The last time the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team played the University of Akron was in the 2011 Mid-American Conference tournament. It was an early first-round exit for EMU, Akron winning 67-53. The teams will clash again when EMU takes on the MAC East leaders, the Akron Zips, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Akron.
Eastern (10-11, 6-2 MAC) seems to have put the non-conference schedule behind them and come together at the start of conference play. EMU has won four of its last five MAC games to take the top spot in the MAC West after Saturday’s win versus Bowling Green.
Senior guard Darrell Lampley remains the Eagles’ top scorer (13.3 PPG) and has a 14.3-point average in the last three games. Junior forward Jamell Harris still leads the team in total rebounds, but junior center Matt Balkema has been the top rebounder in two of the last three contests.
EMU has had struggles with scoring on offense, but in the seven MAC games it has played, the Eagles reduced their MAC opponents to 51.4 points per game and a 36.6 field-goal percentage. EMU might struggle against defending Akron’s three-point shooters, particularly sophomore guard Brian Walsh, who enters with the MAC’s top three-point percentage (53.2).
Akron (14-7, 6-1 MAC) entered this season looking to defend its MAC title and put the first-round NCAA tournament exit in the past. So far in this 2011-12 campaign, Akron had an up-and-down non-conference schedule with losses to West Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth and Cleveland State. When conference play started, Akron got off to a three-game winning streak before losing at Buffalo on Jan. 18.
The Zips are currently on another three-game winning streak, including an 84-75 victory over rival Kent State, where Akron came back from being down 42-34 at halftime. Akron also had to come from behind at Ball State to win 70-58. If EMU gets a lead at halftime, it must hold on for the last half.
It will be hard to tell who to keep an eye on for the Zips, with three players averaging over ten points a game, but it is seven-foot junior center Zeke Marshall (10.4 PPG) who leads the team in scoring. Eastern will have to fight six-foot-eight senior forward Nikola Cventinovic for rebounds, as he leads the team with a total of 122 on the season. Both players have helped Akron come in second in scoring offense in the MAC. Marshall, with the MAC lead in blocked shots, (64) will also be tough defensively
An area of weakness for Akron this season has been free-throw shooting, the Zips showing up tenth in the conference (66.4). Also, despite the winning streak, Akron has lost the turnover battle against its last three opponents, a majority of them committed in the first half. EMU must force Akron to commit turnovers early to get a chance at winning the game.
Eastern Michigan played at Miami of Ohio Wednesday night while Akron faced Toledo at home. After the road game against Akron on Saturday, EMU returns home to play Kent State with a 7 p.m. tipoff on Feb. 8 at the Convocation Center.
