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Do IT this week: Layering
UA puts ghost of past losses to rest
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
POSTED: 11:24 p.m. EDT, Mar 14, 2009
CLEVELAND: Just 36.8 seconds remained in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final Saturday night, and coach Keith Dambrot spoke in the huddle to an excited group of University of Akron basketball players.
UA fans stood and cheered — and near the foul line Zippy danced to Soul Man.
Anyone else want to dance? Write it down, plan the week and buy the junk food: The Zips are going to the NCAA Tournament.
''It's better than the alternative,'' Dambrot said with a smile at midcourt after the game.
UA left no room for drama or miracle shots in this 65-53 win over Buffalo.
The Zips took care of things early, smothering the Bulls with a tenacious and relentless defense in the first half, then riding that effort through a second half that had but one brief scare.
As the clock ticked down, all the ghosts of the disappointments of the past two years faded into the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.
Come tonight when the brackets are announced, the University of Akron will be listed. And Dambrot said he doesn't care where the committee sends his team.
UA's dedicated and hard-working and scrappy coach tried not to show much emotion.
But with 22.6 seconds left, Dambrot showed his first sign of what was happening, exchanging a double high-five with associate head coach Jeff Boals.
When the game ended, the Zips gathered into a scrum at center court — a celebration earned and richly deserved.
Three times in three years, the Zips played in the MAC title game.
The only team to win was the one that wasn't expected to win.
This win was for this team, of course, for a group that understood the concept of playing defense and playing together.
For a group that was not expected to be in the title game, much less win it.
But it also was for those who came so close in years before.
For Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce.
And for Jeremiah Wood.
And for the other 1,000-point scorers who left the past two years, Nick Dials and Cedrick Middleton.
And for all the members of that Zips team two years ago whose hearts were broken by a bank-it-in 3-pointer at the buzzer from Miami.
And for the rest of the team last season that could not handle Kent State in the MAC final.
''This was for everybody that built the program,'' Dambrot said.
Really, the only bit of final drama came late, when Buffalo had cut an 18-point Zips lead to nine. But Darryl Roberts made a 3-pointer to put UA ahead 12.
After Brett McKnight and Roberts forced a turnover, Steve McNees found McKnight in the corner for another basket, and the lead was 59-45 with 1:34 to go.
Game over.
This was supposed to be a transition season for the Zips. Work hard, play hard, maybe go .500, build for next season.
But these players would not accept that scripted version of reality and created their own.
They played tenacious defense, shared the ball on offense and were opportunistic at the exact right times.
In the MAC Tournament, they had to win four games in five nights.
They started with an improbable comeback over Toledo, then beat (in order) Miami, Bowling Green and Buffalo — as challenging a threesome as the MAC can offer.
Defense won the final game for UA, as the Zips pestered Buffalo all over the court.
The Bulls' offense, so smooth in the semifinal win over Ball State, seemed herky-jerky (that's a technical basketball term) and out of sorts.
In fact, Buffalo seemed poised to close the tournament as the top-seed champion because of its poise.
Which is how the Bulls looked in their first two games — poised. No matter the challenge, they never seemed rattled.
UA's defense changed that. Buffalo forced bad shots and passed up good ones.
The Zips also got a lift when Anthony ''Humpty'' Hitchens came off the bench four minutes into the game — sore left ankle and all.
He immediately drained a 3, then forced a steal and finished with a layup.
By half's end, he had made all four of his shots and scored 10 points.
Consecutive possessions in the second half told the story of this game.
After forcing Buffalo into a turnover thanks to the shot-clock violation, UA got a layup from Nate Linhart off a feed from Hitchens.
That layup gave UA an 18-point lead. And it came to UA because Linhart dove to take a loose ball away from the Bulls, and freshman Nikola Cvetinovic rebounded a missed 3-pointer.
Hustle.
Hard work.
Intensity.
It all came into play for the Zips in three grueling games in three grueling days.
Where will the Zips play, and who will they play?
Who cares, really.
The point is they will be playing.
And they deserve every second of enjoyment that reality provides.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/
CLEVELAND: Just 36.8 seconds remained in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final Saturday night, and coach Keith Dambrot spoke in the huddle to an excited group of University of Akron basketball players.
UA fans stood and cheered — and near the foul line Zippy danced to Soul Man.
Anyone else want to dance? Write it down, plan the week and buy the junk food: The Zips are going to the NCAA Tournament.
''It's better than the alternative,'' Dambrot said with a smile at midcourt after the game.
