The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Concord
Zips Close Out 2025 With Concord At The JAR On Monday
December 28 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio -Â The Akron Zips battle Concord for the 4th time in the all-time series on Monday, December 29 for a 7 p.m. ET start. Fans can listen to the action on the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) on the call. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com/coverage.
Akron (9-3, 1-0 Mid-American) vs Concord (7-3, 5-0 Mountain East)
Monday, Dec. 29 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
7 pm ET – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 359-223 | At Akron: 177-91
Concord:Â Todd May | Overall Record: 144-118 | At Concord: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads 3-0 | Groce vs Concord: 3-0 (3-0 at UA)
First Met: Dec. 29, 2017 At Akron (Akron, 86, Concord 49)
Last Met: Dec. 30, 2022 At Akron (Akron 84, Concord 58)
Current Streak: W3
INSIDE THE SERIES
Monday's game marks the fourth meeting in series history between the Zips and the Mountain Lions and fourth time under head coach John Groce. In 2017-18, Akron hosted Concord and defeated the Mountain Lions 86-49 at home. The two teams met again two years later (2019-20) as the Zips triumphed 100-50. The most recent meeting saw the Zips prevail with an 84-58 win at the JAR on Dec. 30, 2022.
LAST TIME OUT (VS EASTERN MICHIGAN 12/19/25)
AKRON, Ohio - Tavari Johnson led the Zips with 25 points while Amani Lyles and Evan Mahaffey both recorded double-doubles to help lead the Akron men's basketball team to a 93-72 victory over Eastern Michigan at home on Friday.
Akron has now won its last eight Mid-American Conference openers under John Groce and are 26-8 in MAC openers since joining the conference in 1992. The Zips have also posted victories in 22-straight home games.
The Zips (9-3, 1-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Johnson, who had 25 points, five assists and four steals. Lyles tacked on a double-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds while adding four assists and two blocks. Evan Mahaffey chipped in with his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds while adding four assists and one steal.
Akron recorded a season-high 70 points in the paint.
Akron out-rebounded Eastern Michigan 44-36 in Friday's game, paced by Lyles' 12 boards. The Zips also pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and scored 18 second chance points. The Akron defense held Eastern Michigan shooters to just 39.1 percent from the field, including 26.3 percent from three-point range.
Akron shared the ball well against the Eagles, recording 22 assists on 39 made baskets. Tavari Johnson and Eric Mahaffey led the Zips with five assists while Lyles and Evan Mahaffey added four assists each.
After jumping out to a 32-27 advantage, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 5:08 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Bowen Hardman, to increase its lead to 40-27. The Zips then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 48-34 advantage. Akron did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 34 of its 48 points close to the basket.
Following the intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 74-53 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Lyles' layup, to grow the lead to 81-53 with 6:11 to go in the contest. The Eagles narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 93-72 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 36 of its 45 points in the lane.
LAST TIME AGAINST CONCORD (12/30/22)
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips closed out the calendar year with a dominant effort, taming the visiting Concord Mountain Lions 84-58 on Friday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.
After taking the lead in the opening minute, Akron never trailed and built its edge to as many as 27 points in the second half. Defense was again the calling card for the blue and gold, who entered the game ranked 51st of 352 Division I teams in the nation in points allowed per game.
Junior forward Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) and graduate student guard Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich.) scored 18 points each to lead Akron, while senior guard Xavier Castañeda (Chicago, Ill.) added 17. Hankerson eclipsed the 1,000-point threshold, scoring 886 points at Northern Illinois and 124 points at Akron for 1,010 career points. Freeman also notched a double-double with a game-best 10 rebounds.
Thanks to aggressive defense that kept the Lions (7-4) from getting good looks at the basket, the Zips (8-5) overcame a shooting slump in the first half and built a 31-23 halftime advantage. They didn't allow a made 3-pointer in the frame and forced 12 turnovers, leading to 12 points on the offensive end.
The offense featured balanced scoring before intermission as no player scored more than Freeman's seven points but five Zips tallied four or more. That trend continued in the second half as Akron heated up from distance, making eight of its 12 total 3-pointers to pull away. With a 36-12 scoring edge beyond the arc, the hosts were never threatened in the second half. Ball movement also helped fuel the Akron attack as the Zips assisted on 21 of 27 field goals made.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron closes out 2025 with a meeting with Concord at James A. Rhodes Arena on Monday, December 29.
