Tuesday’s Men’s Basketball Results
Akron 81, Ball State 73
Bowling Green 84, Northern Illinois 77
Kent State 70, Eastern Michigan 49
Miami 76, Central Michigan 70
Ohio 94, Western Michigan 69
Toledo 84, Buffalo 74
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Akron 81, Ball State 73
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Sharron Young scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Akron men's basketball team to an 81-73 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena Tuesday night.
With the win, Akron has now won 10 straight games to begin Mid-American Conference action while staying undefeated at home this season. The last time the Zips won 10-straight games to begin conference play was during the 2012-13 season.
The Zips (17-5, 10-0) had four players score in double figures, led by Young, who had 18 points, five assists and two steals. Nate Johnson tacked on 16 points and Shammah Scott chipped in as well with 13 points, six assists and two blocks off the bench. Amani Lyles provided 12 points.
The Akron bench was highly productive against Ball State, with a season-high 49 points coming from the reserves. The Zips bench has scored 30 or more points in 15 games while scoring 40 or more points in seven games.
Akron shared the ball well in Tuesday's game, racking up 21 assists on 35 made field goals. Scott's six assists led the Zips. This was the 11th game Akron has recorded 20 or more assists.
After falling behind 6-2, Akron went on a 7-0 run with 15:56 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Scott, to take a 9-6 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 38-36 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 38 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Amani Lyles' layup, to grow the lead to 76-66 with 3:58 to go in the contest. The Cardinals narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 81-73 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 28 of its 43 points in the lane.
The Zips stay home to host South Alabama in the final round of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Saturday, February 8 for a 2 p.m. start.
Bowling Green 84, Northern Illinois 77
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team took down the Northern Illinois Huskies inside the Stroh Center Tuesday night (Feb. 4) with an 84-77 final score. The Falcons led wire-to-wire over the Huskies in the game, growing the lead as large as 13 late in the second half. The win snaps a five-game skid for the Orange and Brown and pushes Bowling Green to 8-14 on the season while being 3-7 in conference play with three of the next four games being at home.
The Falcons jumped out to an early 13-4 lead to start the game, but the Huskies battled back, closing within a possession at 15-13. The lead stretched again for BGSU, reaching 21-13, but NIU again battled back within a possession, 26-23. The pendulum continued to swing with the lead growing back to eight for the Falcons, 32-24, before closing to 35-31. Just before the half, DaJion Humphrey hit a corner three for a 38-31 halftime score. A similar sequence followed in the second half, with NIU coming as close as one, 55-54, but the Falcons remained in front, rebuilding the lead as high as 80-67 before the 84-77 final.
For Bowling Green, Marcus Johnson led the way with his first double-double of the season. Johnson finished with 22 points, his ninth 20-point game of the season, and a career-high 13 rebounds, the most by a Falcon this year. Johnson was one of five Falcons to reach double-digit scoring figures, including DaJion Humphrey with 11, becoming the 11th different Falcon this year with double-digit points in a game.
The Falcons won the opening tip with Marcus Johnson hitting a jumper off a DaJion Humphrey assist for the first points. Northern Illinois matched with a layup, but a Humphrey three followed before another NIU layup for an early 5-4 BGSU lead.
Jamai Felt ripped away an offensive rebound and found Johnson cutting to the basket. Johnson missed the first attempt, but cleaned the glass with a tip-in two. The second-chance bucket kickstarted an 8-0 run with threes from Johnson and Humphrey following, both off assists from Trey Thomas, for a 13-4 lead.
The Huskies ended the run at the free throw line, making two. The Falcons quickly responded with a second-chance layup from Wilguens Jr. Exacte, making it a 15-8 BGSU lead at the first media timeout after an NIU bucket.
The points before the break began a 7-0 run for the Huskies, cutting the lead down to 15-13. Exacte ended the run with a driving layup with Javontae Campbell adding two at the line. Johnson reached for another tip-in, making it a 6-0 Falcon run to rebuild the lead to 21-13.
NIU utilized a quick 5-0 run to pull back within a possession, but a Johnson jumper pushed the score to 23-18 Falcons at the under-12 media timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Thomas made his first bucket of the game, hitting a three off a Campbell steal. NIU went on a 5-0 run, cutting the score back down to a possession at 26-23, prompting a BGSU timeout for the under-8 media break.
The first points out of the timeout came off a Braelon Green layup from a Thomas assist. Johnson hit a pair at the line, moving the Falcon lead to 30-23. NIU added a free throw before the final media timeout of the half for a 30-24 tally.
Another second-chance tip-in by Johnson restarted the scoring. Each team added a three with Thomas hitting Bowling Green's. A quick 5-0 run for Northern Illinois closed the gap, but a three at the buzzer by Humphrey for the Falcons pushed the score to 38-31 at the halftime break.
Northern Illinois made a layup to start the second half, but Thomas responded with a corner three on the BGSU end. The back-and-forth continued with two NIU free throws, a Derrick Butler three and then an NIU three answer. The back-and-forth transitioned to layups with Campbell and Butler each making one separated by a Northern Illinois layup for a 48-40 Falcon lead at the first media timeout of the half.
