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On December 10th, the Zips lost at Cleveland State,69-66. It was their third consecutive loss and fifth in the last six games. Fast forward to Wednesday night, playing their fourth game in eight days, pulling away in the second half to defeat the Aggies of North Carolina  A&T, 72-59, before a crowd of 2,909 at Rhodes Arena.

Akron (7-5) collected its fourth consecutive win, making it the longest  winning streak of the current Zips season. In addition, UA won its 13th straight at home dating back to last year.

“We need practice time. We still have a lot of issues.” Zips head coach Keith Dambrot said after the game. “Forty-four (Marshall) is saving us. He is blocking every (defensive) mistake and clogging every mistake we make”

Junior center Zeke Marshall led four UA players in double figures with 20 points, along with a season high eight rebounds, a steal, and five blocked shots. It was another example of both the offensive and defensive capabilities Marshall has shown so far this season.

“We got a win -- that’s most important.” Marshall said. When asked about his blocked shots, he said “Some are sent with a message. They talk a little trash out there and I try to say, ‘You’re not coming in here with that.’”

His 20-point performance was one below his season high, and he has scored in double digits in four of the last five games. He has reached double figures eight times in the first 12 games. Also, the five blocked shots were two off his season high of seven set against Arkansas-Pine Bluff last Thursday

“When Zeke’s on the floor. We’re a pretty good team.” Dambrot said. “But he can still get better.”

Sophomore guard Brian Walsh added a career-high 15, going 4-of-6 from three point range. Fifth-year senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic added 12 points and 11 rebounds. It was his second double-double of the season. Junior guard Quincy Diggs scored 10 -- all coming in the second half.

North Carolina A&T (4-9, 0-1 MEAC) dropped its sixth consecutive game and has not won since November 28th when it defeated North Carolina-Greensboro, 87-65.

Senior guard Nic Simpson came off the bench to lead the Aggies with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists. He was the lone player to score in double figures. Reserve guard Jean Louisme was next with nine,  all on three-pointers.

Both teams were sluggish at the start, UA was playing their fourth game in eight days while NC A&T played on Sunday at Hawaii traveling back across the country to start a two-game stretch against MAC opposition (they play Ohio on Thursday). The Zips were 3-for-17 from the field in the early going while trhe Aggies were 4-for-11. Most of the Zips shots would hit the back of the rim or spin in-and-out of the basket.

The visitors from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference put together a 17-9 lead at the 11:22 mark on a three from the left arc from sophomore guard Jeremy Underwood.

“We didn’t come out the way we wanted to. We were very sluggish.” Walsh said.

The Zips then found their game and scored the next 10 points to take their first lead of the contest, 19-17, at the 8:45 mark on a three from the left arc by senior guard Brett McClanahan. After a pair of Simpson free throws tied the score at 19-19, a three from the top of the key by Walsh and a pair of Marshall free throws gave UA a 24-19 lead.

The Aggies matched the Zips 10-0 run with one of their own to regain the lead, 29-24, at the 5:34 mark on a driving layup by senior guard Marc Hill, who scored five points during the run.

It would be North Carolina A&T’s last lead of the game.

UA took control, outscoring the Aggies 16-3 for the remainder of the half to take a 40-32 lead going into halftime. Over the last nine-plus minutes of the half, UA improved its shooting by going 8-for-13. Overall, however, the Zips shot just 36.7% (11-for-30) and had a 23-17 rebound edge with Walsh leading all scorers with 11 points. NCA&T shot just 34.9% from the floor (10-for-29).
 
Walsh, a sophomore from suburban Pittsburgh, came to the Zips from Xavier, where in 2009-10 played in 29 games for the Musketeers. In addition, he played eight games in 2008-09 before being redshirted with a hand injury.

“I came here for a visit and talked to Zeke (Marshall) and (he) gave me the rundown on Coach Dambrot and what the program was and everything around the program.”
 
