By EVAN MEYER
AKRON, OHIO – The Akron Zips built as much as a 16-point lead in the first half but had to hold off a game bunch of Mocs from Chattanooga for a 75-70 victory Tuesday night at Rhodes Arena.
The win improved Akron’s overall record to 3-1, as the Zips rebounded from . . .
AKRON, OHIO – The Akron Zips built as much as a 16-point lead in the first half but had to hold off a game bunch of Mocs from Chattanooga for a 75-70 victory Tuesday night at Rhodes Arena.
The win improved Akron’s overall record to 3-1, as the Zips rebounded from . . .
. . . their first loss of the season Saturday night at Dayton. UA remains a perfect 3-0 at home.
“I was a hard fought game.” Zips head coach John Groce said. “It was a good win for us tonight. Our leadership was good. We got production from all nine that played in the game.”
Sophomore Daniel Utomi led all scorers in the contest with 24 points along with pulling down 13 rebounds the first double-double of his career. Graduate Malcom Duvivier added 15, going three-of-six from three-point range, while junior Jimond Ivey also had 15 with four boards and three steals.
Chattanooga (3-4) was led by Sophomore Rodney Chatman. He had 19 points, with 13 of them coming in the second half. Junior Nat Dixon netted all 16 in the second 20 minutes, along with six rebounds and six assists. Senior Joshua Phillips, who came off the bench to score 13, was a perfect five-of-five from the floor.
Both teams exchanged the lead in the first half. However, after the Mocs gained their only lead of the game 11-10 on a layup by Phillips, UA started to take control, using s 12-0 run behind Duvivier, who scored eight points on a pair of threes and a short jumper in the lane to take a 22-11 lead at the 9:35 mark.
UA’s lead grew to 16 when Ivey converted the front end of a one-and-one free throw and the hosts owned a 39-28 lead at intermission.
The visitors from the Southern Conference started to chop away at the deficit early in the second stanza, getting it down to four 49-45 on a layup by Phillips with 11:29 remaining.
Akron pushed the lead back to nine on two occasions, the last being 60-51 when Ivey hesitated in the lane and converted a layup.
Chattanooga would not go away and closed the margin to three 72-69 on a steal and a layup by Chatman with 52.7 seconds remaining. The Mocs, however, could not totally close the gap.
In the closing moments, Utomi steadied the ship and sealed the Zips victory, coverting a three-point play with 1:50 remaining adding a three with 26.2 seconds remaining.
One major factor in the game was some outstanding shooting from the field, especially in the second half. The Zips hit 14-of-25 from the field (56%) and finished the game at 52.8% (28-of-53). UA also won the rebound battle 32-24.
Chattanooga was a sizzling 60 percent in the second half (15 of-25) and finished the 40 minutes at 54.2 percent (26-of-48).
Another key was the Mocs leading scorer, junior Makinde London. He came into the contest averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game but was held to only three points (going just one of-seven from the floor and that from beyond the arc) with two rebounds, two assists and five turnovers.
UA returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Huntington, West Virginia to face the Marshall thundering Herd.
“I was a hard fought game.” Zips head coach John Groce said. “It was a good win for us tonight. Our leadership was good. We got production from all nine that played in the game.”
Sophomore Daniel Utomi led all scorers in the contest with 24 points along with pulling down 13 rebounds the first double-double of his career. Graduate Malcom Duvivier added 15, going three-of-six from three-point range, while junior Jimond Ivey also had 15 with four boards and three steals.
Chattanooga (3-4) was led by Sophomore Rodney Chatman. He had 19 points, with 13 of them coming in the second half. Junior Nat Dixon netted all 16 in the second 20 minutes, along with six rebounds and six assists. Senior Joshua Phillips, who came off the bench to score 13, was a perfect five-of-five from the floor.
Both teams exchanged the lead in the first half. However, after the Mocs gained their only lead of the game 11-10 on a layup by Phillips, UA started to take control, using s 12-0 run behind Duvivier, who scored eight points on a pair of threes and a short jumper in the lane to take a 22-11 lead at the 9:35 mark.
UA’s lead grew to 16 when Ivey converted the front end of a one-and-one free throw and the hosts owned a 39-28 lead at intermission.
The visitors from the Southern Conference started to chop away at the deficit early in the second stanza, getting it down to four 49-45 on a layup by Phillips with 11:29 remaining.
Akron pushed the lead back to nine on two occasions, the last being 60-51 when Ivey hesitated in the lane and converted a layup.
Chattanooga would not go away and closed the margin to three 72-69 on a steal and a layup by Chatman with 52.7 seconds remaining. The Mocs, however, could not totally close the gap.
In the closing moments, Utomi steadied the ship and sealed the Zips victory, coverting a three-point play with 1:50 remaining adding a three with 26.2 seconds remaining.
One major factor in the game was some outstanding shooting from the field, especially in the second half. The Zips hit 14-of-25 from the field (56%) and finished the game at 52.8% (28-of-53). UA also won the rebound battle 32-24.
Chattanooga was a sizzling 60 percent in the second half (15 of-25) and finished the 40 minutes at 54.2 percent (26-of-48).
Another key was the Mocs leading scorer, junior Makinde London. He came into the contest averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game but was held to only three points (going just one of-seven from the floor and that from beyond the arc) with two rebounds, two assists and five turnovers.
UA returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Huntington, West Virginia to face the Marshall thundering Herd.
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