The Central Michigan Chippewas (13-9) and the Mid-American’s top-ranked offense head to Akron to take on the Zips (18-4) and the 12th-ranked defense in the conference. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 5 and can be seen on CCS.
The Zips enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Ohio 80-68 on Tuesday. Josh Williams was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Chippewas, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-61 win against Kent State on Tuesday. Chris Fowler claimed his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 assists.
Fowler has been hot for the Chippewas, averaging 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers over the past five games.
In terms of eFG%, this game will match strength against strength when the Chippewas have possession. Their upper-echelon offense is ranked 35th in the nation in that metric at 54.0%, while Akron is 24th-best in the nation in eFG% defense (45.1%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Chippewas winning the first matchup 92-81. Fowler had a stellar game with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Notes
Central Michigan won its last game by a 27-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Akron is 4-1. Central Michigan is 5-2 in blowouts this season.
The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 26th for their offensive rating of 114.8. The Akron Zips have a defensive rating of 96.0 (ranked 41st).
The Central Michigan Chippewas average a field goal percentage of 45.5% this season. The Akron Zips have a solid 4-2 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 45.5% or greater.
The Akron Zips and the Central Michigan Chippewas both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Akron is 234th and 72nd in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Central Michigan is 104th and 35th in these categories.
Akron ranks 96th in assists, registering 14.8 per game. Central Michigan performs worse at 168th with 13.6 assists per game.
Akron, the 96th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.2 per game. Central Michigan does worse, ranked 265th with 2.7.
Central Michigan ranks 267th in offensive rebounds, while Akron ranks at 70th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Central Michigan forces a turnover rate of 16.5%. When Akron turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 7-3 record.
