Tuesday’s Men’s Basketball Results
Akron 105, Western Michigan 92
Ball State 86, Eastern Michigan 84 (OT)
Buffalo 73, Northern Illinois 67
Kent State 91, Central Michigan 83
Miami 92, Toledo 80
Ohio 86, Bowling Green 81
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Akron 105, Western Michigan 92
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -The Akron men's basketball team shot 51.9 percent from beyond the arc on the way to a 105-92 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos at James A. Rhodes Arena Tuesday evening for its 13th consecutive home victory.
The Zips (19-5, 11-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 22 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Tavari Johnson tacked on 17 points and Amani Lyles helped out with 15 points and two steals off the bench.
Akron's ball distribution was in full effect with five Zips recording three assists.
Led by James Okonkwo's three offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 11 second chance points.
Akron's benched helped claim the win with 40 points coming from the reserves. The Zips' bench has scored 30 or more points in 17 games while scoring 40 or more in eight games this season.
After falling behind 3-2, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:29 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lyles, to take an 11-3 lead. The Zips then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 52-42 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 10 shots to account for 30 of its 52 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 93-81 with 4:41 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 105-92 win.
The Zips head to Central Michigan to continue Mid-American Conference action on Saturday, February 15 for a 7 p.m. start.
Ball State 86, Eastern Michigan 84 (OT)
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – Jermahri Hill went coast-to-coast and slammed a game-winning two-hand dunk in Ball State 86-84 overtime win over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday night at Worthen Arena.
Mickey Pearson Jr., hit two free throws to tie the score at 84-84 with 38 seconds to play, and the Cardinals (12-12, 5-6 Mid-American Conference) forced the Eagles (11-13, 4-7 MAC) into a turnover with 8.8 seconds on the clock. Hill took the inbounds pass and drove down the left side of the lane before elevating for the slam with 2.8 seconds to play. Eastern's shot from the right wing fell short as the buzzer sounded before the Cardinals rushed the court to celebrate.
Payton Sparks hit a free throw with 12 seconds left in regulation and the Cardinals got a stop to send the game into overtime tied 75-75. Ball State led 40-33 at halftime in a game that featured 16 lead changes and 11 ties. A total of 14 lead changes and nine ties occurred in the second half and overtime.
Hill paced the Cardinals with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Sparks went for 19 points and three rebounds. Jeremiah Hernandez tallied 18 points, including the 1,000th of his career early in the second half.
Pearson Jr., added 12 points and Ethan Brittain-Watts eight for a Ball State offense that shot 51.9 percent (27-52) from the field and 89.3 percent (25-28) at the foul line. The Cardinals made each of their first 14 free throw attempts.
The game was Ball State's first contest that went into an extra period since March 2, 2024 against Western Michigan. The most recent overtime win for the Cardinals was also against Eastern Michigan (91-90 on Feb. 3, 2023).
Eastern Michigan got 25 points from Jalen Terry but was limited to 2-for-5 shooting in the extra period. The Eagles shot 55.9 percent (33-59) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) on 3-pointers and 76.5 percent (13-17) at the charity stripe.
Hernandez led a Ball State bench that outscored Eastern's 23-13, while the visitors held slight advantages in rebounding (25-24) and turnovers (15-12).
The Cardinals are set to conclude a three-game homestand against Northern Illinois on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Buffalo 73, Northern Illinois 67
Box Score
DEKALB, Ill. – The University at Buffalo men's basketball team (8-16, 3-8 MAC) took down the Northern Illinois Huskies (5-19, 1-10 MAC) on Tuesday evening, 73-67.
In what could be Buffalo's final trip to Northern Illinois with the Huskies as members of the Mid-American Conference, the Bulls pulled away with a near wire-to-wire road victory. Tyson Dunn scored a game-high 22 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Noah Batchelor scored 16 points to go with his game-high 9 rebounds. Ryan Sabol and Tim Oboh scored 11 points each to round out Buffalo's double-digit scorers.
Batchelor played exceptionally well on the defensive end as 8 of his 9 rebounds were on the defensive end while grabbing 2 steals. Anquan Boldin Jr. also finished with 2 steals.
Sabol buried his 132nd career three-pointer to tie him with Sean Smiley (2005-10) for 10th in program history.
Off the opening tip, the Bulls grabbed the lead after a Dunn three-pointer. Buffalo was cruising in the first half as Northern Illinois had no answers for the Bulls' offense. The Huskies went into the game averaging 9.2 threes per game, but the Bulls' stout defense limited them to just 1-for-13 from deep in the first half. Buffalo shot the only 2 free throws in the half as there were just 4 total fouls by both teams. The Bulls led 32-21 at the half.
