Friday’s Men’s Basketball Results
Akron 88, Buffalo 70
Kent State 76, Eastern Michigan 70
Miami 79, Ball State 66
Northern Illinois 83, Central Michigan 81 (2OT)
Toledo 96, Ohio 82
Western Michigan 64, Bowling Green 63
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Akron 88, Buffalo 70
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - All 11 Zips that touched the court scored in an 88-70 victory over Buffalo at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday to conclude the regular season.
With the win, Akron becomes just the second team in MAC history to go 17-1 in the regular season, joining the 2001-02 Kent State squad as the only two teams to record the feat. 17-1 is the best regular season record in the modern MAC era.
Akron also went 16-0 at the JAR this season. It is just the fourth time an Akron squad has gone undefeated at the JAR and the first since 2015-16.
The 2024-25 Zips also set the program record for most regular season wins with 25. The previous high was 24, which was last set by the 2019-20 team.
Akron (25-6, 17-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 14 points. Isaiah Gray added 14 points and Shammah Scott helped out with 11 points from the bench. James Okonkwo recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Akron grabbed 44 rebounds in Friday's game compared to Buffalo's 36, led by Okonkwo's 11 boards. The Zips also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 16 rebounds into 18 second chance points.
The Akron defense held Buffalo shooters to only 37.7 percent from the field, including 25.9 percent from three-point range.
After jumping out to a 26-17 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 10:05 left in the first half to increase its lead to 35-17. The Zips then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 47-24 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 47 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Sharron Young's jumper, to grow the lead to 83-63 with 3:56 to go in the contest. The Bulls narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 88-70 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 22 of its 41 points in the lane.
Akron will go into the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed and will await to see who they'll face in the first round on March 13 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Kent State 76, Eastern Michigan 70
Box Score
KENT – Kent State Men's Basketball (21-10, 11-7 MAC) came from behind to defeat the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University on Friday night closing out the regular season with a 76-70 win. Kent State honored seniors VonCameron Davis, Jalen Sullinger, Cli'Ron Hornbeak, Mike Bekelja, and Marquis Barnett during pregame.
Jalen Sullinger got the Flashes going early with a quick trio of threes. Despite Kent State pushing the lead to double-digits, Eastern Michigan went on a 15 to 6 run over six minutes to tie the game at 26 by the first final media timeout of the first half. The Eagles led 36-31 after 20 minutes. The Eagles took advantage of a cold spell from Kent State to build their lead to 13 with 11 minutes left. Kent State then climbed back into it with a 10-0 run. Sullinger hit his sixth triple of the night to tie the game at 59 with 6:00 left to play. Cian Medley then hit a three with 3:09 to play to take an initial Kent State lead. VonCameron Davis, Cli'Ron Hornbeak, and Jamal Sumlin then kept their foot on the gas to complete the comeback and win the game for the blue and gold 76-70.
Davis at 137 games played is now tied for the most games played in a Kent State University. Upon entry into the game on Thursday, March 13 in the MAC Tournament he will stand alone as having played the most in program history. Sullinger remains fourth in program history in made three-pointers and attempted three-pointers (225-579) He and Davis are 13th and 14th on the all-time Kent State scoring list respectively. Hornbeak is first in program history in field goal percentage (.628), and seventh in blocked shots with 103.
Kent State is locked in as the three seed for the Mid-American Conference Tournament and will take on sixth seeded Western Michigan on Thursday, March 13 in the quarterfinals. Tipoff time is TBA.
Miami 79, Ball State 66
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University men's basketball team took down Ball State 79-66 Friday evening at Millett Hall on senior night. Kam Craft led the RedHawks with 19 points, while Dan Luers (18) and Evan Ipsaro (10) also scored in double figures. Jermahri Hill (18) led the Ball State Cardinals in scoring. Miami finishes the regular season 23-8 (14-4 MAC), while the Cardinals drop to 14-17 (7-11).
The RedHawks opened the contest with an 11-0 lead, fueled by senior Luers, who scored the first seven points. The Cardinals knocked down a triple to get on the scoreboard with 13:11 remaining in the first half. Luke Skaljac put in a short jumper to give the RedHawks their first double-digit lead, and Eian Elmer added a three to push Miami's lead to 18-5.
A collection of threes from Brant Byers, Craft, Luers and Reece Potter gave Miami its first 20-point lead of the evening at 35-14 with halftime right around the corner. A pair of mid-range jumpers from Craft and Skaljac sent the RedHawks into the intermission with a 41-23 advantage.
Craft came out of halftime scoring two shots from behind the three-point line for Miami. A tip-in from Potter, combined with a couple of threes from Cooper and Craft, stretched the score to 55-27. Elmer added to the three-point barrage, and the RedHawks made multiple layups to hold on to a strong lead at 64-41 with 11:37 remaining.
