Zips basketball routs Hiram, 100-30

By Terry Rabbitts

The University of Akron men’s basketball team opened up the home portion of their schedule with another team effort by defeating the overmatched Division III Hiram Terriers 100-30 at James A. Rhodes Arena Monday night. 

Five Akron (2-0) players placed in double figures with Aaron Jackson leading the way with 16, Jake Kretzer added 15, while Jimond Ivey, Pat Forsythe, and Reggie McAdams each had 12. Isaiah Johnson corralled 14 rebounds and Forsythe added 12 more.

The team concept that Akron has started the season off with is working as nine players found the scoring column in the first half. The Zips had seven assists on the opening 11 made shots in the first 20 minutes.

The first half was not a good shooting half for either team from the field, as Akron held Hiram (0-1) to 11.1 percent as they hit 4 for 36, but the Zips weren’t much better at 12 for 36 and 33.3 percent.

Hard work on the offensive glass helped save Akron in the opening stanza and they managed to grab 12 rebounds and were able to pull away to a 44-10 halftime lead. Kretzer was the only Zip in double figures with 10. Isaiah Johnson had 12 first half rebounds.

“We are trying to get better, we are not perfect and they did not play perfect,”  head coach Keith Dambrot said. “But they got better as the game went on.”

The Zips found themselves at the line early and often in the first half as the Terriers had committed enough fouls to put the Zips into the bonus before the 10 minute mark. The Zips shot 19 attempts from the charity stripe in the first half hitting 13 for 68.4 percent.

The second half started with a 12-0 run by the Zips, highlighted by 5 quick points from Kretzer. But the Terriers found themselves in a 56-13 hole once they found a bucket. Akron hit seven of their first nine shots in the second half.

The Zips hit 12 of their first 15 shots in the second half and extended their lead to 73-21 at the 11:19 mark. With around eight minutes to go and Akron leading 76-25, Coach Dambrot started entering reserves to finish the game.

When Mark Noble drove the lane and scored giving the Zips a 53 point lead, it marked the tenth Zip to hit the books by scoring. In all, 11 players found the scoring column for Akron.

A pair of free throws by Isaiah Johnson with just under a minute to play gave Akron a 100-30 lead and allowed Akron to hit the century mark. The last time that happened was against Dennison on Dec. 7, 2005 when the Zips posted 123.

Akron hits the road to take on Arkansas on Wednesday. The Zips next home game is Friday, Nov. 27 against Charleston Southern as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off.