Akron 'Zips' past CMU men's basketball
Central Michigan junior forward Ugnius Jarusevicius goes up for a contested layup against Akron junior forward Amani Lyles at McGuirk Arena, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. Jarusevivius tied his season high with 32 points. (CM-Life | Mark Hoover)
With three seconds remaining on the clock, CMU men's basketball looked for an opening to take the lead over Akron going into halftime on Saturday. After guard Anthony Pritchard looks for an open teammate, he finds forward Ugnius Jarusevicius who sends a shot beyond the arc.
The shot gave CMU a 36-33 as it left the court, sending McGuirk Arena into a frenzy.
"I mean it was like five or four seconds on the clock," Jarusevicius said. "Somebody had to shoot it, so I was just lucky to get the ball."
Despite the eruption, the Chippewas could not hold on falling 85-82. The loss now puts them at 11-14 overall and 4-8 in Mid-American Conference play. In the MAC standings, CMU is pushed down to ninth, just shy of qualifying for the MAC championship.
"It's unfortunate the injuries we've had derailed a big portion of this season," head coach Tony Barbee said. "But you still got to find a way."
The game started with high energy as Akron secured the first points of the night just minutes into the opening half. A foul on Jarusevicius sent the ball back into Zips' territory.
CMU’s response came from beyond the arc when guard Cayden Vasko drilled a 3-pointer to get the Chippewas on the board. Pritchard quickly followed up with another three, pushing CMU ahead 6-2.
A foul on Akron sent Jarusevicius to the free-throw line, extending CMU’s lead to 9-4. However, Akron remained aggressive, cutting the deficit to 9-5 after free throws. The game continued in a tight rhythm as a Jarusevicius rebound helped maintain CMU’s narrow lead at 13-12.
With nine minutes remaining in the first half, Jarusevicius knocked down a three-pointer, tying the game at 16-16 and forcing Akron into a timeout. The Zips emerged from the break with a deep three of their own, reclaiming a 19-16 lead.
CMU kept pace as Jarusevicius continued his hot shooting, maintaining a 42.9% mark from beyond the arc. Pritchard’s free throws tied the game at 25, but Akron edged ahead once again. With just under two minutes left, Jarusevicius hit two crucial free throws, bringing the Chippewas within two points at 31-29.
In the closing moments of the half, Pritchard’s layup gave CMU a 33-31 lead. As the clock wound down, that's when Jarusevicius found himself open beyond the arc, draining a three at the buzzer to send CMU into halftime with a 36-33 advantage. The arena erupted as fans stood to their feet and the arena shook from cheers.
"I love playing home games," Jarusevicius said. "I love seeing the fans and I love the atmosphere here. It's really cool."
Akron wasted no time in the second half, quickly regaining the lead at 37-36. A foul on guard Kyler Vanderjagt managed to keep the Chippewas within reach with a jumper, cutting the deficit to 47-45. Pritchard later stepped to the line, hitting two free throws to bring CMU to 50-49. However, Akron responded with a three-pointer, pushing its lead back to 53-49.
"The start of that second half is where we lost the game," Barbee said. "The key to this game, we talked about it with this group. They have never been down at the half in conference play...I wanted to test their will and their competitive spirit, and we had the lead coming out of halftime. (Akron) shot 62% in the second half once again and that's where the game was lost."
Jarusevicius continued to fight, sinking two free throws to keep CMU in the game at 53-50. Despite his efforts, Akron’s offense remained relentless. With under seven minutes remaining, Pritchard’s free throws narrowed the gap to six points. Vanderjagt added another point from the line, but the Zips held firm with a 70-65 lead as time wound down.
As the Chippewas fought to hold onto the game, Akron's offense and defense held strong as the deficit narrowed. In the end, the Zips held onto their lead, ending the game at 85-82.
Jarusevicius led in points, scoring a second-straight 32 points and 10 rebounds. Following was Pritchard with 15 points and three rebounds.
"(Jarusevicius) is a guy that's still not completely healthy," Barbee said. "It talks to the kind of elite player he is, that he puts pressure on the other team. He's big, he's skilled, he's got touch, he's rebounding. The only thing we need is more of a defensive presence with him at the rim."
CMU will head to Athens, Ohio to take on the Bobcats of Ohio University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
