GAME 5
Temple (2-3) at Akron (3-1)
Monday, November 26
7 p.m. EST
Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio
Television: None
Webcast/Audio Stream: Available at GoZips.com through ZipsZone subscription package.
Radio: Akron-ISP Sports Network - SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron, WERE (1490 AM) in Cleveland and and through the ZipsZone on GoZips.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color). (6:30 p.m. EST airtime)
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot (Akron ‘82):
Is in his fourth season with the Zips, owning a 71-28 (.717) mark in that time. He is 179-98 (.646) in his tenth season as a collegiate head coach. He is 1-0 all-time versus Temple.
Temple Coach Fran Dunphy (La Salle ‘70):
Is in his second season on the sideline for the Owls, owning a 14-21 (.400) mark in that time. He is 324-184 (.638) in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach. This is his first time facing Akron.
The Series: Monday marks the second all-time meeting between the two schools on the hardwood. Akron was victorious in the previous match-up, claiming an 80-73 overtime win in the first round of the 2006 NIT at Temple’s Liacouras Center (March 14, 2006). That was the last game of famed Temple head coach John Chaney’s career, however assistant coach Dan Lebovitz assumed the coaching responsibilities for that game as Chaney was on personal leave.
Up Next: Akron concludes a three-game homestand on Saturday (Dec. 1) versus Wyoming (2-2).
Akron Continues Homestand Versus Temple...
The University of Akron men’s basketball team (3-1) competes in its second game in three days when it plays host to Temple (2-3) on Monday at 7 p.m. EST at Rhodes Arena. The game is the middle contest in a three-game homestand that concludes versus Wyoming on Saturday.
Akron, which looks to extend a modest two-game win streak and to continue an 11-game win stretch on its home court, defeated Binghamton 71-51 on Saturday in its home-opener.
Monday signals the close to a two-game road trip versus Mid-American Conference opponents for Temple, as it notched a 72-55 victory at Bowling Green’s Anderson Arena on Saturday.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
• Monday’s contest is the second all-time meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, and the first since they squared off in the opening round of the 2006 National Invitation Tournament. In that match-up, UA claimed an 80-73 overtime win at Temple’s Liacouras Center – the Zips’ first postseason victory in its Division I history.
• Akron has won 11-straight and 32 of its last 33 games at Rhodes Arena. The loss came to top-25 ranked Nevada 73-71 last season (Dec. 22, 2006).
• The Zips are 41-2 at home under fourth-year coach Keith Dambrot.
• After leading 33-25 at the half versus Binghamton on Saturday, Akron opened the second half with a 20-10 run to take control. The Zips finished the game shooting 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field, after converting just 35.5 percent (11-of-31) in the first period (50 percent/12-of-24 in the second half). UA shot 63.0 percent (17-of-27) from the free-throw line in the game.
• Coping with injuries and integrating new players at the guard position, through four games Akron has used four different starting lineups. Senior guard Cedrick Middleton (last season’s MAC Sixth Man of the Year) has logged two starts (one against Binghamton), but is nursing a sore left knee. Freshman point guard Ronnie Steward has been sidelined since the second day of practice (hip flexor), while redshirt-freshman point guard Steve McNees is coming along, having logged one start (vs. Tennessee State/Nov. 18) and significant minutes as a reserve. McNees had eight points, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
• Senior guard Nick Dials, who has handled some of the point guard responsibilities as well this season, leads the team in assists (4.0 apg). He had 14 points (4-of-7 FGs/3-of-5 3FGs/3-of-3 FTs) and three assists against Binghamton on Saturday. Dials hit a 12-foot jump shot from the right wing with 3.9 seconds left to push UA past Tennessee State 74-72 (Nov. 18) and claim third-place in the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
• Senior forward and MAC Player-of-the-Year candidate Jeremiah Wood leads the Zips in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounds (9.5), but was held to just nine points (3-of-7 FGs/3-of-6 FTs) versus Binghamton on Saturday. He did not convert his first field goal of the game until the 13:17 mark of the second period. He has a pair of double-doubles to his credit this season.
• One of the most prolific teams in the MAC in terms of assists and assist-to-turnover ratio in recent seasons, thus far in 2007 Akron has 47 assists to go with 54 turnovers – good for an 11.8 apg and a 0.9 a-to ratio. Last season the Zips led the league in both categories (15.2 apg and 1.2 a-to ratio). UA had 15 assists and 15 turnovers versus Binghamton on Saturday.
