Zips basketball: Observations about the Detroit game

It started with a bang, but ended in a whimper in Detroit for the Akron Zips as they lost to the Titans 80-73.

When you commit 19 turnovers and give up 31 points off of them those things tend to happen. When you send an opposing team to the line 39 times, those things tend to happen.  And when, once again, you're below mediocre at the free throw line shooting 50 percent for the game those things will happen.

So what happened other than that?

• A lack of discipline.  Those missed free throwns and turnovers came at pivotal moments in the game with the Zips on the verge of padding a slim six-point lead.  Get to the line, miss freebies.  Get the ball with a chance to score and toss it away were the modus operadi for the afternoon.  What, however, I didn't get is why the Zips fouled three-point shooters three times.
• The guard play needs to pick up and fast. I don't know whether it's a nagging injury or the fact that Alex Abreu is still carrying a few extra pounds (not that I'm one to talk about extra weight), but he's averaged a meager 5.5 points the past two games.  The strength of his game is the threat of penetration and getting his teammates involved.  He couldn't score, but he did get his teams involved.  They need more of the former.  It didn't help that Brian Walsh struggled also with 1-of-6 shooting.
• Where was Zeke Marshall?  Defensively he was fine.  Last week that was the problem.  This week it was offense as the Titans, who don't start a big man as skilled as he is, held him to two points.  Keith Dambrot said that Marshall needs to ask for the ball more.  Marshall needs to put together a complete game before MAC play starts because he's likely to be essential to whether the team has a shot at winning the conference.