Zips Run in MAC Tournament Ends in Semifinals

Friday, March 12

Cleveland, Ohio | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Approx. 7 PM

University of Akron

15-8,12-6MAC

University at Buffalo

16-7,12-5MAC

OT 1

Akron

Buffalo

March 13 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Zips Run in MAC Tournament Ends in Semifinals

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – In a thrilling overtime affair, the third-seeded Akron Zips saw their Mid-American Conference tournament run end with an 81-74 overtime loss to the second-seeded Buffalo Bulls on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland.

The dramatic battle saw the Zips and Bulls (16-7, 12-5 MAC) trade leads and momentum throughout, with a last-second putback by sophomore forward Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) tying the game at 68-all and sending it to extra time. Freeman grabbed the rebound after a missed layup by senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) and converted a contested layup with 1.1 seconds left to force overtime.

In the overtime period, Buffalo scored the first seven points, putting Akron in a hole it couldn't overcome. Despite the defeat, Jackson once again put on a show and hit numerous clutch shots to keep his team in contention.

One night after scoring 31 points to tie Akron's all-time single-game MAC tournament scoring record, Jackson recorded 27 points to move to sixth in scoring in program history. The First Team All-MAC selection added seven rebounds and five assists.

Freeman had a monster game himself, notching his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, proving why he was an All-MAC Defensive Team selection. Junior guard Bryan Trimble, Jr. (Kansas City, Mo.) and sophomore forward Mikal Dawson (Huntington, W.Va.) contributed nine points each for the Zips.

Much like the first matchup this season, the Zips (15-8, 12-6 MAC) found themselves facing an early deficit as they struggled to find their rhythm shooting the ball. Despite shooting 36.4 percent from the field and making just two 3-pointers before intermission, they trailed by just five points at the break thanks to their second stellar defensive effort in 24 hours.

Akron forced nine first-half Buffalo turnovers, converting those miscues into 10 valuable points. The Zips also blocked four shots, including three by Freeman. Jackson topped the team in scoring in the half with seven points before his hot start to the second half helped push his team into the lead.

That surge completed an impressive turnaround after trailing for the final 15:32 of the first half and falling behind by as many as 10 points midway through the period. It also allowed Akron to lead by as many as six points before Buffalo reclaimed the lead and set the stage for the game's dramatic finish.

Junior forward Jeenathan Williams led Buffalo with 26 points in the win and junior guard Ronaldo Segu added 18 for the Bulls, who advance to Saturday's MAC championship game against Ohio.

For Akron, the loss brought an end to yet another run to the final four of the MAC tournament, one year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the tournament.