Temple (2-3) at Akron (3-1)
Monday, November 26
7 p.m. EST
Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio
Television: None
Webcast/Audio Stream: Available at GoZips.com through ZipsZone subscription package.
Radio: Akron-ISP Sports Network - SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron, WERE (1490 AM) in Cleveland and and through the ZipsZone on GoZips.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color). (6:30 p.m. EST airtime)
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot (Akron ‘82):
Is in his fourth season with the Zips, owning a 71-28 (.717) mark in that time. He is 179-98 (.646) in his tenth season as a collegiate head coach. He is 1-0 all-time versus Temple.
Temple Coach Fran Dunphy (La Salle ‘70):
Is in his second season on the sideline for the Owls, owning a 14-21 (.400) mark in that time. He is 324-184 (.638) in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach. This is his first time facing Akron.
The Series: Monday marks the second all-time meeting between the two schools on the hardwood. Akron was victorious in the previous match-up, claiming an 80-73 overtime win in the first round of the 2006 NIT at Temple’s Liacouras Center (March 14, 2006). That was the last game of famed Temple head coach John Chaney’s career, however assistant coach Dan Lebovitz assumed the coaching responsibilities for that game as Chaney was on personal leave.
Up Next: Akron concludes a three-game homestand on Saturday (Dec. 1) versus Wyoming (2-2).
Akron Continues Homestand Versus Temple...
The University of Akron men’s basketball team (3-1) competes in its second game in three days when it plays host to Temple (2-3) on Monday at 7 p.m. EST at Rhodes Arena. The game is the middle contest in a three-game homestand that concludes versus Wyoming on Saturday.
Akron, which looks to extend a modest two-game win streak and to continue an 11-game win stretch on its home court, defeated Binghamton 71-51 on Saturday in its home-opener.
Monday signals the close to a two-game road trip versus Mid-American Conference opponents for Temple, as it notched a 72-55 victory at Bowling Green’s Anderson Arena on Saturday.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
• Monday’s contest is the second all-time meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, and the first since they squared off in the opening round of the 2006 National Invitation Tournament. In that match-up, UA claimed an 80-73 overtime win at Temple’s Liacouras Center – the Zips’ first postseason victory in its Division I history.
• Akron has won 11-straight and 32 of its last 33 games at Rhodes Arena. The loss came to top-25 ranked Nevada 73-71 last season (Dec. 22, 2006).
• The Zips are 41-2 at home under fourth-year coach Keith Dambrot.
• After leading 33-25 at the half versus Binghamton on Saturday, Akron opened the second half with a 20-10 run to take control. The Zips finished the game shooting 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field, after converting just 35.5 percent (11-of-31) in the first period (50 percent/12-of-24 in the second half). UA shot 63.0 percent (17-of-27) from the free-throw line in the game.
• Coping with injuries and integrating new players at the guard position, through four games Akron has used four different starting lineups. Senior guard Cedrick Middleton (last season’s MAC Sixth Man of the Year) has logged two starts (one against Binghamton), but is nursing a sore left knee. Freshman point guard Ronnie Steward has been sidelined since the second day of practice (hip flexor), while redshirt-freshman point guard Steve McNees is coming along, having logged one start (vs. Tennessee State/Nov. 18) and significant minutes as a reserve. McNees had eight points, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
• Senior guard Nick Dials, who has handled some of the point guard responsibilities as well this season, leads the team in assists (4.0 apg). He had 14 points (4-of-7 FGs/3-of-5 3FGs/3-of-3 FTs) and three assists against Binghamton on Saturday. Dials hit a 12-foot jump shot from the right wing with 3.9 seconds left to push UA past Tennessee State 74-72 (Nov. 18) and claim third-place in the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
• Senior forward and MAC Player-of-the-Year candidate Jeremiah Wood leads the Zips in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounds (9.5), but was held to just nine points (3-of-7 FGs/3-of-6 FTs) versus Binghamton on Saturday. He did not convert his first field goal of the game until the 13:17 mark of the second period. He has a pair of double-doubles to his credit this season.
• One of the most prolific teams in the MAC in terms of assists and assist-to-turnover ratio in recent seasons, thus far in 2007 Akron has 47 assists to go with 54 turnovers – good for an 11.8 apg and a 0.9 a-to ratio. Last season the Zips led the league in both categories (15.2 apg and 1.2 a-to ratio). UA had 15 assists and 15 turnovers versus Binghamton on Saturday.
