The University of Akron basketball team is just happy to be home.
The Zips (14-7, 6-1 in the Mid-American Conference) twice have played six road games in a span of eight games this season and are coming off the second of those sets as they prepare to take on the Toledo Rockets (10-11, 2-5) tonight at Rhodes Arena.
They were road warriors in the most recent stretch, finishing with a 7-1 record, including 6-1 in the MAC. It’s an improvement over the 3-5 record in the first such set of eight games.
“We’ve made some strides. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to win on the road, even with good teams,” UA coach Keith Dambrot said after Tuesday’s practice. “This team has made some progress and shown some resiliency on the road that reminds me of some of our older teams.”
That includes an uncanny ability to win close games, something the Zips didn’t do at the dawn of the season back in November. The difference now is they have overcome being their own worst enemy at times.
In games against Kent State and Ball State, UA found itself trailing late in the game only to launch furious comebacks to achieve victories.
In Saturday’s win over Central Michigan, the opposite proved true. Ahead by 19 toward the end of the first half, the Zips had to gut things out when the Chippewas cut the lead to three points with a few minutes left in the game.
“I think we’re about 75 percent of what we could be. Now will we ever get to 100 percent?” Dambrot asked. “I don’t think many teams put together two halves consistently.”
That doesn’t mean the Zips cannot and will not strive for that. Currently atop the MAC overall and holding one tiebreaker courtesy of their victory over Ball State and with West Division-leading Eastern Michigan on the schedule Saturday, they’re in the envious position of being able to pull away from their competitors, going into February, a month in which they have a history of playing exceedingly well.
In eight years under Dambrot, the Zips have a 39-15 record in February, 14-3 the past two years, statistics that suggest that the Zips are peaking.
“I know we are slow starters,” Dambrot said. “We’ve been bad every year early. I just think we get better as the year goes. Our guys develop, their role definitions are more clear, I’m more comfortable with them, but I didn’t know it’s any different in February.
“I know we’ve been good in March. Obviously it just takes me getting smart enough to coach them.”
For Zips fans, that’s all that matters.
Bustin’ out
The Zips will play in ESPN’s Sears BracketBusters derby against Oral Roberts University this year. Oral Roberts is coached by Scott Sutton, son of legendary coach Eddie Sutton.
The Golden Eagles (20-4) are ranked 49th in Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and the Zips are 58th. The game will give the Zips a chance to improve their standing with the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
“The good thing about it is they have a very high RPI and a very good team. We’ve played them twice before so we know them a little bit; we know what they’re going to do,” Dambrot said. “We know their personnel a little bit. We know it’s going to be difficult. We snuck a game out there once.”
The Zips are 4-0 in the series, including an 84-80 win last year.
Face time
The Zips will appear on television 11 times this season, with the potential for six additional TV games to be added to the schedule. Akron is 6-2 so far this season on TV. Last season, the Zips went 9-7 on TV.
Women’s notes
The UA women’s team (9-12, 3-4) will finish off a similar six-of-eight on the road stretch against Toledo (13-7, 6-2) at Savage Arena tonight at 7. It can be streamed at www.mac-sports.com.
Track notes
Sophomore Brad Hough and senior Valerie Frazier were named Mid-American Conference Track and Field Athletes of the Week.
Hough set a school record in the 3,000-meters last week and was selected male track athlete of the week. Frazier, who competes in the weight throw, won her third consecutive meet and won her third female field athlete of the week.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://zips.ohio.com. Follow the Zips on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
