Ohio faces new-look Zips with same stakes on the line

To the rimAt first glance, Tuesday night’s clash between the Akron Zips and the Ohio Bobcats feels familiar.

The Zips (17-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) are in their customary place at, or near, the top of the MAC standings. Veteran head coach Keith Dambrot is still pacing the Akron sideline. And it’s another high-stakes game for both the Zips and Ohio (13-7, 4-4 MAC), which is trying to win three consecutive conference games in a row for the first time under current head coach Saul Phillips.

And while the intensity level and emotional output are anticipated to be as high as ever when the two teams meet on the hardwood, how the game will play out could be quite different than the usual…