The Bulls travel to Akron as they face the MAC-leading Zips on Saturday night in a rematch of the 2016 MAC Championship game.
The Zips are currently the hottest team in the league as they have won 10 straight games and have won 27 straight at home, both streaks that rank amongst the nation’s best. The Bulls are looking to start a new winning streak after have a two-game streak broken on Tuesday night at Miami. Buffalo is also looking to win at Akron for the first time since 2011-12.
With their 43 rebounds on Tuesday night, UB has now recorded 40 rebounds or more in six straight games and 10 of its last 11 contests. The Bulls are currently averaging 41.2 rebounds per contest, their highest average for a season since 1987-88. UB has already recorded 40 or more rebounds 15 times this season, which is the same number of times they did it all last season in 35 games played.
The Bulls have played the fewest home games of any team in the Mid-American Conference as UB has played just six games inside of Alumni Arena, two fewer than anyone else in the league. The Bulls will play six of their final 10 games at home, including four of their last five games this year.
Akron is 17-3 on the season and a perfect 7-0 in the MAC, having won 10 straight games which is currently the fifth longest streak in the nation. The Zips are also a perfect 10-0 at home and have won 27 straight home games, which is the third longest streak nationally. Following a season-opening loss at Youngstown State, Akron has lost just two games this year, at nationally-ranked opponents Creighton and Gonzaga.
The Zips have four players in double figures led by senior Isaiah Johnson, who is averaging 15.7 points per game, while also adding 7.3 rebounds per contest. Kwan Cheatham Jr. adds 11.3 points per contest and he leads the Zips averaging 7.5 rebounds per game. Antino Jackson adds 11.1 points, while Jimond Ivey is averaging 10.7 points per game.
Akron is currently one of top three-point shooting teams in the MAC and nationally as the Zips rank in the Top 10 in 3-point field goals made with 214 and three-pointers per game at 10.7. Individually, Isaiah Johnson is in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage at 63.7%.
Keith Dambrot is in his 13th season at Akron and he is the winningest coach in program history. Dambrot became the 21st head coach of Akron men’s basketball on March 10, 2004. Dambrot is one of just eight coaches to own an active streak of 11 or more consecutive seasons of 20-plus wins at the same school. Dambrot came to Akron following a stint as the head coach at Akron’s St. Vincenty-St. Mary’s High School, where he coached NBA superstar LeBron James.
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