the court for Saturday’s ESPN Bracketbuster match-up against VCU. Dambrot stated that if it were a “life or death situation”, Wood could be ready to play tomorrow night against Miami (OH).
Wood’s injury limited his playing time in the loss at Western Michigan on February 6th. He left early in the second half and did not return. Surgery was performed on Saturday, February 9th to repair a torn lateral meniscus. During his sophomore year, Jeremiah suffered a torn ACL on the same knee and missed the rest of the season and the next due to rehab. It was presumed that Wood would be out for the remainder of the season, but his hard work has led to a much faster than normal recovery.
Zips Clip The Falcons 65-56 On The Road
Bowling Green, Oh – The Zips continue to make it interesting late in the game even when they don’t need to be made interesting. On Saturday, it came down to hitting clutch free throws to seal the 65-56 victory over the Bowling Green Falcons on the road. The Zips hit 12-13 from the free throw line in the last 2 minutes of the game. The victory is the second of its kind over the Falcons this season. Akron has won their last seven games versus the Falcons. As usual, the win didn’t come easy as Akron’s shooting still leaves much to be desired.
Akron shot only 38% from the floor which helped to keep Bowling Green in the game. The Zips had several opportunities to blow the game wide open, but their shooting was again suspect. However, where their shooting was potentially costing them the game, it was their tough defense that kept them in the game.
Another surprise in the last few weeks is that Akron’s free throw shooting has drastically improved. Akron has struggled at the line for the last few season as well as early this season. Saturday, the Zips nailed 75% from the line. Going into the game, Akron was shooting 71%.
The Zips have had to make some adjustments to their game plan lately to account for losing senior forward Jeremiah Wood (knee). Prior to leaving for knee surgery, Wood led the team in rebounds with 7.8 per game and 13.4 points per game. Without a big presence underneith the boards, Akron needs to be more accurate with their outside shooting as well as their defense. So far, their defense has been keeping them in the game, but coach Keith Dambrot knows they need to step up their shooting if they want to contend for the MAC title again this year.
Offensively for Akron, Nick Dials had 14 points inclduing 7-7 from the free throw line. Dials pulled down 4 rebounds and had 2 assists. Chris McKnight had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Nate Linhart contributed 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals while Cedrick Middleton finally had a good game with 14 points, and 3 steals. Senior Quade Milum put in 7 points and pulled down 6 boards.
Akron was 5-16 (31%) from 3-point range. Bowling Green won the battle of the boards 41-33. Both teams had 8 blocked shots which is a season high for Akron. The Zips had only 10 turnovers while BG had 18.
Akron improves to 18-7, 8-4 while the Falcons drop to 11-13, 6-6. Akron’s next game is at Miami (OH), game time is 7:30pm. For all of your Zips game day information, visit the UofAZIPS.com Game Day page.
Injured Zips Fall NIU At Home
Akron, Oh – The injuries have definitely begun to take a toll on the Akron Zips men’s basketball team. They have already lost senior Jeremiah Wood, their big man inside and leading rebounder, and shooting guard Cedrick Middleton has been battling injuries and poor shooting all year. Tuesday night their poor shooting and battle wounds combined for an upset loss at home to Northern Illinois 88-78.
The Zips brought into Tuesday night’s game a 22-game home court win streak and a 25-game Mid-American Conference win streak. Both ended with the loss to the Huskies. To add insult to injury, the 88 points scored by the heavy underdog Huskies is the most Akron has allowed this season.
Quade Milum had 8 points with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Nick Dials lead the Zips with 17 points and 3 assist. Chris McKnight continues to help the Zips with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Nate Linhart added 15 points with 4 rebound in 37 minutes. Steve McNees dropped in 7 points and 2 assists.
Akron shot a dismal 41% from the field, 30% from 3-point range and 74% from the free throw line. Northern Illinois overwhelmed Akron’s shooting with a season-best 65%.
Akron’s record drops to 17-7, 7-4 while NIU improved to 6-17, 3-8. The Zips will next travel to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons on Saturday.
Akron Wins Over Ball State 70-61
Muncie, Ind. via espn.com - Nate Linhart scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Akron to a 70-61 win over Ball State Saturday night.
Linhart sank 4-of-6 3-pointers, and Akron (17-6, 7-3) made 11-of-24 as a team to overcome Ball State’s edge inside. The Cardinals (3-19, 2-8) outscored the Zips 30-18 in the paint.
Quade Milum added 13 points and three blocks for Akron, and Nick Dials scored 12 points.
The Zips, who led 33-32 at halftime, outrebounded the Cardinals 34-30, and Akron’s bench outscored Ball State’s, 24-11.
Rashaun McLemore led Ball State with 16 points, and Anthony Newell had 13 points and five assists.
Melvin Goins, who scored a career-high 21 points Wednesday in a loss at Kent State, finished with eight. Ball State made only 1-of-9 3-pointers and 24-of-54 field goals, or 44 percent, for the game.
The win was Akron’s fourth-straight against Ball State.
Zips Lose Wood For Rest Of Season
Akron, Oh – The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that Senior Forward Jeremiah Wood will miss the rest of the season due to knee injury to his surgically repaired knee. It can be assumed that this latest injury will effectively end his college career.
Wood’s injury limited his playing time in Wednesday’s loss at Western Michigan. He left early in the second half and did not return. Surgery will be performed Saturday to repair a torn lateral meniscus. During his sophomore year, Jeremiah suffered a torn ACL on the same knee and missed the rest of the season and the next due to rehab.
Wood’s game will be sorely missed. He is averaging 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds for Akron. The Zips next play at Ball State Saturday evening.
Zips Lose To Broncos 86-66
Kalamazoo, Mich. – The last time the Zips experienced a complete dominance on offense and defense, they beat Bowling Green 80-44. Wednesday night, the tables were turned as the Zips faced an oppressive defense and offense losing to Western Michigan 86-66.
Akron last saw a lead at 9-8 early in the first half. The Broncos then went on a 19-point run that was too tough to overcome. One big difference in the game was Akron’s lack of size in the paint due to Jeremiah Wood seeing only 20 minutes of playing time. Wood played much of the first half, but sat out most of the second half due to knee trouble. Wood has been battling a bruised knee that was reaggravated early in the second half.
Chris McKnight led the Zips overall in scoring off the bench with 18 points while forward Nate Linhart put in 16. Nick Dials had 11 points and 4 assists. Jeremiah Wood led the Zips in rebounds with 5 in limited playing time.
Akron’s record slipped to 16-6, 6-3 while Western Michigan remains atop the MAC West with a record of 13-9, 7-2. Akron remains in second place in the MAC East tied with Ohio one game behind Kent State.
Akron will next travel to Ball State this Saturday with a game time start of 7:00pm. For all of your Zips game day information, visit the UofAZIPS.com Game Day section.
