MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) -- Nate Minnoy had 21 points and six rebounds for Central Michigan in a 65-64 victory over Akron on Saturday.
The Zips (14-5, 4-2 Mid-American Conference East) had the ball with 17.7 seconds to play, but Akron was never able to get a shot off as the Chippewas' Giordan Watson tipped the ball away from Nick Dials.Akron jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Central (8-10, 3-3 MAC West), but the Chippewas stormed back midway through the first half on a 19-5 run in which they held Akron without a field goal for 9:53 and took a 27-18 lead.Central would not trail again until 2:48 to play in the second half after Dials hit a 3-pointer to put the Zips ahead 62-61.Robbie Harman followed Dials' 3-pointer with a long two that put the Chippewas ahead for good at 63-62. Harman finished with a career-high 14 points.A Minnoy lay-in with 1:35 to play put Central ahead 65-63. Neither team would score in the final 1:20 of play.Jeremiah Wood had 16 points and four rebounds for Akron, which lost its second straight game for the first time this season. Dials finished with 14 points while Nate Linhart had 13 points and five rebounds.
