Akron 73, Buffalo 70
Box Score

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The No. 2 Akron Zips advanced to their eighth consecutive semifinal appearance with a 73-70 victory over No. 7 Buffalo in the third quarterfinal bout of the 2026 MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening at Rocket Arena.

Tavari Johnson led the Zips with 25 points while Amani Lyles notched a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 16 boards. Shammah Scott (12) and Evan Mahaffey (10) also added double figures for the two-time defending champions.

Akron will now take on the winner of today’s final contest between No. 3 Kent State and No. 6 Ohio, which will take place tomorrow evening at approximately 7:30 PM on CBS Sports Network. More info to come.