The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
22-6,14-1MAC
Ball State
14-14,7-8MAC
Akron Gets 42 Bench Points in 87-82 Victory Over Ball State
February 25 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. -The Akron men's basketball team got a 42-point performance from the bench on the way to an 87-82 victory against the Ball State Cardinals on the road Tuesday.
Akron has seen its bench score 30 or more points in 20 games with nine games featuring 40 or more points.
The Zips (22-6, 14-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 21 points. Tavari has scored 20 or more points in seven games this season. Shammah Scott added 18 points and five assists off of the bench and Amani Lyles chipped in as well with 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks from the bench.
Nate Johnson pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace the Akron offense which grabbed 10 boards and turned them into 12 second chance points.
How It Happened
After playing to an 18-18 tie, Akron went on a 14-0 run with 13:26 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lyles, to take a 32-18 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 47-39 advantage. Akron got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 27 of its 47 total points.
Following intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 64-54 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Tavari Johnson's layup, to grow the lead to 69-54 with 12:03 to go in the contest. The Cardinals narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still held on for the 87-82 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 26 of its 40 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» Akron found success from beyond the arc, knocking down nine treys in the game.» Akron never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Akron tallied 16 total assists in the game.
» The Akron bench came alive by scoring 42 points to its scoring output.
» Shammah Scott and Amani Lyles came off the bench to score 18 and 11 points, respectively.
» Akron had a 35-28 edge on the boards in the win.
» Akron turned the ball over eight times while dishing out 16 assists.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Tavari Johnson led the Zips with 21 points.
» Akron got a team-high nine rebounds from Nate Johnson.
What's Next?
The Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena to host Kent State on Friday, February 28 for a 9 p.m. start. Akron and Kent State will be featured on ESPN2.