Out of the half, Northern Illinois cut the Bulls' led down to 5 at 38-33. A driving layup at the halfway mark of the half by the Huskies tied the game at 43. Buffalo went back up 45-43, but a made mid-ranger jumper and the foul gave Northern Illinois their first lead of the night at 46-45 with 9:46 to go. Their lead was short lived as Buffalo answered back with a Sabol layup. Despite the Bulls holding a single-digit lead, the Huskies couldn't get back in front with Buffalo's stellar defense.
With 1:13 left and just 3-seconds left on the shot clock, Dunn banked in a corner three to put Buffalo ahead, 65-58. The Huskies had a chance to tie the game with just 15-seconds remaining, but Dunn secured the rebound and forced the foul. He put the game on ice with a pair of made free throws. Batchelor put the game out of reach with 2 free throws with just seconds remaining.
Buffalo outshot the Huskies, 44.4% to 43.3% from the floor. The Bulls held their ground at the three-point line as Northern Illinois was just 4-of-22 (18.2%) from deep.
The Bulls are back in action on Saturday as they host the Bowling Green Falcons at 2 p.m.
Kent State 91, Central Michigan 83
Box Score
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State Men's Basketball bested Central Michigan University on Tuesday night by a final score of 91-83. Four Flashes were in double-digits after the hard-fought contest, and two surpassed 20 points.
Kent State opened the ballgame on a 22-7 run causing the Chippewas to regroup. CMU was able to cut it to an eight-point KSU lead just before 10 minutes left. Kent State kept their foot on the gas as Marquis Barnett matched his Kent State high in the first half with 15. KSU took their double-digit lead into the break. Central Michigan came alive offensively in the second half pushing the Flashes to the limit late in the game as they chipped away. The Flash fouls and good possessions allowed CMU to get as close four points with 2:53 remaining. Barnett, Davis, and Cian Medley were the key contributors as the Flashes responded by outscoring the Chippewas 8-4 over the last three minutes to take the game by eight.
Marquis Barnett tallied a new career and Kent State high leading the squad with 28 points. His previous high at Presbyterian was 26 and his season high at Kent State was 15. This is his second time leading the Flashes in scoring this season. Davis recorded double-digit game number 53 on his career scoring 21. It was his sixth time doing so this season. Delrecco Gillespie grabbed 14 rebounds leading the blue and gold for the third consecutive game. It is his second highest total this year. Cian Medley led the Kent State in assists with seven while dropping 11 points. Jalen Sullinger continued his scoring ways with 19. He hit his 50th three-pointer of the season in the game.
The Golden Flashes will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 14 at home against Ohio University. Tipoff between the Flashes and Bobcats is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside the M.A.C. Center. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network
Miami 92, Toledo 80
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio– The Miami University men's basketball team ended Toledo's five-game win streak 92-80 Tuesday evening. Kam Craft led all players with a career-high 40 points (13-of-22 from the field). This is the second time this season a RedHawk has scored 40 or more points; the last time Miami had two different players score 40 in the same season was in 1957-58, by Wayne Embry (40) and John Powell (43).
The RedHawks rise to 19-5 (10-1 MAC), while Toledo drops to 15-9 (8-3 MAC). Sonny Wilson led the Rockets with 23 points.
Craft opened the game with a pair of triples and a turnaround jump shot to give Miami a 10-6 advantage. A transition layup from Reece Potter and a transition three from Brant Byers extended Miami's lead to 15-6. Evan Ipsaro and Byers sunk back-to-back shots from behind the arc to keep a double-digit lead at 21-11.
Craft stayed hot from the three-point line, putting in three more shots from deep to increase the scoring gap to 32-16. Eian Elmer drove down the right side of the lane and dunked over multiple Rocket defenders to bring all of Millett Hall to its feet at 34-16. Ipsaro buried two more threes, and Craft closed the half with his sixth three of the game to enter the intermission ahead 45-30.
Mekhi Cooper opened the second half of play with a two-hand dunk down the right baseline. A collection of free throws from the Red and White fended off the Rockets' attempt to close in at 58-42. Potter put in a shot from the top of the three-point line, and Craft added a mid-range jumper and a pair of free throws, putting the RedHawks up by 20 points at 66-46 with 10:16 to play.
Craft added three more shots from beyond the arc and recorded a traditional three-point play to keep the RedHawks in control at 85-68 with 2:51 remaining. The RedHawks closed out the final two minutes of play with numerous layups to seal a 92-80 victory.
