MAC Squads Go 6-0 vs. Non-Conference Opponents Saturday
Saturday’s MAC Men’s Basketball Results
Toledo 98, Saint Joseph’s 87
Akron 67, Cleveland State 57
Buffalo 80, Canisius 75
Ohio 61, Alabama A&M 53
Western Michigan 103, Siena Heights 72
Kent State 111, Youngstown State 78
Stories courtesy of the Associated Press
Toledo 98, Saint Joseph’s 87
Boxscore
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Jaelan Sanford set career highs with 31 points and eight assists to help Toledo beat Saint Joseph's 98-87 in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night.
The Rockets jumped to an 18-4 lead to start the game and never trailed despite a late challenge from the Hawks. Saint Joseph's closed the deficit all the way to 66-64 when Shavar Newkirk made a trio of free throws with 9:44 left in the game.
Nate Navigato's 3-pointer ended that run and sparked an 18-6 Toledo run from which the Rockets never looked back.
Toledo made 14 of 25 from 3-point range. Sanford was 4 of 6 from the arc and 11 of 16 overall from the field. Navigato added five 3s and tied a career high with 22 points, and Tre'Shaun Fletcher scored 13.
Newkirk led Saint Joseph's with 21 points, James Demery and Taylor Funk added 16 each, and Lamarr Kimble scored 10.
AKRON, Ohio -- Daniel Utomi hit four 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 20 points, Eric Parrish scored 17 points in his debut and Akron rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to beat Cleveland State 67-57 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
Parrish, who scored 13 in the second half, made 5 of 10 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line and grabbed six rebounds.
Akron made just three of its first 16 field-goal attempts, trailed as many as 12 in the first half and, after a layup by Cleveland State's Anthony Wright, the Zips were down 36-26 with 17:57 remaining. Utomi hit a 3-pointer 11 seconds later, the Vikings missed 12 of their next 14 shots, and the Zips took their first lead when Parrish made a layup with 12:33 to play during a 23-4 run that made it 49-40.
Cleveland State trimmed its deficit to 54-49 after a 3-pointer by Stefan Kenic with 4:39 remaining, but Parrish and Malcolm Duvivier each hit jumpers and, after Tyree Appleby made 1 of 2 free throws, Jimond Ivey made a 3 to push Akron's lead back into double digits with two minutes left.
Appleby scored 13 points and Kenny Carpenter added 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for Cleveland State. The Vikings made just 3-of-19 3-pointers and shot 38.5 percent (10 of 26) from the free-throw line.
Buffalo 80, Canisius 75
Boxscore
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Nick Perkins scored 26 points, Davonta Jordan added 16 -- career highs for both -- and Buffalo kicked off its basketball season edging cross-town rival Canisius 80-75 on Saturday.
In a game where neither team could break away, Perkins and Jordan each drove for scores in the final minute to put Buffalo back into the lead, 77-74. Jeremy Harris made three of four foul shots to close it out.
Harris finished with 15 points for the Bulls, preseason pics to win the Mid-American East.
Despite 25 points from freshman Takal Molson, and 20 from sophomore Isaiah Reese, 17 after halftime, Canisius, which had led by five late, was unable to hang on. The Griffins were hampered by 19 turnovers -- eight off Buffalo steals -- and were outrebounded 42-32.
Jermaine Crumpton, coming in 30 pounds lighter than last season, blocked three shots, grabbed seven boards and scored nine points for Canisius.
Ohio 61, Alabama A&M 53
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio -- Treyvion Kirk scored 16 points in his debut with Ohio, leading the Bobcats to a 61-53 victory over Alabama A&M in the season opener Saturday.
The true freshman hit 6 of 11 from the field and was 4 of 6 from the free throw line while grabbing four rebounds and dishing a pair of assists.
Ohio is now 6-0 all-time against teams from the Southwestern Conference.
Gavin Block had 12 points and Doug Taylor grabbed a dozen rebounds for Ohio, which hit just 24 of 65 from the field, including 5 of 21 from long range.
Alabama A&M, under first-year head coach Donnie Marsh, who spent the last two seasons as associate head coach at Texas Southern under Mike Davis, was just 21 of 62 from the field, including 4 of 19 from behind the three-point arc. The Bulldogs managed to get to the line for just eight attempts, knocking down seven.
Western Michigan 103, Siena Heights 72
Boxscore
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Thomas Wilder scored 16 points, Brandon Johnson added 14 points, and Western Michigan beat NAIA Siena Heights 103-72 on Saturday in a season opener for the Broncos.
Western Michigan returned four starters from a team that won its final eight regular season games to claim the ninth Mid-American Conference West title in program history. The Broncos were voted the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament with 22 of 30 first-place votes.
Adida Ikongshul had 12, Reggie Jones 11 and two others had 10 as 12 Bronco players scored. Western Michigan plays 2017 Final Four participant South Carolina on Monday.
The Broncos led 47-29 at halftime and extended it to 54-34 early in the second half.
Keith Jordan Jr. led Siena Heights with 15 points and Jon Hovermale added 12. The Saints, out of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, entered with a 1-1 record.
Kent State 111, Youngstown State 78
Boxscore
AKRON, Ohio -- Jaylin Walker and Adonis De La Rosa scored 20 points apiece as Kent State beat Youngstown State 111-78 in a season opener for both teams Saturday night.
Jalen Avery added 14 points with eight rebounds and five assists for Golden Flashes. Danny Pippen had 13 points and eight rebounds and Desmond Ridenour chipped in 12 points. Kent State averaged 55 percent shooting overall -- compared to 38 percent for YSU -- and had a 57-41 rebounding edge.
Kent State had a 46-41 edge at the break but pulled away in the second half on a 16-8 run capped by a Pippen dunk to take a 62-49 lead early in the period. Later, Walker, De La Rosa, Avery and Taishaun Johnson contributed to a 9-2 run that extended the Golden Flashes lead to 84-55 with 9:08 to play and they cruised from there.
Cameron Morse finished with 19 points, three rebounds, four assist and three steals for the Penguins.
