Akron Falls in Wagon Wheel Showdown, 68-65, Hosts Miami in First Round of MAC Tournament

Friday, March 8

Kent, OH

6:30 pm

University of Akron

16-15

Kent State

22-9

Akron

Kent St.

Akron Falls in Wagon Wheel Showdown, 68-65, Hosts Miami in First Round of MAC Tournament

March 08 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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Post Game Press Conference / Highlights

AKRON – In an intense battle of rivals, the Akron Zips fell 68-65 to Kent State on Friday night at the M.A.C. Center, concluding regular-season play and earning the eighth seed for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

The Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge showdown featured eight lead changes and eight tied scores, Akron (16-15, 8-10 MAC) held the advantage for 21:49. However, the game came down to the final moments as Kent State (22-9, 11-7 MAC) grabbed three offensive rebounds with under 20-seconds remaining which forced the Zips to foul with 1.6 seconds showing on the clock and a one-point spread, 66-65, in the Golden Flashes favor. Antonio Williams buried 2-of-3 free throws, and Akron's half court 3-point attempt veered left as the buzzer sounded.

Junior Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) scored a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 (.500) shooting from the floor which included a 6-of-11 (.545) from long distance. Senior Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) followed with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals, junior Tyler Cheese (Albany, Ga.) and sophomore Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) contributed nine and eight points, respectively.

Akron led by one-point after 20 minutes of play, 30-29, as both teams struggled offensively in the first half. Akron shot 10-of- 30 (.333) from the floor and 4-of-15 (.267) from deep, but held the lead by shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. The Zips held a 20-15 advantage on the glass, while Kent State went 11-of-30 (.367) from the floor, 4-of-15 (.267) from deep, and 3-of-4 (.750) from the free throw line.

Despite Akron shooting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) in the second frame, the score was tied 35-all at the 16:50 mark. The Zips broke the stalemate after a pair of field goals from Utomi and Jackson, but the home team used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 39 points apiece.

Sophomore Jeremy Roscoe (Chicago, Ill.) put the lead back in the Zips favor, 41-39, and the Golden Flashes used a 7-0 run to take a five-point, 46-41 advantage with 10:42 left to play.

Utomi scored the next 11 points for the Zips, burying three-consecutive long-range shots and adding a strong move in the paint, but Akron still trailed by three points, 55-52. The game was tied on two more occasions as Ivey took the ball to the basket with authority to force the second stalemate.

Williams gave Kent State the final edge with drive to the rim, 61-59, and the one-possession game continued until the buzzer sounded.

Kent State had three players score in double figures led by Phillip Whittington's 21-point efforts and followed by Williams and Jalen Avery with 18 points each. The Golden Flashes earned a half point for the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge as Akron leads 5.5-3.5 with at least five points remaining.

The Zips will host the ninth seeded Miami RedHawks on Monday, March 11 at 8 p.m. for the first round of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Akron's women's team also received a first-round game and is scheduled to play at 5 p.m. before the men's game.

Tickets for the first round MAC Tournament games at the JAR are available at GoZips.com/tickets or call 888-99-AKRON, starting at $15 for the men's game and $6 for women the women's game, while students will still receive free admission with a valid student ID. Ticket prices for the men's contest will increase $5 on gameday.

For Men's Basketball season ticket holders, a ticket to the first round of the MAC Tournament is already included with your paid season tickets. All fans that purchase a ticket to the men's game will also receive free admission to the women's game at 5 p.m. All Women's Basketball season ticket holders will receive admission to both games of the tournament doubleheader.