Zips Win 17th In A Row - 19 Action News|Cleveland, OH|News, Weather, Sports

Zips Win 17th In A Row

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Web Staff - web@19actionnews.com Mark Schwab, Sports Reporter/Anchor - email

AKRON, Ohio – Four players scored in double figures as the Akron men's basketball team extended the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games courtesy of a 67-50 win over Bowling Green on Saturday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron, 21-4 overall and 12-0 in Mid-American Conference play, tied the 1957-58 Miami (Ohio) RedHawks for the best start to league play in conference history. The Zips also extended their home and overall conference winning streaks to 13 games. Additionally, the victory earned UA at least the No. 2 seed in next month's MAC Tournament.

Akron remains one of seven undefeated teams nationally in league play this season.

Zeke Marshall led the Zips with 15 points on the night in addition to nine boards, three blocked shots, one assist and one steal. Alex Abreu (13), Nick Harney (13) and Brian Walsh (10) also scored in double figures.

Richaun Holmes led Bowling Green (10-15, 5-7 MAC) with 15 points.

Akron won despite shooting 36.5 percent (23-of-63) from the field and helped itself by making 82.6 percent of its attempts (19-of-23) at the foul line and outrebounding the Falcons, 43-35. UA converted BGSU's 15 turnovers into 16 points, and 21 of the Zips' points came on second-chance opportunities.

Bowling Green shot just 32.8 percent (19-of-58) from the floor and did not connect on a field goal in the last 5 1/2 minutes of the game when the Zips used a 12-1 run to close out the win.

UA opened the game on an 11-1 run and held a 29-21 advantage at halftime.

The Zips face North Dakota State on Friday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. ET in the Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters game, set to air on ESPN2.

Zips Notebook: Zeke Marshall, the Zips' lone four-year senior, helped Akron to it's 90th win during his career ... this is the seventh senior class to win 90 games at Akron, the sixth under ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot ... with his three blocked shots, Marshall moved into 10th place on the MAC's single-season blocked shots list (87).