Akron Falls to Kent State, 79-73

Friday, March 10

Cleveland, Ohio

University of Akron

22-11,13-5MAC

Kent State

27-6,15-3MAC

Akron

Kent St.

March 10 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOXSCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The third-seeded University of Akron men's basketball team battled down to the wire against rival and second-seeded Kent State in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday evening before the Golden Flashes notched a 79-73 triumph.

In a back-and-forth battle befitting the storied rivalry, Kent State was able to withstand a late scoring run by Akron to advance to the title game of MAC Tournament on Saturday, March 11.

Junior Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) directed the Zips' offensive efforts scoring a game-high 26 points, while pulling down a season-best 18 rebounds. Senior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) and graduate student Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich.) added 21 and 11 points, respectively. Miryne Thomas led Kent State with a 24-point performance.

Akron finished the evening shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including making seven three pointers. The Zips limited the Golden Flashes' attack to a .379 shooting mark, including 31 percent in the second half.

After falling behind Kent State by as many as 15 points in the opening half, the Zips parlayed a 13-0 run as part of an overall 15-4 run to close the half to enter the intermission trailing by four, 38-34.

After making 14 of their first 27 shots, Akron's defensive pressure forced the Golden Flashes into making only 2-of-10 attempts, and no three pointers, to conclude the opening stanza.

The Zips connected on 45.8 percent of their attempts in the first half, including going 3-for-6 beyond the arc. Kent State finished the stanza hitting at a .432 clip from the field and making five triples.

Freeman paced Akron in the first half with a team-high 16 points, while also pulling down 10 rebounds, including nine caroms on the defensive glass.

Kent State began the second half on a 5-0 run before a three pointer from junior Sammy Hunter (Nassau, Bahamas) at the 18:40 mark brought the Zips within six, 43-37.

The Golden Flashes followed with an 8-2 run to extend their lead to 51-39 at the first media timeout (15:32), before a Freeman dunk ended the scoring spurt.

Kent State again went on an 8-0 run over a 1:41 stretch to push their margin to 59-41, at the 13:06 mark.

Sparked by five points from Hankerson, including a three pointer, the Zips answered with a 9-3 run to close to within 12, 62-50, with 9:40 left in the contest.

A 10-1 Akron run closed the deficit to 10, 71-64 following a three pointer from Castaneda at the 3:27 mark while the Golden Flashes were 1-for-10 from the field.

The Zips moved to within four, 73-69, following a layup by Freeman with 1:20 left on the clock, but got no closer as Kent State secured the win.

By virtue of the triumph, the Golden Flashes regained the full point in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.