By: DJ Johnson
A 57-point first half led the Akron men’s basketball team to a 95-65 win over Hiram Saturday night.
Five Zips reached double figures in the win in the home opener, played as part of the 2K Sports Classic.
“I was really impressed with Hiram,” said Akron Head Coach Keith Dambrot. “I thought they came out ready to play.”
The Terriers managed to hang with the Zips for the first seven plus minutes of the game, trailing 20-15 with 12:24 to play in the first half, but an 18-0 Akron run pushed the lead to 38-15.
Akron would take a 57-35 lead into the break.
The Zips would coast to the win in the second half, as the lead once reached 36, ending in the 30-point victory.
UA was led by an impressive night behind the arc, hitting 12-of-24 shots from three-point range. Overall, the Zips shot 35-of-71 for the game.
Point guard Alex Abreu led Akron with 15 points. The sophomore also pulled down six rebounds and dished out six assists.
Joining Abreu, Nikola Cvetinovic, Quincy Diggs, Brian Walsh and Nick Harney all hit double figures.
A quad of new Zips, including Walsh and Harney, as well as Demetrius Treadwell and Chauncey Gilliam, combined for 37 points on the night.
Hiram’s Aaron Stefanov led all scorers with 20 points.
The win moves Akron to 2-0 on the season after a win at Mississippi State (68-58) last Wednesday.
Hiram, a Division III school, has yet to play a regular season game, as Saturday played as an exhibition for the Terriers.
The Zips were honored pregame for their 2011 MAC Championship Tournament win.