Color Scheme

Subscribe now
Gonzaga Basketball

A look back: Gonzaga and Akron have met once before, in the 2009 NCAA Tournament

Micah Downs of Gonzaga tries to break down an Akron defender on the dribble during second half action in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in the Portland Rose Garden on Thursday, March 19, 2009. (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)
Micah Downs of Gonzaga tries to break down an Akron defender on the dribble during second half action in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in the Portland Rose Garden on Thursday, March 19, 2009. (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo

The only previous meeting between Gonzaga and Akron was in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Zags defeated Akron 77-64 in Portland behind 22 points from Josh Heytvelt.

“That was the team that kind of overachieved, came out of nowhere and won the MAC tournament,” Akron coach Keith Dambrot recalled. “The beginning part of the game we executed well. Their guards were bigger than our post people. We were a small team that year.”

Gonzaga defeated Western Kentucky 83-81 in the second round before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina 98-77 in the Sweet 16.

Gonzaga is 3-1 against teams currently in the Mid-American Conference. The lone loss was against Toledo in 1964.