The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
19-5,11-0MAC
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Western Michigan
7-17,4-7MAC
Akron Shoots 51.9 Percent From Deep, Defeats Western Michigan 105-92 to Stay Perfect at the JAR
February 11 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio -The Akron men's basketball team shot 51.9 percent from beyond the arc on the way to a 105-92 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos at James A. Rhodes Arena Tuesday evening for its 13th consecutive home victory.
The Zips (19-5, 11-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 22 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Tavari Johnson tacked on 17 points and Amani Lyles helped out with 15 points and two steals off the bench.
Akron's ball distribution was in full effect with five Zips recording three assists.
Led by James Okonkwo's three offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 11 second chance points.
Akron's benched helped claim the win with 40 points coming from the reserves. The Zips' bench has scored 30 or more points in 17 games while scoring 40 or more in eight games this season.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-2, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:29 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lyles, to take an 11-3 lead. The Zips then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 52-42 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 10 shots to account for 30 of its 52 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 93-81 with 4:41 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 105-92 win.
Game Notes
» The Zips made over half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 14 of 27 shots.» Akron never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Akron tallied 17 total assists in the game.
» The Akron bench made an impact by scoring 40 points to its scoring output.
» Five Akron players scored 10 or more points.
» Amani Lyles and Bowen Hardman came off the bench to score 15 and 12 points, respectively.
» Akron shot 63 percent from the field to economically reach their 105 point total.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Nate Johnson led the Zips with 22 points.
» Akron got a game-high nine rebounds from James Okonkwo.
What's Next?
The Zips head to Central Michigan to continue Mid-American Conference action on Saturday, February 15 for a 7 p.m. start.
