The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
14-4,5-1MAC
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Western Michigan
7-11,1-5MAC
Zips Post 26th Straight Win at the JAR; Make 20 3s in 104-89 Victory Over WMU
January 17 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team recorded its 26th consecutive win at James A. Rhodes Arena while making 20 3s in a 104-89 victory against the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday.
The Zips (14-4, 5-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 32 points, eight assists and three steals. Shammah Scott tacked on 23 points and five assists off of the bench, Amani Lyles chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Bowen Hardman scored 12 points on a 4-of-6 shooting performance from deep.
The Zips went 20-of-35 from 3-point range, tying a program record for made 3's in a game. The Blue and Gold were electric from beyond the arc, connecting on 57.1 percent of their 3's against the Broncos.
Akron took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 23 assists on 38 made field goals. Johnson's eight assists paced the Zips. Johnson recorded his 12th game this season with five or more assists.
How It Happened
After falling behind 6-4, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:46 left in the first half to take a 13-6 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 52-51 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 11 shots to account for 33 of its 52 points.
Western Michigan proceeded to take a 58-52 lead before Akron went on a 13-0 run, finished off by Scott's layup, to seize a 65-58 lead with 13:56 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 104-89 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting nine shots from deep to score 27 of its 52 points.
Game Notes
» The Zips made over half of their attempts from three-point range, knocking down 20 of 35 shots.
» Akron tallied 23 total assists in the game.
» The Akron bench made an impact by adding 35 points to its scoring output.
» Akron had a 31-28 edge on the boards in the win.
» Akron turned the ball over eight times while dishing out 23 assists.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Tavari Johnson had a game-high 32 points and Shammah Scott added 23.
» Akron got six rebounds from both Evan Mahaffey and Amani Lyles.
What's Next?
Akron hits the road to battle Buffalo on Tuesday, January 20, for a 6:30 p.m. start.