UA left no room for drama or miracle shots in this 65-53 win over Buffalo.
The Zips took care of things early, smothering the Bulls with a tenacious and relentless defense in the first half, then riding that effort through a second half that had but one brief scare.
As the clock ticked down, all the ghosts of the disappointments of the past two years faded into the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.
Come tonight when the brackets are announced, the University of Akron will be listed. And Dambrot said he doesn't care where the committee sends his team.
UA's dedicated and hard-working and scrappy coach tried not to show much emotion.
But with 22.6 seconds left, Dambrot showed his first sign of what was happening, exchanging a double high-five with associate head coach Jeff Boals.
When the game ended, the Zips gathered into a scrum at center court — a celebration earned and richly deserved.
Three times in three years, the Zips played in the MAC title game.
The only team to win was the one that wasn't expected to win.
This win was for this team, of course, for a group that understood the concept of playing defense and playing together.
For a group that was not expected to be in the title game, much less win it.
But it also was for those who came so close in years before.
For Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce.
And for Jeremiah Wood.
And for the other 1,000-point scorers who left the past two years, Nick Dials and Cedrick Middleton.
And for all the members of that Zips team two years ago whose hearts were broken by a bank-it-in 3-pointer at the buzzer from Miami.
And for the rest of the team last season that could not handle Kent State in the MAC final.
''This was for everybody that built the program,'' Dambrot said.
Really, the only bit of final drama came late, when Buffalo had cut an 18-point Zips lead to nine. But Darryl Roberts made a 3-pointer to put UA ahead 12.
After Brett McKnight and Roberts forced a turnover, Steve McNees found McKnight in the corner for another basket, and the lead was 59-45 with 1:34 to go.
Game over.
This was supposed to be a transition season for the Zips. Work hard, play hard, maybe go .500, build for next season.
But these players would not accept that scripted version of reality and created their own.
They played tenacious defense, shared the ball on offense and were opportunistic at the exact right times.
In the MAC Tournament, they had to win four games in five nights.
They started with an improbable comeback over Toledo, then beat (in order) Miami, Bowling Green and Buffalo — as challenging a threesome as the MAC can offer.
Defense won the final game for UA, as the Zips pestered Buffalo all over the court.
The Bulls' offense, so smooth in the semifinal win over Ball State, seemed herky-jerky (that's a technical basketball term) and out of sorts.
In fact, Buffalo seemed poised to close the tournament as the top-seed champion because of its poise.
Which is how the Bulls looked in their first two games — poised. No matter the challenge, they never seemed rattled.
UA's defense changed that. Buffalo forced bad shots and passed up good ones.
The Zips also got a lift when Anthony ''Humpty'' Hitchens came off the bench four minutes into the game — sore left ankle and all.
He immediately drained a 3, then forced a steal and finished with a layup.
By half's end, he had made all four of his shots and scored 10 points.
Consecutive possessions in the second half told the story of this game.
After forcing Buffalo into a turnover thanks to the shot-clock violation, UA got a layup from Nate Linhart off a feed from Hitchens.
That layup gave UA an 18-point lead. And it came to UA because Linhart dove to take a loose ball away from the Bulls, and freshman Nikola Cvetinovic rebounded a missed 3-pointer.
Hustle.
Hard work.
Intensity.
It all came into play for the Zips in three grueling games in three grueling days.
Where will the Zips play, and who will they play?
Who cares, really.
The point is they will be playing.
And they deserve every second of enjoyment that reality provides.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/
Comments
Click here to post your comments
medina, oh
Posted 01:01 AM, 03/15/2009
Usually, you'd say lock in Coach dambrot before someone else can steal him!
But, this is a dedicated Akron man who wants to be at Akron. I've known Keith for 30 years and he is an awesome individual. Congrats on making this a great season!
Posted 01:15 AM, 03/15/2009
What a performance for the Zips! I just got home from the Q and I have to say I'm surprised the Zips have FINALLY done it! They played tough, with no letups, all night long. No MAC team deserves it more. I was on the edge of my seat all game long.
Way to go guys! Good luck in the big dance!!!
Canton, OH
Posted 10:34 AM, 03/15/2009
Props to the Zippers & THEE ZipNation. . . .
Posted 02:12 PM, 03/15/2009
ZIPSNATION UNITE! I want two more games at least this season!
Akron, OH
Posted 09:05 PM, 03/15/2009
What did Dambrot mean when he said "it's better than the alternative"?
Akron, OH
Posted 09:07 PM, 03/15/2009
domer, did you attend ND?