After transferring to UA and sitting out last season per  NCAA regulations, Walsh has started his Zips career well. He scored 14 in the home opening win over Hiram. After scoring 11 in a loss to Duquesne at the 2K Sports sub-regional at Valparaiso University, he got his first start against Cleveland State but scored just two points in the narrow loss to the Vikings.

“Shooting has been the biggest part of my game.” Walsh said. “If I get an open look, I’m going to shoot it.”
 
Dambrot has kept him in the starting lineup ever since, and Walsh has rewarded him with solid play. With his career best 15 against the Aggies, he has scored double-digits in three of his last four games.

At the start of the second half, UA started to pull away as it built a 53-39 lead with 13:13 remaining on a power move to the basket by Diggs. The lead would not fall below double-digits for the remainder of the game. The largest lead of the game came on the final basket of the game, a short jumper by Marshall to make the final margin of 17 points.

UA played the game without starting point guard Alex Abreu. The sophomore from Puerto Rico had been playing most of this young season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Surgery was performed on Tuesday, and he was in street clothes on the bench Wednesday.

“We said, tonight, let’s throw it to the low post.” Dambrot said. “And when they (the defense) sag just throw the ball out and shoot it. We really didn’t run anything (in regards to set plays)”
 
Before the injury, Abreu was leading the team in assists at 3.8 per game and in steals at 2.3 -- amongst the best in the MAC. The “point guard by committee” had freshman Adedeji Ibitayo make his first career start, playing 15 minutes, scoring two points and one assist. Diggs, who saw time at the point earlier in the season in a victory over Detroit, was Ibatayo’s replacement and played well with seven assists and two steals to go along with his 10 points.

UA stepped its game up in the second half, connecting on 15-of-31 shots (48.4%) from the field, but over 40 minutes, the Zips finished at 42.6% (26-for-61) and won the rebounding battle decisively, 51-29, while committing just nine turnovers -- tied for the lowest of the season.

The travel from Hawaii and being on the road for almost the entire month caught up to the Aggies in the second half as they made just 5-of-24 shots from the floor (20.8%) and finished the contest at just 28.3% (15-for-53).

The Zips now have eight days off before their final game of this five-game home stand  A match-up with 2011 NCAA Final Four participant Virginia Commonwealth

GAMEBOOK

KEY MOMENT: Akron outscored North Carolina A&T 16-3 the final 5:35 of the first half to open a 40-32 lead at halftime .

PLAYER OF THE GAME: ZEKE MARSHALL-AKRON. The junior had another stellar game with 20 points (going 10-of-13 from the free throw line), along with eight rebounds, an assist and five blocked shots
 
KEY STAT OF THE GAME: Akron committing just nine turnovers (tied for the low mark of the season) losing just eight points (none in the second half)

NOTES
The game was the 10th lifetime meeting between the two schools with Akron holding a 7-3 advantage and are 5-1 against the Aggies…Akron went 2-0 this season against the MEAC (defeating Florida A&M)…Akron is 25-2 at home in the month of December under Keith Dambrot and have won 13 straight December home games (last lost to Dayton in 2008)…Zeke Marshall-AKR moved into eighth place on the all-time MAC shot blocking list with his first block of the evening…Marshall has led the Zips in scoring in three of the last five games and fourth time this season…Nikola Cvetinovic-AKR his third straight game scoring in double figures…Quincy Diggs-AKR in double digits for the fourth time in the last six games…Akron head coach Keith Dambrot was assessed a technical foul in the first half (his second of the season -- the other at West Virginia)…North Carolina A&T’s last road win in December was at SMU in December,2006…Nic Simpson-NCAT reached double figures for the eighth time this season but the first since December 3rd against North Carolina Central..NCAT coach is Jerry Eaves in his ninth season. Eaves was the point guard on Louisville’s 1980 NCAA Championship team (Darrell Griffith defeating UCLA in Indianapolis) and also made the 1982 Final Four (losing to Georgetown and Patrick Ewing in New Orleans) then had a long career in the NBA playing mostly with the Utah Jazz.