MAC Tournament Preview: Rivalry Part III in Semifinal Game, No. 3 Zips v. No. 2 Kent State

2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament
No. 3 Akron (22-10, 13-5) vs No. 2 Kent State (27-16, 9-9 MAC)
Friday, March 10 • Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Cleveland, Ohio • 7:30 PM • CBS Sports Network

What's Ahead
The No. 3 seeded Akron Zips advanced to the semifinal round to play rival No. 2 seeded Kent State on Friday, March 10 Thursday, March 9 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio at 7:30 p.m. The 2023 Mid-American Conference semifinal round is scheduled to be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network with Chris Lewis (PxP), Michael O'Donnell (Analyst) and Justin Walters (Sideline) on the call. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

Game Coverage
TV: CBSSN:
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/3tK307J
Live Radio: WHLO 640AM - https://ihr.fm/3fFmzLo

Head Coaches
Kent State Head Coach
Rob Senderoff (Albany '95)
Overall: 245-146 (12th season)
Record at KSU: 245-146 (12th season)
MAC Record: 131-83 (12th season)

Akron Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 297-201 (15th Season)
Record at Akron: 115-69 (6th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 101-73 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Kent State Leads: 81-80 • Groce vs. Kent State: 7-6 (11-11 Overall)
Last Meeting: Kent 89, Akron 84 (OT) at M.A.C Center on March 3, 2023
First Meeting: Akron 37, Kent 16 in Kent 1915-16 season
In Akron:45-25, Neutral: 9-2, In Kent: 26-54, MAC Tournament: 6-3, MAC Title Games: 2-2

The Akron-Kent State Series
Friday's game marks the 162nd meeting in series history between Akron and Kent State. The first meeting was during the 1915-16 season at Kent State where Akron pulled out the win, 37-16. The Zips have won 18 of the last 32 meetings, including two of the last three meetings. The Zips and the Flashes split the 2023 season series with both teams protecting home court, 67-55 (W, JAR) and 89-84 (OT, L, M.A.C.C). Akron won 2022 MAC Championship defeating Kent State 75-55 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. However, the Flashes swept the 2022 season series (67-55 and 66-64) after the Zips claimed three consecutive games to even the all-time series record at 78-78, dating back to March 6, 2020. Kent leads series 81-80.

Akron and Kent State have met in the MAC Tournament nine times. Akron is 6-3 in the MAC Tournament against the Golden Flashes. In addition, Akron and Kent State have played for the MAC Tournament championship four times and the series is split 2-2 in MAC title games. Kent State won the tournament in 2007-08 (74-55), Akron won the title in 2010-11 in overtime (66-65), Kent State won the tournament in 2016-17 (70-65) and the Zips won in 2022 (75-55).

Akron is 45-25 against Kent State at home, posting wins in eight of the last 11 games at the JAR. Akron is 26-54 all-time at the M.A.C. Center and 9-2 at neutral sites against the Golden Flashes. In 2016-17, Kent State snapped Akron's 30-game home-court winning streak at the JAR. The longest winning streak in the series for Akron is 9-games from 1941-1947 and Kent State's longest winning streak in the series is 5-games, and it happened twice, 1991-1994, and 1980-1985.

Scouting The Flashes
The No. 2 seeded Flashes defeated No. 7 seeded NIU Huskies 76-57 in the quarterfinal round of 2023 MAC Tournament. Kent State owns and 26-6 overall record and an 15-3 league mark. KSU is 14-0 at home, 9-6 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games. The Flashes average 76.0 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the floor and 33.3 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.8 triples a game. In addition, the Flashes shoot 72.5 percent from the free throw line on 13.5 attempts per game.

Kent State has three players scoring in double figures led by 2022 MAC Player of the Year Sincere Carry with 17.2 points per game, shooting 40.6 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep with a team second-best 56 trifectas. He also leads the squad in assists (158) and is second in steals (57).

Malique Jacobs follows with 12.8 points per game while leading the team in steals with 84 takeaways. He is second in assist (111) and third on the glass (155). Miryne Thomas leads the team rebounding, grabbing 5.4 boards per game for a 173 total while scoring 10.2 points per outing. Thomas leads the team from beyond the arc with 63 long distance strikes. Jalen Sullinger and Giovanni Santiago add 8.4 and 7.5 points per game.

Defensively, Kent State limits its opponents to scoring 65.1 points per game on 40.0 percent shooting from the floor and 31.2 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.0 long distance strikes per night. The Flashes caused 517 turnovers (16.2 to/g) with 289 steals (9.0 stl/g) and 125 blocked shots (3.9 blk/g). Kent State slightly outrebounds the opponent by a +0.6 margin as the opponent grabbed 1114 total boards (34.8 rebs/g) compared to the 1132 total rebounds (35.4 rebs/g) secured.

Zips in the MAC Tournament
Akron is 35-20 all-time in the MAC Tournament, 28-9 in its last 37 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year since the 2004-05 season and set an unprecedented 16-of-18 semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of the consecutive title games (7) and semifinal appearances (13) are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 29-14 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Akron is 7-6 in opening round games, 1-0 second round, 13-4 in the quarterfinals, 10-4 semifinals, and 4-6 in title games. Akron owns a 7-5 record as the No. 3 seed.

The University of Akron Athletics

MAC Tournament Preview: Rivalry Part III in Semifinal Game, No. 3 Zips v. No. 2 Kent State

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