Tonight In The MAC Friday, November 21
Akron (2-0, 0-0 MAC) at No. 6 Pittsburgh (2-0, 0-0 Big East)
7 p.m. (ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh) Pitt leads series 2-1
Akron plays its first road game of the season on Friday, traveling to No. 6 Pittsburgh to participate in the Legends Classic. Game time is set for 7 p.m. EST at Petersen Events Center, and the contest will be televised by ESPN Regional and FSN Pittsburgh, and will also be available on ESPN360...The Zips, who are off to their first 2-0 start since the 2005-06 season, come off a 72-58 victory over Winthrop on Tuesday. The Zips have never defeated a ranked foe... Walk on Darryl Roberts leads the Zips in scoring (13.5 ppg) and is tied for the team lead in assists (2.5 apg along with Ronnie Steward). Roberts, who averages 25 minutes off the bench, scored a career-high 17 points against Winthrop on Tuesday...The Panthers, ranked No. 6 in both national polls, have won 30-straight games at home and face their second-straight Mid-American Conference opponent defeating Miami (Ohio) 82-53 on Monday.
Northern Illinois (2-1, 0-0 MAC) at Tennessee State (0-2, 0-0 OVC)
8:30 p.m. Series tied 1-1
The Huskies are coming off Tuesday’s 86-79 win over visiting Indiana State in NIU’s home opener. Darion “Jake” Anderson and Mike DiNunno combined for 54 points in the win, with each chipping in 27 points... With a win over host Tennessee State Friday, Northern Illinois would collect its third-straight victory, and secure the Huskies’ first winning streak since opening the 2006-07 season with three-consecutive wins (Nov. 13-25, 2006)... Heading into this weekend’s MAC slate, DiNunno ranks third in the league in scoring (23.0 ppg), first in three-point field goals made (12), second in minutes played (37.33 mpg), and is tied for fifth in steals (2.33 spg).... The Tigers will look to bounce back from a 73-70 loss to Loyola (MD) with intentions of winning their first game of the season...Gerald Robinson, Jr. leads the Tigers in scoring with 23 points per game. Darius Cox follows averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Inside the Paint...
Kent State senior guard Al Fisher shot a perfect 7-7 in overtime, including the game winner with 2.1 seconds left in a 76-74 win over host Saint Louis on Wednesday night at the Chaifetz Center. Fisher scored 16 of the Golden Flashes 17 points in overtime and 27 of the his team’s final 28 before ending the night with a career high 35 points. A Honorable Mention All-American and Mid-American Conference Player of the Year last season, Fisher picked up right where he left off, scoring 27 of his points in the final five minutes and overtime. Fisher is the first player to score 30 for KSU since Omni Smith had 30 against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Western Michigan’s David Kool and Miami’s Michael Bramos picked up MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week awards on Monday. Kool led the Charleston Classic in scoring and was named to the five player Charleston Classic All-Tournament Team after putting up 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Bramos led Miami in scoring, averaging 17.5 ppg at the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at the Los Angeles Regional. Bramos amassed 22 points against No. 4 UCLA and became the 33rd player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points in the game against the Bruins.
Northern Illinois men’s basketball backcourt tandem of sophomore Darion “Jake” Anderson and freshman Mike DiNunno combined for 54 points, with each chipping in 27, to lift the Huskies to an 86-79 win over Missouri Valley Conference foe Indiana State. Anderson’s 27 points marked his career-high, and DiNunno’s scoring output came on six three-pointers, just two off the single-game record at NIU. DiNunno is leading the team in scoring with 23.0 ppg. over the first three games this season. He was also named to the 100 Club Classic All-Tournament Team.
In case you missed it...
Nate Miller scored 18 points as Bowling Green came out strong in the second half, pulling away from Wayne State to win 80-48 on Thursday night. Erik Marschall scored 14 points and Moten and Darryl Clements each had 11 points for Bowling Green. Miller added eight rebounds as the Falcons had 44 rebounds to the Warriors’ 30. John Cantrell scored 25 points and Tawrence Walton had 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead Chicago State to an 84-74 win over Central Michigan on Thursday. Adrian Hunter led the Chippewas with 18 points. Jacolby Hardiman added 17, Chris Kellermann scored 15 and Jeremy Allen chipped in 12.
