Late Akron Run Sinks Eastern, 52-48, on the Road

AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped a nail biter on the road Wednesday, Feb. 5, at the University of Akron. Eastern (12-10, 4-5 MAC) held the lead from the beginning of the game, all the way until the 2:42 mark in the second half, before falling to the Zips (15-7, 7-2 MAC), 52-48.

Darell Combs (Chicago, Ill.-Thornwood (Blinn)) and Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio-St. Vincent-St. Mary (Wyoming)) led the offensive attack for Eastern, pouring in 10 points each. Combs was 5-of-10 from the floor, while Harrison knocked down four shots on seven attempts. On the glass, Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley C.C.)) pulled down a team-high eight and Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich.-Detroit Country Day (Syracuse)) caromed seven. As a team, the Green and White shot 40 percent (18-of-45) from the floor, while holding Akron to a 32.1 percent shooting percentage, including allowing the Zips to hit just three shots on 23 attempts from beyond the arc.

Demetrius Treadwell and Nick Harney each recorded double-doubles for the Zips. Treadwell notched 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Harney scored 15, while pulling down 10 boards.

Eastern jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on the back of a Ward layup and a Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) triple in the first two minutes of play. After allowing Akron to knock down a corner three with 17:22 to go in the first half, the Eagles took off onto an 8-0 run, giving them their first double-digit lead of the contest at the 12:25 mark.

After trading buckets for the next four minutes, Eastern extended its lead out to 13, 25-12, with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. EMU held that double-digit lead for the next four minutes, when Akron scored four-straight, to bring it within nine, 27-18, in favor of the Eagles. Neither squad was able to score in the final 3:15 of the half, leaving the score at 27-18 heading into the break.

Combs was the offensive catalyst for EMU in the first half, scoring eight of his 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the first 20 minutes. Ward added six points, while reeling in five rebounds and both Harrison and Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) contributed five points. Eastern held the Zips to just a 24.1 percent (7-of-29) shooting percentage in the first half, while limiting them to just one triple on 13 attempts.

The second half started much differently than the first, as Akron outscored EMU 13-8 in the first six minutes, brining the tally within four, 35-31. However, the Eagles responded with an 8-0 run to distance themselves from the Zips by 12 with 10:16 left in the contest.

The next seven minutes clipped the Eagles' wings, as the Green and White were outscored, 15-3, knotting up the game for the first time since the opening tip. Following the Carmelo Betancourt three-point play that tied the game, Akron scored the next five points, taking a 51-46 lead. Combs converted on a layup with seven seconds left, but it was too late as the Zips walked away with the four-point, 52-48, win after Treadwell knocked down a free throw in the final seconds.

Eastern is off until Saturday, Feb. 8, when the Green and White plays host to Kent State University. EMU has not beaten Kent State in the last 17 times they have squared off and the Eagles look to change that tune at 2 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.

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Team Stats

Darell Combs

Daylen Harrison

Karrington Ward

Ray Lee

Eastern Michigan Athletics