The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
Akron Holds Off Tulane 65-63 to Extend Home Winning Streak
By Piper Rampage
Photo: Navie05 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
AKRON, Ohio — Akron held off Tulane 65-63 at James A. Rhodes Arena, extending its home winning streak to 33 games and improving to 3-0. Tulane fell to 2-2.
Ty Pence led Akron with 17 points, including the late plays that helped the Zips regain and preserve the lead. Tahj Staveskie and Buddy Hammer Jr. added 11 points apiece, with Hammer scoring nine in the first half off the bench. Evan Mahaffey also finished with 10 points, while Halil “Chabi” Barre collected 10 rebounds, nine of them before halftime.
TJ Nadeau scored 19 points for Tulane, including 13 in the first half. KJ Greene added 16.
Akron led 36-26 at halftime after scoring 36 points in the opening half and limiting Tulane to 26. The second half went the other way, with Tulane scoring 37 points to Akron’s 29, setting up a two-point finish.
Tulane made its push with a 14-0 run that gave the Green Wave their first lead since opening the game ahead 2-0. The run put Tulane in front 55-53 with about 7:31 remaining. Pence answered with a dunk that moved Akron in front 57-56 with 6:01 left, then followed with a three-pointer to extend the margin to 60-56 with about five minutes remaining. Tulane tied the game and then moved ahead on a three-pointer by Krystian Lewis, before Pence made one of two free throws to tie the game at 63-63 with 1:42 left.
The teams remained tied at 63 at a timeout with 1:02 remaining. Akron had struggled at the free-throw line late, making 8 of 16 attempts by that point. In the final moments, Greene’s driving layup attempt to tie the game missed. The ball was tipped, and Pence secured the rebound to help Akron hold on for the win.
The victory came in head coach Dustin Ford’s first home game in charge of Akron.
Piper Rampage
Men’s College Basketball, The Library Media
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