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AKRON, Ohio --  Host Akron used a 14-2 run in the first half to erase a seven-point Titan advantage and never looked back, defeating Detroit  81-63 at the James A. Rhodes Arena Saturday night in non-conference play.   Senior Chase Simon led all scorers with 27 points for the Titans.

Detroit (3-4) pushed out to a 9-2 start, but Akron (3-2) countered with a 14-2 spurt of its own and never looked back.  It was a one-man offense for Detroit, who leaned on Simon to provide the scoring.  He produced another 20+ point performance, his third of the young season, on 10-of-15 shooting.  He also led the Titans with seven rebounds.

Detroit trailed by just three in the closing minutes of the first half, but the home team scored the final eight points before the break, mounting an 11-point advantage, 43-32.

Detroit went to work on cutting into the deficit midway through the second 20 minutes, slicing it to eight on a Simon triple.  The Titans then proceeded to go nearly five minutes without a field goal until Simon's long jumper from the top of the key broke the dryspell, but Akron had piled-up a 66-53 lead with eight minutes remaining.

With both big men in foul trouble (LaMarcus Lowe and Evan Bruinsma both had three personals to start the half), the Titans employed a zone defense for good portions of the second half.  The Zips shot well from the perimeter (8-of-16 from three-point) and Akron big men Zeke Marshall and Nikola Cvetinovic combined to go 11-for-14 from the floor for 27 points. 

Simon, who scored 24 points against Akron last season (Dec. 1), is leading the Titans in scoring at 16.9 points per contest.  Lowe added nine points and two blocks and has now registered at least a pair of blocked shots in all seven games this season. 

Detroit returns to Calihan Hall Thursday to open Horizon League play.  The Titans open the four-game homestand with Youngstown State for a 7:00 p.m. tip.

Notes: Ray McCallum failed to score in double figures for the first time all season (six points) … Detroit was out-rebounded for just the second time this season (35-27) … Lowe notched his 100^th block in a Titan uniform.