Zips claim third straight win with second-half surge

Wednesday, December 14

Akron, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

6-4,0-0MAC

Wright State

5-6,0-2Horizon

Wright St.

Akron

Zips claim third straight win with second-half surge

December 14 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

AKRON, Ohio – In a back-and-forth battle, the Akron Zips landed the decisive blows in a strong second half that gave them a 66-54 win and secured the 100th win at Akron for head coach John Groce on Wednesday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Trailing by two coming out of intermission, Akron stunned the Raiders with a 16-2 run to open the second half. Senior guard Xavier Castañeda sparked the run with eight points and the Zips forced Wright State into 1-of-9 shooting along with three turnovers over a span of 5:12.

After that stretch, Akron never trailed again and banked its sixth victory of the season. Defense was the constant that powered the win, as the Zips (6-4) forced 14 turnovers and Wright State shot just 36.5 percent from the field. The blue and gold converted those turnovers into 12 points as part of a 13-2 edge in fast break scoring.

Castañeda led Akron with 19 points, freshman guard Tavari Johnson contributed 14 points, four steals and his first career blocked shot while junior forward Sammy Hunter tied his season-best with 13 points in the win. Junior forward Enrique Freeman narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

The second-half surge was possible in large part because Hunter was a one-man offensive wrecking crew in the opening 20 minutes.

The junior forward rained triples before the half, making three of his six attempts from distance before the break. All came in a 5:36 span that saw Hunter tally 11 of his team's points in a 13-6 burst that allowed Akron to take control of the contest.

Wright State (5-6) was able to battle back late in the frame, leading by as many as five before a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Castañeda brought the Zips within two (30-28) at the half.

Senior guard Tray Calvin led Wright State with 16 points and sophomore center A.J. Braun added 12 in a losing effort.

The Zips finish out a four-game homestand with their next contest, a 7 p.m. tilt against the Maine Black Bears on Dec. 19. Stream all of the action live on GoZips.com.