Basketball
Halftime Report
Akron has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Eastern Michigan 54-38.
Akron came into the game with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Akron Zips @ Eastern Michigan Eagles
Current Records: Akron 9-5, Eastern Michigan 7-7
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: George Gervin GameAbove Center — Ypsilanti, Michigan
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $5.50
What to Know
Akron is 8-2 against Eastern Michigan since January of 2020, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Both will face off in a Mid American battle at 3:30 p.m. ET at George Gervin GameAbove Center. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Tuesday, Akron didn’t have too much trouble with Central Michigan as they won 87-71. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Zips.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Akron to victory, but perhaps none more so than Seth Wilson, who had 18 points in addition to five rebounds. Wilson had some trouble finding his footing against Bowling Green last Friday, so this was a nice turnaround. Sharron Young was another key player, going 5 for 8 en route to 12 points plus two steals.
Meanwhile, Eastern Michigan suffered their closest defeat since March 8, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of Toledo by a score of 90-87. The Eagles have struggled against the Rockets recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Eastern Michigan’s loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Jalen Terry, who went 6 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points, and Christian Henry, who scored 22 points along with five assists and three steals. Terry’s performance made up for a slower match against N. Illinois on Saturday.
Eastern Michigan struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Toledo posted 17.
Akron’s win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-5. As for Eastern Michigan, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-7.
Saturday’s contest is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Akron has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 39.7 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Eastern Michigan, though, as they’ve been averaging only 32.6. Given Akron’s sizable advantage in that area, Eastern Michigan will need to find a way to close that gap.
Akron and Eastern Michigan were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, but Akron came up empty-handed after a 61-60 loss. Can Akron avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Akron is a big 7.5-point favorite against Eastern Michigan, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 7.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 152.5 points.
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Series History
Akron has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Eastern Michigan.
- Mar 05, 2024 – Eastern Michigan 61 vs. Akron 60
- Jan 30, 2024 – Akron 77 vs. Eastern Michigan 46
- Feb 14, 2023 – Akron 78 vs. Eastern Michigan 51
- Jan 13, 2023 – Akron 104 vs. Eastern Michigan 67
- Feb 19, 2022 – Akron 67 vs. Eastern Michigan 48
- Jan 22, 2022 – Akron 46 vs. Eastern Michigan 44
- Jan 26, 2021 – Akron 86 vs. Eastern Michigan 65
- Jan 09, 2021 – Eastern Michigan 71 vs. Akron 59
- Feb 08, 2020 – Akron 59 vs. Eastern Michigan 58
- Jan 04, 2020 – Akron 69 vs. Eastern Michigan 45
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