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Poor shooting by Zips helps MTSU cruise |
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 MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE 77, AKRON 53
Quincy Diggs also scored in double figures for the Zips, posting 10 points. Nikola Cvetinovic led the Zips with 10 rebounds in addition to nine points.
MTSU had four players in double figures, including LaRon Dendy, who led all scorers with 19 points and also collected 11 rebounds to record a double-double. J.T. Sulton netted 16, while Bruce Massey contributed 14 and Shawn Jones added 10 for the winners.
Akron (3-4) shot 28.6 percent from the floor (16-of-56) and 28.6 percent from 3-point range (4-of-14). Middle Tennessee (8-1) closed the game shooting 50.9 percent from the floor (28-of-55) and 22.2 percent from long range (2-of-9).
MTSU held a 41-34 rebounding advantage and forced 13 Akron turnovers to just eight by the Blue Raiders.
The Zips opened an early 5-0 lead to force a Blue Raiders’ timeout just 1:31 into the game. Akron took a lead into the first media timeout before MTSU went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-9 lead with 12:51 left in the half.
The MTSU lead grew to 28-12 with 7:02 to go in the half before the Zips began to close the gap. Akron cut the MTSU lead to 37-24 at the half.
The Zips closed the opening half shooting 36.0 percent from the floor (9-of-25) and 22.2 percent from behind the arc (2-of-9). The Blue Raiders shot 53.6 percent in the half (15-of-28) and were 1-of-6 from long range (16.7 percent).
Abreu led Akron with seven points in the first stanza, while Cvetinovic chipped in with five points and led all players with six rebounds.
Akron opened the second half by scoring the first seven points, including a four-point play on a foul and a 3-pointer by Diggs to cut the MTSU lea to 37-31 with 18:18 left in the game.
The Blue Raiders rallied to establish a lead 52-35 with 11:17 on the second-half clock. Akron answered, mostly at the foul line, to cut the Middle Tennessee lead to 54-45 with 8:32 to go in the game. However, Akron made just two more field goals while being outscored 23-8 the rest of the way.
Akron closes out its three-game road trip on Saturday, Dec. 10, when it travels to Cleveland, Ohio, to face Cleveland State at 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES: Akron held Middle Tennessee, who entered the game 11th in the nation in 3-point shooting (44.5 percent), to just 22.2 percent (2-of-9) … Zeke Marshall had his streak of 20-consecutive games with a blocked shot snapped.
Courtesy of Akron Athletics
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