OXFORD, OH - If there was a lesson to be learned, the Akron Zips learned it well.
A week after Miami's RedHawks upset Kent State at Millett Hall in Oxford, MAC East leading Akron made sure something similar didn't happen. The Zips blitzed MU early and went on to post a dominating 81-60 victory over Miami.
It was a bounce-back win for Akron (15-4, 5-1 MAC), which . . .
UA opened the game with four consecutive triples -- two apiece by Loren Christian Jackson and Xerius Williams. Tyler Cheese scored on an old-fashioned 3-ploint play before Channel Banks hit a triple. By the under-12 media break, Akron owned a 20-11 lead.
With the RedHawks struggling, UA's advantage ballooned to as many as 21 points in the first half. It took a 43-27 into intermission.
The Zips onlslaught continued when play resumed as Akron made 75 percent of its long-range shots in the second half. A triple by Jackson at 13:13 gave UA its biggest lead of the night -- 28 points (61-33). Miami, which fell to 1-5 in conference play and 8-11 overall, was unable to substantially close the gap before losing by 21.
The RedHawks had just two players in double figures. Freshman Dae Dae Grant reached double figures for the seventh straight game, scoring a career-high 16 points to lead MU. Elijah McNamara added 11 markers.
Akron had three players in double figures by halftime and finished with four. Jackson led the way with 20 points, hitting 4-of-5 from long distance. Williams netted 19, followed by Tyler Cheese (18) and Banks (12).