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Akron prevails against Toledo in conference matchup

In a huge Mid-American Conference matchup at James A. Rhodes Arena (J.A.R.) in the heart of the rubber city, Akron head coach John Groce and his team got off to a slow start at home. The Zips and Toledo were both 3-0 in conference play thus far, so the stakes were high in Tuesday’s matchup.

Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk and his team have had Akron’s number in the past, winning 13 of the last 17 matchups. The teams split last year’s two-game series, with both home teams winning the matchups.

On Tuesday, the home team continued to have the edge, as Akron prevailed 85-78 over Toledo in the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The game started poorly for the Zips. Toledo launched themselves to a 12-4 before the first media timeout. Akron crawled back with crucial shots from guard Bowen Hardman and efforts from Nate Johnson. Things got really weird before halftime. With 19.4 seconds left in the first half, Shammah Scott fouled Toledo guard Sonny Wilson on a drive to the basket. When Scott disputed the call with the referee, it was upgraded to a technical foul. Groce also voiced his frustration and was hit with a technical of his own. What was initially two free throws for Toledo turned into six, of which they converted five, extending their lead to 12 points heading into halftime.

The Zips came back out of the locker room energized and ready to take back the lead. Guard Seth Wilson drained two 3-pointers to help the Zips cut the lead down to 6 at the first media break of the half, getting the crowd back into the game. Throughout the second half, Akron outscored Toledo by a massive margin of 55-36. This was led by efforts from Nate Johnson, with a game-high 28 points, and forward Amani Lyles, who scored all 16 of his points after halftime.

The big difference in the game was depth. Akron’s bench accounted for 41 points, while Toledo’s bench contributed only 18 points. The Zips are running a 10-player rotation, the deepest into the bench of Groce’s career. The depth is working out very well for the Zips, as they have had multiple leading scorers throughout the season, including players off the bench.

Akron feels confident going into their national matchup versus the Ohio Bobcats. Groce believes Tuesday’s first half will benefit Akron as it goes into Friday’s matchup.

“Anytime you can be resilient, go through adversity… I think it’s a good thing,” Groce said.

Nate Johnson, Amani Lyles, and Shammah Scott also sent a message to their fans after Tuesday’s win regarding Friday’s contest. Their reply?

“Pack the J.A.R.”

Xander Busch
Xander Busch
Xander Busch is a junior at the University of Akron pursuing a degree in Media Studies and Creative Writing. Xander has taken several courses with a journalistic focus and created articles independently. He works for the University of Akron athletics, directing games of numerous sports for ESPN+ and working as a freelancer for numerous broadcast groups, such as NBC and Freedom. Follow Busch on X (Twitter) @XanderBuschX.

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