Luers continued his strong showing, knocking down a three and getting to the free-throw line after being fouled from beyond the arc, putting the score at 68-41. Craft and Ipsaro combined for the next nine points to make it 77-51 with 5:59 to go. The lead proved too large for the Cardinals, as Miami secured a 79-66 win.
The RedHawks head to the MAC Tournament, where they will face off with Eastern Michigan on Thursday, March 13, in game three of the day.
Northern Illinois 83, Central Michigan 81 (2OT)
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) poured in a career-high 36 points, including the game-winner with 1.5 seconds left, to lead the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team to an 83-81 double overtime victory over Central Michigan on Friday night (March 7) at McGuirk Arena.
The Huskies, who started the game with just six available scholarship players, played the end of regulation and overtime with just two scholarship players as walk-ons combined to play 81 minutes in the victory.
Joe Munden Jr. (Harlem, N.Y./Monsignor Scanlan) had 13 points and Kailon Nicholls (Toronto, Ontario/Hargrave Military Academy) chipped in 10 in the victory.
With 1:12 to play in regulation time, Munden picked up his fifth foul, becoming the third Huskie to foul out, and Central Michigan made a pair of free throws to take a 66-62 lead. Dent then made a pair of free throws to bring NIU back within two before the Chippewas split a pair to move go in front 67-64.
After Dent drove in for a dunk with 31 seconds left, CMU split two more free throws before Dent banked in a layup with 11 seconds to play to tie the game at 68 and send it to overtime.
Dent finished with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals to go along with his career-high 36 points.
Central Michigan scored first in the first overtime, but David Mack (Los Angeles, Calif./ St. Pius X-St. Matthias) tied it and Dent gave the Huskies a 72-70 lead with two free throws midway through the extra period. After the Chippewas tied it at 72, Nicholls made a tough layup to give NIU the lead again with 1:47 left in the period. The hosts scored to tie it at 74 and NIU nearly won it with a putback at the buzzer, but the second chance shot wouldn't go as we went to a second overtime.
NIU (6-25, 2-16 MAC) scored first in the second overtime as Mo Sall (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) scored off an offensive rebound.
Sall, who had played three minutes this season prior to tonight, finished with four points and seven rebounds, five of which were offensive, in 22 minutes of action off the bench.
CMU scored the next three to take a one-point lead before Mack banked in a triple with 2:16 to play, giving the Huskies a 79-77 advantage. After a defensive stop, Mack drove for a layup as NIU took an 81-77 lead with 90 seconds left.
Mack finished the contest with seven points, on 3-of-5 shooting and 1-of-1 from three, playing 11 minutes. He came into the night with five points in 15 total minutes of action for the year.
The Chippewas scored a pair of baskets, sandwiched around a defensive stop, as the hosts tied the contest at 81 with 17 seconds to go.
Out of a timeout, Dent brought the ball into the front court and picked up his dribble near the elbow before throwing a line drive at the rim that went in, giving the Huskies a two-point lead with 1.5 seconds to play.
Following a review of the clock, Central Michigan threw the ball three-quarters of the length of the floor where the Huskies knocked it out of bounds as time expired, giving the visitors an improbable victory.
Jakobi Heady had 20 points to lead the Chippewas. Ugnius Jarusevicius and Kyler VanerJagt each scored 17, Cayden Vasko added 13 points and Anthony Pritchard chipped in 10 points for Central Michigan.
NIU raced out to a 13-4 lead in the opening four minutes of the contest but lost Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic), the leading scorer in the Mid-American Conference, to an injury less than two minutes in. Dent made a pair of triples and Nicholls knocked down a corner three to help the Huskies take the early nine-point advantage.
The lead was five before Nicholls knocked in his second triple of the night and Munden scored to push the Huskie advantage to 20-10 with 12:01 to play before the intermission.
Central Michigan (14-17, 7-11 MAC) answered with the next four to cut the lead back to a half-dozen, but buckets from Steven Tipton (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield Central) and Sall pushed the NIU lead back to 10 with 8:03 to go in the half.
The Chippewas were back within five until a floater from Tipton with 3:47 to play in the half gave NIU a 27-20 lead.
A triple from Tipton put the Huskies up eight, but Central Michigan scored the final three points of the half to trim the NIU lead to 30-25 at the break. Tipton had nine points to lead all scorers in the opening 20 minutes. NIU held Central Michigan to just 28 percent (7-of-25) from the field in the opening half.
Central Michigan scored the first six to start the second half to move in front, 31-30. Dent answered with a triple for NIU as the Huskies led by a pair, 33-31, with 18:09 left to play.
After another trifecta from Dent put the Huskies up 39-36, Central Michigan scored the next five to go back up 41-39 with 14:10 left. Dent then made a pair of free throws and a triple as NIU took a 44-41 lead with 11:45 remaining.