Out of the break, the Huskies made two layups to cut the lead in half but a layup from Exacte put BGSU back on the board followed by a Jamai Felt free throw plus a Butler layup as well as two free throws for a 7-0 BGSU run and 55-44 lead. A 5-0 run for NIU chipped away for a 55-49 score at the under-12 break.
The run for Northern Illinois stretched to 10-0 after the timeout, cutting the lead down to one at 55-54. Humphrey ended the run with a layup and the foul. Humphrey missed the free throw, but Exacte hauled in the rebound, resulting in Johnson drawing a shooting foul. He converted both at the line for a four-point swing and 59-54 score.
The Huskies sank a three the next time down. The Falcons soon answered with a Johnson layup to push the lead back to two possessions with a 61-57 score at the under-12 media timeout.
A layup from Butler marked the first points back in action, but NIU answered with a layup of their own. The back-and-forth continued with a Johnson three and two NIU layups. Thomas halted the brief burst for NIU with a transition three for a 69-63 lead at the final media timeout.
The three from Thomas started an 8-0 run for the Falcons. A free throw from Campbell and layup from Butler continued the run followed by two more Campbell layups.
Northern Illinois ended the run with a floater, calling timeout with the score at 74-65 and 1:09 left on the clock. After the timeout, Butler hit two at the line. The back-and-forth continued with a jumper for NIU and a layup for Campbell off an outlet pass from Johnson.
On the defensive end, Campbell pinned an NIU layup off the backboard, turning into two Thomas free throws at the other end before a layup and dunk for the Huskies.
Down the stretch the teams traded free throws. Campbell hit a free throw, but NIU matched at the line. Thomas sank two more for the Falcons followed by two from the Huskies and another from Thomas. A banked in three for NIU made it an 84-77 final.
The Falcons will remain at home for their next two contests. The homestand will continue on Saturday (Feb. 8) against Coastal Carolina with a 2 p.m. tip. The game against the Chanticleers will be a "Snow Day" theme at the Stroh Center. MAC play will resume next Tuesday (Feb. 11) against Ohio with a 7 p.m. start.
Kent State 70, Eastern Michigan 49
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Kent State Men's Basketball handled the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University on Tuesday night by a final score of 70-49. Four Flashes scored double-digits as Delrecco Gillespie and Jamal Sumlin recorded career performances.
Kent State opened the game on a 10-2 run. Cli'Ron Hornbeak set the tone for KSU in the first eight minutes with a slew of rejections at the rim, including one that took a sizable bounce. The Flashes led 21-12 by the third media timeout with Sumlin heating up from behind the arch. The Golden Flashes and Eagles matched each other going 15-15 over the last 10 minutes of the first half with Kent State holding the nine-point advantage at the break. EMU closed the gap opening the second half on a 9-3 run. They were able close the game to five points before Kent State responded with a burst of their own going on a 10-4 run. Sumlin hit his third three of the ballgame to mark a new career high with 7:32 left to play keeping KSU in front. Kent State outscored Eastern 15-7 for the rest of the game pulling away to win by 21.
Gillespie's 18 rebounds were the highest by a Flash this season, a career high for him, and the highest rebound total for a Kent State player since Chris Payton pulled in 20 against Cleveland State on Dec. 9, 2023. He also scored a career high 13 points. Hornbeak's seven blocks were a career high for the senior center, and the highest block total for a Flash this season. Kent State sent back a team high nine blocks in the win. Jamal Sumlin dropped a career high 13 points marking his third double-digit performance. Davis led the Flashes for the 15th time this season with 15 points. Sullinger's 11 points were his 62nd double-digit career game.
The Golden Flashes will be back in action at home on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2:00 p.m. against the Red Wolves of Arkansas State University. It is Kent State's second game of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge. For more information on Kent State men's basketball, fans can follow the team on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Miami 76, Central Michigan 70
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Miami University men's basketball team took down Central Michigan Tuesday night 76-70 in McGuirk Arena. Peter Suder led all players with 21 points, while three other RedHawks scored in double figures. Damarion Bonds recorded a team-high 17 points for the Chippewas. Miami rises to 17-5 (9-1 MAC), and Central Michigan falls to 10-12 (4-6 MAC).
The Red and White opened the contest with an 11-1 lead. A flurry of threes from Eian Elmer, Suder and Evan Ipsaro propelled Miami forward at 24-10. The Chippewas responded with a 14-4 run to come within four points at 28-24.
With 3:35 to go in the first half, Ipsaro made a no-look pass to Brant Byers that resulted in a dunk, and Byers added a triple the next possession to push the RedHawks ahead 33-24. Suder closed the half with free throws and a layup to head into the intermission winning, 37-34.
Central Michigan jumped out 38-37 at the start of the second half. The RedHawks eventually answered with three consecutive scoring possessions to reclaim the advantage 46-45. Luke Skaljac knocked down a jumper and three shots from behind the three-point line to help give Miami a double-digit lead at 62-52.
The Chippewas once again found a way to make it a close game at 66-65 with 3:59 to go. Central Michigan stayed in the fight as the end approached, eventually tying the game at 68 apiece. In the closing minutes,Miami managed to sink enough free throws to secure a 76-70 victory.
