University of Akron men's basketball coach John Groce relied on senior forwards Enrique Freeman , Sammy Hunter and Ali Ali to dispatch pesky Western Michigan on Tuesday night.
With sophomore guard Nate Johnson out with a broken hand and senior guard Greg Tribble sidelined for most of the second half because of illness, Akron needed big nights from its other three starters. The three forwards combined for 57 points in a 77-66 win and the Zips remained undefeated in the Mid-American Conference while handing the Broncos their first league loss.
"All of them made big plays, and none of the three were feeling great," Groce said. "Not to the level Greg was, but we all had to suck it up and coach and play and figure it out, spearheaded by those guys. We go as they go. I remind them of that a lot, especially through text and conversations."
Akron (13-4, 5-0) is tied atop the MAC with Toledo (11-6, 5-0).
Freeman led the Zips with 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in 32 minutes. He recorded his NCAA-best 15th double-double, and made 9 of 16 shots from the field. He also broke a 40-year-old school record for most consecutive double-figure scoring games.
"We have got so much depth, so even with GT being out and unfortunately Nate out for a little bit, everyone has got to play their part and step up," Freeman said. "We have a next-guy-up mentality, so no one folds. Everybody is in the gym working and everybody believes in each other."
Hunter scored 19 points in 31 minutes and Ali contributed 18 points in 36 minutes.
"I am proud of our guys," Groce said. "We have been a little bit under the weather. ... Greg hasn't practiced for two days. He tried to suck it up today and play, so I really appreciate his toughness and leadership in that regard. Hopefully, we can get him healthy before Friday [at Kent State]. We had some other guys who struggled a little bit, too, maybe not to the level of him, but I thought we really played with some toughness.
"I know we weren't feeling great, but as I tell them 'the opponent doesn't care. We have to figure it out.' I thought we came out of halftime and played with a little bit more energy. I thought we made more shots, obviously, and I thought our defense was a little bit better."
Groce said Johnson is projected to return in around six weeks, which means he is going to miss at least 10 or 11 games. Akron has 14 regular-season games remaining.
Sophomore Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro, a 6-4 guard, had 17 points and three assists to pace Western Michigan. The Broncos (7-10, 4-1) also received 10 points apiece from 6-4 sophomore JaVaughn Hannah and 7-0 sophomore Javonte Brown, and nine points from 6-4 sophomore Seth Hubbard.
"That was a really good win for us against a basketball team that was red-hot," Groce said. "I told [WMU coach] Dwayne [Stephens] and their staff that I really like their team. I think they all complement each other really well. They have got good depth and great size. Hopefully, B. Artis [White] is OK for them [after leaving in the first half with an injury]."
The Broncos made 5 of 12 shots from 3-point range in the first half and led 29-27 at halftime. The Zips were 0 of 8 from long range in the opening 20 minutes.
The shooting numbers flipped in the second half as Akron made 7 of 9 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and WMU went 3 of 9.
"We got some good looks in the first half, but in the second half we just kept shooting," Hunter said. "That is what shooters do. You can't get down on yourself if you miss one or two. That is what you put in work for everyday."
Freeman threw down a two-hand slam dunk with 17:14 remaining in the second half to give him 10 points in the game and 1,493 in his career, which moved him past Romeo Travis (1,491 points) for eighth on the Akron men's basketball career scoring chart.
"I love this dude right here," Hunter said of Freeman. "I have got one word: dog. Straight dog. Just everyday, same thing. Never changes. Just a double-double machine. Happy to be with him. Best big man I have ever played with."
Added Ali: "I am proud of him. You could see this coming a long time ago. He just stuck with it years ago, even when people didn't really understand or know who Enrique Freeman was. ... He is a consistent guy."
Nothing shows his consistency better than Freeman setting the UA record for most consecutive double-figure scoring games. Freeman has scored 10 or more points in 31 straight games, breaking Joe Jakubick's mark set in 1984.
"You think about that fall day when he came in here on a walk-on tryout to where he is at now, a testament to his character, his work ethic and the way he has developed," Groce said. "Obviously, he is one of the best players in the country — not just in the league — the country, one, and, two, his humility is what makes him unique. He is very coachable, he is humble and he is a guy that is the same everyday."
Hunter , Ali and senior Mikal Dawson each made a 3-pointer as Akron built a 38-35 it did not relinquish.
Freeman flashed his footwork and made dunks, layups and jumpers to score 12 points in the second half. Hunter made three 3-pointers in the second half and sophomore Tavari Johnson made two 3s.
"I thought Dawson's play on a loose ball [that led to a Hunter dunk in the second half], changed the energy level in the building," Groce said. "... This was a total team effort."
Hunter was happy to see his roommate Dawson "get on the floor, hit somebody, be one of the most physical dudes on the court and bring the energy to the team."
Zips junior Shammah Scott (four points, two assists), senior Kaleb Thornton (six assists, two steals) and Tavari Johnson (six points) gave Groce good minutes with Tribble sick and Johnson injured. Tribble scored five points.
"Sammy made some big shots," Groce said. "Ali made some plays. I thought Amani Lyles and Tavari Johnson were good off the bench. Scott had a big play with a steal and a dunk. Thornton made big plays. ... Freeman was spectacular, especially in the second half."
Hunter made 7 of 12 shots from the field and had four rebounds. Ali shot 5 of 10 from the field, made 7 of 8 foul shots and had three rebounds and two assists.
"I know GT was down and Nate was out, but it didn't really feel too funky playing with these two [Freeman and Hunter] or the different guard lineups," Ali said. "Groce puts us through those different type of lineups in practice weekly. It worked out."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Enrique Freeman, Sammy Hunter, Ali Ali guide Akron basketball over WMU
