Events Calendar
In This Section
Zips blank Bulls to begin quest for national title
Zips blank Bulls to begin quest for national title
UA women start strong, then fall behind Wright State
Zips men end tournament with 69-52 win over Howard
Hitchens carries Zips to first victory
Zips' Porter creates culture of success
Bunbury helps push Zips soccer team forward
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Akron man killed in crash on his street
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Browns find another way to lose
2 men shot during party in Fairlawn
After 30 years at the helm of Akron Children's, Considine still looks to future
Akron Circle K store robbed for second time this month
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Sunday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Browns sick after sick loss in Detroit
Akron Zips:
No. 1 Akron to play Stanford next
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Post-game defensive quotes
Kent State Sports:
Kent State defeats Rochester College, 63-44
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
The Onion, By Any Other Name…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (70) Savings in Medicare Advantage
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Faye Dunaway to be Evicted?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Monique asks how to get tickets for the Polar Express.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – You are All Wrong About Jobs, or the Lack of Jobs, Being the Reason People Do Not Live in NEO
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
UA coach Dambrot says team played well for only four minutes
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Monday, Mar 10, 2008
The University of Akron and its fans will long remember how a 3-pointer by Kent State's Al Fisher with 2.7 seconds remaining was the difference in an emotionally draining defeat.
However, the Zips' performance most of the way also was a factor in the Golden Flashes' 61-58 win Sunday night at Rhodes Arena in a showdown for first place in the Mid-American Conference.
''I am disappointed in the 37 minutes we played, but the last three minutes we showed a lot of guts,'' said senior Jeremiah Wood, who led all scorers with 23 points. ''Fans were leaving when we made that run.
''It was exciting, but I am not happy we didn't get the win.''
The fans were leaving because the Zips appeared to have no chance to win. They never led at any point in the game, trailing 19-4 at the start, 32-15 at the half, 45-29 with 8:30 remaining and 49-37 with 4:17 left.
That's when a miracle rally by the Zips almost pulled out a miracle victory — until Fisher had other ideas.
''Really, we played about four minutes good. They played about 36 minutes good, at least defensively,'' UA coach Keith Dambrot said. ''I don't think we were very good. They pressured us into poor composure.''
In those final minutes, the Zips forced turnovers and converted them into baskets. The Flashes then were the ones losing their composure and missing free throws.
''The last three minutes was interesting because I have never seen them (the Flashes) do that,'' said Dambrot, whose team opens the MAC Tournament at 2:30 p.m. Thursday against the Central Michigan-Northern Illinois winner. ''I never saw them lose their cookies like that.''
Despite playing well for such a short stretch, the Zips had life and forged a 58-58 tie with 9.4 seconds remaining on the second 3-pointer of Wood's career.
Then the collective spirit of the Zips and their fans hit the wall when Fisher worked his way up court, squared up and made a shot that gave Kent State the overall MAC championship and East Division title.
''He took what he thought he had,'' Dambrot said about Fisher's shot. ''We got a little disjointed on that play. We got caught up in the moment and we were stretched out. We let their best player beat us.''
The Zips had emotion on their side at the start with Senior Night ceremonies that honored five departing seniors.
UA then fell immediately behind and hurt itself in the first half with a 4-of-24 shooting performance (16.7 percent), including 1-of-12 on 3-pointers (8.3 percent).
''It was a very sluggish game from the beginning,'' Wood said. ''We weren't playing our game.''
The Zips entered the game leading the MAC in 3-point percentage (39.2) and 3-pointers made (8.66 per game). But UA was 1-of-21 with two minutes left when Nick Dials and Wood made their final two to make it 3-of-23 (13 percent).
''We took quick, rushed shots, which has not been our formula,'' Dambrot said. ''I will give them credit. They forced us into that. But you have to be disciplined enough not to do that.''
The Flashes entered the game second in the MAC in points allowed per game (62.6) and third in field-goal percentage defense (41.4).
KSU lived up to that by pressing virtually every Zips possession. Junior guard Jordan Mincy was especially effective on Dials, holding him to five points and 2-of-10 shooting.
''The pressure he puts on the ball, he's almost like a blitzing linebacker,'' KSU coach Jim Christian said about Mincy.
The loss gave the Zips a 1-3 home record in the final four weeks of the season after having won 22 in a row.
UA finished as the third overall seed in the MAC behind Kent State and Western Michigan.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
The University of Akron and its fans will long remember how a 3-pointer by Kent State's Al Fisher with 2.7 seconds remaining was the difference in an emotionally draining defeat.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