The RedHawks travel to Western Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Ohio 86, Bowling Green 81
Box Score
BOWING GREEN, Ohio – The Ohio men's basketball team (13-11, 7-4 MAC) returned to action Tuesday evening (Feb. 11), coming from behind to defeat Bowling Green (9-15, 3-8 MAC), 86-81, inside the Stroh Center.
The win is the first for the Bobcats inside the Stroh Center since 2017.
Overall, Ohio shot 47.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and were 30-of-34 from the line, Bowling Green shot 45.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three and were 16-of-25 from the line. BGSU outrebounded the Bobcats, 35-31 and dished out 14 assists to Ohio's 12. The Bobcats also recorded six steals and forced 13 Falcon turnovers.
Individually, Ohio was led by graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) with 17 points, going 4-of-5 from the field, 3-of-4 from three and 6-of-6 from the line, while dishing out four assists. Redshirt sophomore guard AJ Brown (Orlando, Fla.) added 16 points and five rebounds, while going 7-of-8 from the line. Senior forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) added 15 points, while junior guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly, Wis.) scored 14 points, all in the second half, while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Bowling Green won the tip and got on the board first with a three. After BGSU took a 5-0 lead, a driving layup from Clayton stopped the run. However, the Falcons quickly took a 10-2 lead, forcing Ohio to burn a 30 second time out minutes into the game. Out of the timeout, back-to-back threes from Mitchell stopped the scoring drought, cutting the deficit to 12-8 going into the first media timeout. Out of the break, free throws from Brown cut the deficit to two. After BGSU went back up three, a three from junior guard Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) and a layup from graduate student forward Vic Searls (Hilliard, Ohio) put the Bobcat up two, before a free throw cut the lead to one with 11:31 remaining in the half.
Out of the break, a dunk from Clayton and two more free throws from Brown put the Bobcats up five, before a jumper and free throws from the Falcons stopped the run from the Bobcats and cut the lead down to one. Moments later a three and a layup from Searls put the Bobcats up 24-18 going into the under-eight media timeout. Out of the break, BGSU went on a 5-2 run to cut the Ohio lead to three, before a layup from Searls once again game the Bobcats a five-point lead going into the final media timeout of the half.
A 6-0 run from the Falcons put BGSU back in front before free throws from Mitchell gave Ohio a one-point lead. However, BGSU hit a three at the buzzer to take a 34-32 lead into halftime.
At the half, Ohio shot 38.5 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and were 8-of-8 from the line, while BGSU shot 44.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and were 6-of-10 from the line. Both teams grabbed 15 rebounds, while Ohio had eight assists, five steals and forced eight turnovers.
BGSU opened the second half on a 7-2 run before a three-point play from freshman guard Elijah Elliott (Orlando, Fla.) stopped the run. However, the Falcons countered with a 5-0 run again to take a 46-38 lead into the first media timeout. After BGSU went up 10, a three from James stopped the run, followed by a three and a jumper from Brown cut the Ohio deficit to four with 13:44 to go. The two teams continued to trade baskets with the Falcons taking a 54-48 lead into the under-12 media timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Bobcats used free throws from Clayton and a three-point play from Paveletzke to tie the game at 54-54. Moments later, free throws from Brown gave the Bobcats their first lead of the half. After BGSU tied the game up with free throws, a driving layup from Brown helped give Ohio a 58-57 lead with 7:41 remaining in the game.
After BGSU tied the game at 60-60, a jumper from Clayton put Ohio back up two. Once again, BGSU tied the game up, but a free throw from Paveletzke and a layup from Mitchell put the Bobcats up three. A dunk from BGSU cut the lead to one, but a three from Mitchell game Ohio a four-point lead, before a layup and free throw cut the Ohio lead to 68-67 with under four minutes to go. After BGSU tied the game at 72-72 with a three, the two teams traded layups before a three from Mitchell put Ohio up 77-74 with 1:47 to go.
Two free throws from Clayton and four more from Paveletzke put Ohio up 83-75 with 31.1 seconds to go. After a three from BGSU cut the lead to five, two more free throws from Ohio padded the lead. However, the Falcons hit a three with 8.9 seconds left, cutting the Ohio lead to 85-81. With 4.5 seconds left, Clayton hit one last free throw to secure the 86-81 victory.
For BGSU, Marcus Johnson led the Falcons with 21 points, while Derrick Butler scored 18.
Up next, the Bobcats head to Kent, Ohio on Friday, Feb. 14 to take on Kent State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET inside the M.A.C. Center and can be seen nationally on CBS Sports Network.
