Buffalo Defeats Akron to Remain Undefeated in MAC Play
Tuesday's Scoreboard
Buffalo 87, Akron 65
Bowling Green 66, Northern Illinois 57
Eastern Michigan 79, Central Michigan 74
Ball State 75, Ohio 68
Miami 80, Kent State 69
Toledo 84, Western Michigan 61
Stories Courtesy of the Associated Press
Buffalo 87, Akron 65
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -- Jeremy Harris and Nick Perkins scored 17 points apiece and C.J. Massinburg had a double-double to lead Buffalo to an 87-65 win over Akron on Tuesday night.
Massinburg had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls (11-5, 3-0 Mid-American Conference), who had six players in double figures to win their fourth straight with their first win at Akron in six seasons.
Harris had five points as Buffalo scored the first 11 points of the game and the Bulls rolled to a 38-17 point lead at the half. The Zips had more points from the foul line (11) than the field (6). Despite making just 1 of 16 behind the arc, Buffalo shot 42 percent (14 of 33) while Akron went 3 of 23 (13 percent), missing all nine of its 3 pointers.
Akron (7-8, 0-3) made half its 24 shots in the second half, hitting six 3-pionters but it didn't help as Buffalo shot 56 percent and matched the long shots. Akron never cut the deficit below 20.
Virshon Cotton had 23 points and Jimond Ivey 16 for the Zips, combining for 32 in the second half.
Bowling Green 66, Northern Illinois 57
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Demajeo Wiggins converted a three-point play and Justin Turner hit two free throws in the final minute to secure Bowling Green's 66-57 win over Northern Illinois Tuesday night
Bowling Green built a 33-19 lead by intermission and maintained a double-digit advantage well into the second half, but the Huskies went on a 12-0 run that started with a Levi Bradley free throw and ended on a Dante Thorpe layup that got them within a point, 52-51 with six minutes to play.
Matt Fox answered with a 3 and Wiggins hit two from the line to give the Falcons some breathing space, and after Bradley hit a layup, they closed on a 9-0 run.
Wiggins and Turner finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively for Bowling Green (11-5, 2-1 MAC).
Eugene German scored 19 points, hitting 3 of 7 from distance, to lead Northern Illinois (8-8, 1-2). Bradley finished with 13.
Eastern Michigan 79, Central Michigan 74
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Elijah Minnie scored 14 of his 25 points in the final minutes and James Thompson IV added 17 points with 12 rebounds as Eastern Michigan held off Central Michigan 79-74 for its first Mid-American Conference win on Tuesday night.
Thompson scored six points to start the second half as Eastern Michigan broke a 38-38 halftime tie to go ahead 52-46 following a 14-8 sprint. Gavin Peppers nailed a trey to tie at 56-56 with 8:59 remaining.
Minnie drilled a 3-pointer, had a tip-in and nailed two more from distance to give Eastern Michigan a 72-65 lead with 3:16 left. Minnie dunked and hit a free throw in the final seconds.
Ty Groce, who fouled out, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds for the Eagles (10-6, 1-2).
Cecil Williams made 9 of 10 free throws for a career-high 23 points and Kevin McKay added 15 for Central Michigan (12-4, 1-2).
Ball State 75, Ohio 68
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio -- Trey Moses and Tayler Persons each scored 16 points and Ball State used a big second-half run to take the lead and post a 75-68 win over Ohio in a Mid-America Conference battle Tuesday night.
James Gollon drilled 3-pointer as time expired to send Ohio into intermission with a 31-29 lead and the Bobcats opened the second half on a 6-0 run.
Trailing by five with under 15 minutes left, Jeremie Tyler sparked a 12-0 Ball State run that put the Cardinals up, 50-43. After Teyvion Kirk got Ohio within two, 55-53, Persons hit two free throws and a jumper and Tyler drained a 3 to get Ball State to 62-55.
Moses grabbed 11 rebounds for Ball State (11-5, 2-1) and Kyle Mallers and Tyler contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Kirk hit 10 of 12 from the free throw line and finished with 17 points for Ohio (8-7, 1-2).
Miami 80, Kent State 69
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio -- Darrian Ringo scored 16 points, including 12 in the first half when Miami (Ohio) built a big lead, and added seven assists to guide the RedHawks to an 80-69 victory over Kent State on Tuesday night.
Nike Sibande finished with 17 points and six rebounds for the RedHawks (9-7, 2-1 Mid-American Conference), while Logan McLane grabbed nine rebounds and Rod Mills Jr. scored eight with seven boards and four assists. Ringo came into the game averaging 8.1 assists per game, fourth best in the country.
Adonis De La Rosa topped the Golden Flashes (7-9, 1-2) with 16 points and seven rebounds. Jalen Avery added 12 for the defending MAC champions, who lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Miami, which never trailed in the game, led 18-5 on a Ringo 3-pointer midway through the first half. A jumper by Mills capped an 18-0 run to push the lead to 36-8. Ringo's layup at the buzzer gave the RedHawks a 48-25 lead at intermission. Kent State got as close as eight points on a Kevin Zabo layup with 1:24 left to play, but Miami made 5 of 6 free throws from there to wrap up the win.
Toledo 84, Western Michigan 61
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Tre'Shaun Fletcher had 21 points and Toledo rolled to an 84-61 victory over Western Michigan on Tuesday night.
Fletcher made four 3-pointers and finished 8-of-12 shooting from the field, and added eight rebounds and eight assists. Luke Knapke and Jaelan Sanford chipped in 16 points apiece, and Marreon Jackson had 13 for Toledo (10-6, 2-1 Mid-American Conference).
Thomas Wilder had 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead Western Michigan (10-6, 2-1). Bryce Moore added 16 points.
Fletcher's 3-pointer capped a 27-9 run to start the game as the Rockets built a 36-28 halftime advantage. The Broncos pulled to 44-38 lead early in the second half, but the Rockets answered with a 14-4 surge. Fletcher converted a 3-point play off a dunk and a hit a 3, Knapke made a 3-pointer, and Sanford scored five points during the stretch and Toledo cruised from there.