The RedHawks host Troy University on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m., as part of the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.
Ohio 94, Western Michigan 69
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio – In his return to the court after missing three games, senior forward AJ Clayton led the Bobcats with 18 points as the Ohio men's basketball team (12-10, 6-4 MAC) defeated Western Michigan (7-15, 4-6 MAC), 94-69, Tuesday night (Feb. 4) inside the Convocation Center.
Overall, Ohio shot 60 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and went 15-of-17 from the line, while WMU shots 39 percent from the field, 17 percent from three and were 16-of-22 from the line. Ohio outrebounded the Broncos, 33-30, while the Bobcats dished out 19 assists to WMU's 13, while also added five blocks, four steals and forced nine Bronco turnovers.
To go along with his 18 points, Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) went 4-of-6 from three, while grabbing six rebounds in 21 minutes. Redshirt sophomore guard AJ Brown (Orlando, Fla.) added 17 points, going 6-of-10 from the field, 2-of-5 from three and grabbed four boards. Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) added 13 points, while freshman guard Elijah Elliott (Orland, Fla.) added 11 points. Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly, Wis.) flirted with a triple double, scoring seven points, dished out eight assists and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds.
Western Michigan won the tip and opened an early 5-0 lead, before the Bobcats responded with a 12-0 run over the next two minutes to put the Bobcats up seven. After WMU stopped the run, a three from junior guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) put the Bobcats up eight with 12:30 remaining in the half. After WMU cut the Ohio lead down to three, a jumper from junior guard Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) and a three from graduate student forward Vic Searls (Hilliard, Ohio) put Ohio up 10 with 7:50 remaining.
The Bobcats' defense picked up, with the Bobcats forcing turnovers and numerous shot clock violations, while collecting loose balls. The Bobcats were able to capitalize on those defensive stops and go on a 19-4 run to take a 22-point lead with 3:20 to go. After a WMU basket, a three from Sheldon, free throws from Clayton and a driving layup from Paveletzke as time expired, sent the Bobcats to the locker room with the 48-24 lead.
At the half, Ohio shot 63 percent from the field, went 9-of-17 from three and was 5-of-5 from the line, while WMU shot 29.6 percent from the field, 11.1 percent from three and 70 percent from the line.
Western Michigan opened the second half on an 8-0 run to cut the Ohio lead to 16, before a layup from Mitchell stopped the run. Another three from Clayton put the Bobcats back up 19. The two teams traded baskets, with WMU keeping the deficit at 19 before a three from Sheldon, who went on to finish the game with 11 points, gave Ohio a 61-39 lead with 11:56 remaining.
Over the remaining 10 minutes of the half, the Ohio defense help WMU off the board, with the offense capitalizing on several chances, leading by at many as 36 with just over five minutes to go. The Bobcats would hold on over the remaining five minutes, securing the 94-69 victory.
For WMU, Chansey Willis, Jr. led the Broncos with 20 points and five rebounds.
The Bobcats will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 8 when the Bobcats host Appalachian State in the second game of the 2024-25 MAC-SBC Challenge. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+.
Toledo 84, Buffalo 74
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – Sophomore Javan Simmons tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Toledo men's basketball team to its fourth-straight victory, an 87-74 Mid-American Conference triumph over visiting Buffalo in Savage Arena on Tuesday.
The victory allowed the Rockets (14-8, 8-2 MAC) to keep pace with league-leading Akron (17-5, 10-0 MAC) and second-place Miami (17-5, 9-1 MAC). The Zips posted a 81-73 home win over Ball State, while the RedHawks edged Central Michigan on the road by a 76-70 margin.
Toledo outrebounded the Bulls (7-15, 2-8 MAC) by a 41-32 margin, grabbing 15 of its boards on the offensive glass. Simmons collected five of those en route to his second-straight double-double.
Sam Lewis scored seven points as the Rockets opened with an 11-2 lead at the 16:46 mark.
After Buffalo cut the lead to five, the Rockets responded with another 11-2 run capped by ally-oop dunk by Jaylan Ouwinga from Sonny Wilson to extend the lead to 29-15 with 7:11 left in the half.
Buffalo hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 36-29 at the 1:27 mark. Seth Hubbard delivered a layup right before the buzzer to give Toledo a 42-32 halftime lead.
Toledo shot 48.5% (16-33) from the field while holding Buffalo to an 11-of-28 clip (39.3%). Lewis and Javan Simmons each had 10 points in the first half.
Sonny Wilson scored nine points in the first seven minutes of the second half to help Toledo expand its lead to 58-40 with 13:13 to play.
Buffalo cut it to 64-52 on a three-pointer and breakaway layup by Noah Batchelor with 8:27 to play.
Toledo extended the lead to 17 on Lewis' three-pointer at the 5:45 mark. Buffalo cut the lead to nine with a minute to go but never seriously threatened.
The Rockets will conclude their three-game homestand with a MAC-Sun Belt Challenge matchup vs. defending Sun Belt Conference champion James Madison (14-9) on Saturday, Feb. 8.
