Akron zips past Thundering Herd

Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 6, 2000

The Associated Press

Akron – Most of Akron’s starters have been underclassmen in coach Dan Hipsher’s previous four seasons with the Zips.

Thursday, January 06, 2000

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Akron – Most of Akron’s starters have been underclassmen in coach Dan Hipsher’s previous four seasons with the Zips. Now they’ve become seniors, and the difference is apparent.

Akron, which starts four seniors and a junior, played its best game of the season Wednesday and beat Marshall 92-78 to remain unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips lost two 10-point leads in the second half and led only 42-40 at halftime, but didn’t panic and took control with a 13-3 run that gave them a 61-51 advantage with 13:15 to play.

”We haven’t had (this many) seniors before,” Hipsher said afterward. ”They’re great to have out there.”

”I think we just went out there and played” in the second half, said Ryan Andrick, who led Akron (10-3 overall, 4-0 MAC) with 24 points.

Free throws also made a big difference, with Akron going 28-for-35 and Marshall 13-for-16. ”The game was very simple,” said Marshall coach Greg White. ”It’s a free-throw line game. The numbers don’t lie.”

J.R. Van Hoose scored 23 for the Thundering Herd (10-2, 2-2), which lost its second straight after winning 10 in a row.

In other MAC games, Bowling Green downed Northern Illinois 72-54, Kent took two overtimes to beat Ohio 73-69, Miami of Ohio was a 60-55 victor over Central Michigan, Ball State edged Toledo 88-85 in overtime and Eastern Michigan rolled over Buffalo 73-53.

Kent 73, Ohio 69, 2OT

KENT (AP) – Kyrem Massey scored 18 points, including crucial jump shot that put Kent ahead to stay in the second overtime, as the Golden Flashes beat Ohio 73-69 Wednesday night in the Mid-American Conference.

Kent (10-1, 2-0) couldn’t shake the determined Bobcats, who went ahead 67-64 in the second overtime period on Dustin Ford’s 3-pointer.

Then Trevor Huffman made two free throws before Massey sank a 15-foot baseline shot to put Kent ahead 68-67. Kent added five points from the free-throw line in the final minutes.

Ohio (8-6, 1-2) went ahead 31-30 at halftime. But Kent led 58-52 with 2:40 left in regulation, after Demetric Shaw made two free throws. Ohio held Kent scoreless the rest of regulation. Steve Esterkamp made two free throws with 18 seconds left to tie it.

Shaun Stonerook, who led Ohio with 21 points and 20 rebounds, made two free throws and a layup in the first overtime to give Ohio a brief 62-60 edge. But Shaw’s tip-in tied it again. Shaw and John Whorton each made a free throw before Sanjay Adell made two from the line with four seconds left in the period to extend overtime.