University of Akron men's basketball: Zips eke out a win at Central Michigan
A total of seven points scored in the first eight minutes in Tuesday’s game between the University of Akron and Central Michigan provided a potential trajectory.
At varying points, it didn’t look good for either Mid-American Conference team Tuesday night in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Both teams struggled offensively and the Zips (13-5, 6-2) couldn’t build on a seven-point halftime cushion, leading to a too-close-for-comfort 60-56 win over the Chippewas (2-13, 1-3). It was the Zips' fourth win in a row.
Forward Enrique Freeman led the Zips with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. He added three blocked shots. Point guard Xavier Castaneda followed Freeman with 16 points and six rebounds.
Chippewas guard Cameron Healy led all scorers with 18 points.
UA coach John Groce will always take a conference road win, as he’s said on multiple occasions. With the Zips heading into a significant road test Friday night at Toledo, here are three takeaways from tonight’s win:
Offense could be a concern
Against the Eastern Michigan, the Zips scored 46 points and shot 36% from the floor. The shooting percentage was higher against the Chippewas (48%) but the offensive output wasn’t that much better as the Zips showed little in the way of offensive flow. They shot 27% from behind the 3-point line (4 of 15). They can thank 15 trips to the free-throw line, where they made 12 shots for 80%, for helping them to get this win. The Chippewas went to the line only seven times on their home court.
Groce said he isn’t overly worried, pointing out that the Zips shot 18 of 31 from inside the arc.
“I’d like to shoot the 3 better than we did tonight,” he said. “I thought our quality of shot was pretty good tonight. Our guys worked and did a good job. I thought maybe the first half was a little better than the second half.”
Still, he said his players need to make more 3-pointers when they take them.
“I thought with the looks we got we should have made seven or eight of them,” Groce said. “That was our biggest thing tonight, offensively, I think.”
This is no way to go into Toledo
Offensive woes, coupled with two other factors that revealed themselves caused some eyebrow-arching moments.
The Zips committed 13 turnovers – as did Central Michigan.
Groce called those mistakes “bone-headed,” and with good reason.
It’s what Central Michigan did with those turnovers that make for a noticeable discrepancy. The Chippewas turned those turnovers into 18 points, suggesting transition defense wasn’t exactly on point for the Zips. Add to the mix the fact that the Chippewas crushed the Zips 16-6 on the offensive boards, leading to 12 second-chance points, meaning the Zips could have easily returned to UA with another one in the loss column.
Groce said he thought there were three or four loose balls the Chippewas came up with in that regard that probably got counted as rebounds.
The difference is the Chippewas dove for them and the Zips didn’t.
“I was disappointed in that, and I told them that after the game,” Groce said.
This is not the ideal way to go into a game against conference-leading Toledo.
Xavier Castaneda continues to grow
Junior point guard Xavier Castaneda continues to display why Groce recruited him. More importantly, he’s getting comfortable enough to where he’s showing aggressiveness and taking leadership on the court. In the final five minutes, Castaneda came up with seven points and two steals. That effort proved to be a difference maker in the game’s outcome.
That is the kind of leadership the Zips need.
“Obviously, we need to make some toughness plays,” Groce said. “He’s pretty tough and he made some toughness plays. He made some big plays for us late.”
Reach George M. Thomas @gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas
Akron at Toledo
Time: 7 p.m. Friday
TV/Radio: CBSSN/WHLO (640-AM)
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips beat Central Michigan in MAC men's basketball