Tied at 44, the Huskies went on a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead. Dent opened the burst with a triple, NIcholls scored and then, following a Central Michigan basket, Dent made a pair of free throws and Munden made a layup off a feed from Jayden Mott (Midwest City, Okla./Edmond Santa Fe) as the Huskies led 53-46 with 8:25 to go.
Central Michigan answered with a 7-2 spurt to close back within two, 55-53. A pair of Dent free throws made it a four-point Huskie lead before the Chippewas scored eight of the next 11 to go back in front, 61-60, with 3:30 remaining.
With the win, NIU eliminated Central Michigan from contention for the MAC Tournament, the Chippewas would have been in with a victory.
Toledo 96, Ohio 82
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team is heading to next week's Mid-American Conference Tournament with some momentum after posting a 96-82 victory over Ohio before 5,397 fans on Friday night in Savage Arena.
The Rockets (17-14, 10-8 MAC) will be the No. 4 seed in the tourney and face the No. 5 seed Bobcats (16-15, 10-8 MAC) on Thursday, March 13 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Sophomore Javan Simmons tied his career high for a second-straight game with 22 points to lead five Rockets in double figures. He also was grabbed seven rebounds and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the field, becoming the second Rocket ever to make 10 or more field goals without a miss. JT Shumate set the school record when he made 11-of-11 shots at Miami on Jan. 26, 2021.
Joining Simmons in double digits were Sam Lewis (20 pts.), Seth Hubbard (17 pts.), Sonny Wilson (13 pts.) and Bryce Ford (10 pts.)
A back-and-forth first half featured 12 lead changes and 11 times with the score tied. Toledo took the lead for good with a 12-2 run to end the half and take a 47-41 lead to the locker room. The Rockets' lead grew to as many as 11 points before the Bobcats closed to within five, 70-65, with 8:09 remaining. Sam Lewis' layup pushed Toledo's lead to 84-74 with 3:21 remaining to put the game away.
Toledo will face No. 5 Ohio (16-15, 10-8 MAC) on Thursday, March 13 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland at approximately 1:30 p.m. The winner of the Rockets-Bobcats contest will face either No. 1 seed Akron or No. 8 seed Bowling Green on Friday, March 14 at 5:00 p.m.
Western Michigan 64, Bowling Green 63
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Chansey Willis Jr. broke a 63-63 tie with a free throw in the final seconds to lift the Western Michigan men's basketball team to a 64-63 win at Bowling Green in the regular season finale on Friday night. The victory clinched a spot for WMU in next week's Mid-American Conference Championship at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Following the conclusion of the regular season on Friday evening, the MAC announced the seedings and bracket for the 2025 MAC Tournament, with the Broncos earning the No. 6 seed and a matchup with No. 3 seed Kent State in Thursday's quarterfinal round. The two teams split during the regular season, with each team winning on the other's home floor.
JaVaughn Hannah paced Western Michigan (12-19, 9-9 MAC) in scoring with 18 points, while Owen Lobsinger had 17 points and corralled a team-leading seven rebounds. In the first half, Lobsinger made the 100th three-pointer of his WMU career. Willis was also in double-figures with 12 points, and dished out a team-high five assists.
Lobsinger hit each of his first three, three-point attempts of the night to help the Broncos to a 17-14 edge in the early going. Bowling Green (14-17, 8-10) then rattled off nine straight points as part of a 12-2 run to open up its largest lead of the night, 26-19. Western Michigan chipped away at the deficit and then scored eight of the final 11 points of the half, with Hannah making a putback just before the period expired to send the Brown and Gold into the locker room with a 33-32 advantage.
At 42-39, the Broncos put together a 9-2 stretch, with another Lobsinger triple pushing the margin to 10, 51-41, with 13:30 to play. BGSU immediately responded with nine in a row to bring the gap right back down to one, 51-50, at the halfway mark of the period.
Western Michigan countered with an 8-2 spurt to build the lead back to seven, 59-52, with just under seven minutes to play on a deep three-pointer by Willis which narrowly beat the shot clock. The Broncos stayed in front all the way until the final minute, when the Falcons tied it up at 63-63 with a pair of free throws. Willis came back down and was fouled with 2.8 seconds remaining, and made a free throw to put WMU back on top, 64-63. BGSU had one final look at a potential game-winner, but it fell short, sealing the win and tournament berth for the Brown and Gold.
The Broncos made 24-of-56 (42.9 percent) for the evening, while Bowling Green connected on 23-of-50 (46.0 percent) of its field goal attempts. WMU was plus-five in turnover margin, committing eight miscues while forcing the Falcons into 13.
Western Michigan now moves on to the 2025 Mid-American Conference Championship, where it is set to take on No. 3 seed Kent State in Thursday's quarterfinal round. Tip is scheduled for approximately 6:30 pm on ESPN+.
