North Dayton News

The Akron men's basketball team held a two-point lead at halftime, but couldn't overcome an 8-2 run to open the second half as LSU defeated the Zips 73-58 in the semifinal round of the 2022 Cayman Island Classic at John Gray Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Senior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) led Akron (3-2) in scoring with a game-high 28 points while adding six rebounds and four assists. Junior transfer Sammy Hunter (Nassau, Bahamas) followed with 13 points and junior Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Akron won the battle of the glass, outrebounding LSU (5-0) 36-31.

The first half showcased five lead changes and four tied scores, with Akron's largest lead coming at the 4:21 mark, 33-25. Akron used a 12-3 run to take over the scoreboard sparked by freshman Tavari Johnson 3-pointer. Castaneda added five points with an old-fashioned 3-point play and a pair of free throws, while sophomore Garvin Clarke and Hunter scored in the paint. With 4:21 remaining in the half, LSU answered with an 8-2 run to close out the half, but Akron still held onto the lead at the break, 35-33. Castaneda notched 15 first-half points to lead the Zips while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists.

The Tigers carried the momentum into the second frame, outscoring the Zips 11-6 in the initial four minutes. The Tigers built the lead to as many as 11 points by the 9:12 mark (55-44). Akron's second-half shooting slump aided in the scoreboard overhaul as the Zips shot only 20-percent from the field in the second stanza (5 of 25). The Zips connected with a 33.3-percent rate from beyond the arc (3 of 9), but couldn't get the deficit under six points for the remainder of the game.

Adam Miller led the LSU offense with 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting from the field, including a 5 of 9 clip from downtown. KJ Williams added 19 points Justice Hill contributed 14 points to the win.

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