The Zips return from the holiday break with a 9-3 overall record and 1-0 record in the MAC after taking down Eastern Michigan, 93-72, on December 19 to open conference action.
Tavari Johnson led the Zips with 25 points, with Amani Lyles (16 pts, 12 reb) and Evan Mahaffey (14 pts, 10 reb) adding double-doubles to the winning results.
Johnson leads the Blue and Gold in scoring (19.8) and assists (5.0). Lyles leads Akron in rebounding (6.4) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.6). Barre holds the top mark for blocks (10) so far this season.
Akron is scoring 95.6 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 17.7 points per game. The Zips shoot .523 from the field while shooting .386 from beyond the arc and average 10.8 3-pointers per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .747 ft percentage while averaging 38.9 rebounds, 20.9 assists, 10.0 turnovers, 7.5 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.
The Zips rank 1st in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+2.09), 5th in assists per game (20.9), 94th in bench points (28.58), 9th in effective fg pct (.603), 35th in fast break points (16.67), 8th in fg pct (.523), 75th in fewest fouls per game (16.2), 90th in ft pct (.747), 89th in rebounds per game (38.83), 27th in scoring margin (+17.7), 2nd in scoring offense (95.6), 26th in 3pt pct (.386), 26th in made 3pt shots (10.8), 31st in turnover margin (+4.0), 93rd in forced turnovers per game (14.0), and 28th for fewest turnovers per game (10.0).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 10th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+4.45). Shammah Scott ranks 43rdh in assist-turnover ratio (+3.25). Tavari Johnson ranks 44th in assist-turnover ratio (+3.16), 76th in assists (60), 70th in assists per game (5.0), 74th in fg pct (.563), 22nd in total fg made (90), 60th in ft pct (.889), 50th in total points (238) and 36th in points per game (19.8). Amani Lyles ranks 30th in fg pct (.607).
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
The Concord Mountain Lions (Div. II) come to Akron with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-0 record in the Mountain East.
Concord most recently took down No. 8 Fairmont State 95-87 on December 20. Anfernee Hanna led the Mountain Lions with 23 points while Boubacar Djigo produced a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double.Â
The Mountain Lions shot .475 from the field and .520 from beyond the arc in the victory. Even though CU shot better than 48 percent from the field in the first half and canned seven three-pointers, the Mountain Lions were still down 41-37 at halftime. Additionally, Concord only led for a total of 24 seconds in the first half.
Kraig Gilbert leads the Mountain Lions in points (18.9) and total blocks (19). Khamani Wertz leads the way in assists (3.0), Boubacar Djigo is the leader in rebounds (13.9) and Brendan Hoffman leads the squad in steals (1.7).
Concord is scoring 79.8 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 4.7 points per game. The Mountain Lions shoot .453 from the field while shooting .357 from beyond the arc and average 7.5 3-pointers per game. Concord holds a .746 ft percentage while averaging 40.9 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 11.4 turnovers, 5.0 steals and 4.6 blocks per game.
Concord ranks in the top five in the MEC in scoring defense (2nd - 75.1), scoring margin (3rd - +4.7), opp fg pct (3rd - .438), ft pct (4th - .746), rebounding (1st - 40.9), opp reb (4th - 35.5), off rebounds (1st - 14.1), def reb (2nd - 26.8), reb margin (3rd - +5.4), assist-turnover ratio (5th - +1.13) and blocked shots (2nd - 4.60).
Concord ranks 26th in the NCAA (Div. II) in blocks per game (4.6), 28th for fewest fouls per game (14.9), 66th in ft pct (.746), 65th in rebound margin (+5.4), 76th in def rebounds (26.8), 30th in off rebounds (14.10), 35th in rebounds per game (40.9), 82nd in 3pt pct (.357) and 41st in fewest turnovers per game (11.4).
Individually, Kriag Gilbert ranks 32nd for total blocks (19), 96th in blocks per game (1.90), 38th in fg pct (.582), 79th in total fg made (71), 74th in minutes played per game (33:42), 57th in points per game (18.8), 2nd in 3pt pct (.536), 25th in 3pters made per game (3.0) and 60th for total made 3's (30). Boubcar Djigo ranks 96th in blocks per game (1.30), 3rd in double-doubles (7), 16th in fg pct (.625), 2nd in total rebounds (139), 1st in def rebounds (9.80), 9th in off rebounds (4.10) and 1st in rebounds per game (13.9).
NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT THE JAR
Under John Groce, Akron is 52-1 (.981) at home against non-conference opponents. Akron is on a 41-0 run against non-conference foes at the JAR since losing to Marshall on Dec. 15, 2018.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 491-136 (.783) all-time record at the James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 21 seasons, Akron has posted a 287-40 (.878) record at the JAR. Akron is currently on a 22-game winning streak at the JAR dating back to the 2024-25 season, which currently is tied for the third longest home winning streak in the country. Saint Thomas currently has won 24 straight to lead the nation. Duke holds the 2nd longest streak with 23 straight home wins while Miami (OH) is tied with Akron for third.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 112-15 (.882) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23,13-1 in 2023-24, 16-0 at the JAR in 2024-25 and are 6-0 in 2025-26.
Akron owns a 103-21 (.831) home-opening record and 39-4 (.907) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 23-of-24 home opening games. Akron is 26-8 in MAC openers, and 13-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 19 seasons, the Zips are 16-3 in MAC openers and 8-1 at home. Akron has won the last 10-of-11 MAC openers.
Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
THE ROAD TO 800
Playing their first season at the Div. I level during the 1980-81 season, the Akron Zips are just one win away from posting their 800th victory at the D1 level.
CAREER-HIGHS AGAINST THE EAGLES
Zach Halligan tied his career-high in points (7), rebounds (5) and made FT (3) against Eastern Michigan in his first career start at Akron.
Evan Mahaffey recorded his first career career double-double behind a career-high 10 rebounds against Eastern Michigan.
CLOSING IN ON THE TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson currently has 285 career assists as a Zip. He is 16 away from passing Joe Jakubick's (1980-84) 300 career assists for 10th all time. Steve McNees (2007-11) is 9th all-time with 318 assists.
1K SCORING AS A ZIP
Tavari Johnson is 28 points away from recording 1,000 points in the Akron Blue and Gold. He'd become the 50th Zip to score 1k points and the first since Ali Ali scored his 1,000th point as a Zip during the 2023-24 season.
1K POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 972 points and 285 assists in his time at Akron. He'd become the first player since Loren Cristian Jackson to record 1k points and at least 300 assists in his career as a Zip and just the eighth player all-time.
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (2nd - 95.6). The Zips are 9-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 92 against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 19.Â
Akron scored 85 or more points in 19 games in 2024-25, were 19-0 when hitting that mark and finished ranked No.8 in the nation in scoring offense (84.0).
Under John Groce, Akron is 60-5 (.923) when scoring 85 or more points.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (5th - 20.9), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in Six games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was against Eastern Michigan (22) on Dec 19.
The Zips are 6-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 33-0 with John Groce leading the Blue and Gold.
Akron is also one of the top teams in the country when it comes to assist-turnover ratio, ranking no. 1 (+2.09).
The Zips ranked 4th in the nation in assists per game (17.7) last season. The Blue and Gold recorded 20 or more assists in 15 games with a season high 28 coming against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8/24).Â
RAINING 3'S
Ranking in the top 30 for made 3's per game (26th - 10.8), Akron has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country the past couple of seasons. The Zips have made 10 or more 3pters in eight games this season, with a season-high 15 falling against Princeton.Â
Akron is 6-2 this season when hitting 10 or more 3's and went 18-2 in during the 2024-25 season. Under the direction of John Groce, Akron is 94-22 (.810) when making 10 or more 3's.
Akron ranked 8th in the nation for made 3's per game in 2024-25 (10.7). The Blue and Gold hit 10 or more 3's in 20 games, 15 or more in six, while connecting on 19 3's against South Alabama (Feb. 8), which is the second most in program history.
THE SENIOR CLASS: A WHOLE LOT OF WINNING
Akron's senior class has seen a great deal of success wearing the Blue and Gold. Since the 2022-23 season, the Zips have gone 83-32 (.722) overall and 44-11 (.800) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron returns to Mid-American Conference action on Saturday, January 3 as the Blue and Gold travels to battle the Miami RedHawks for a 3:30 p.m. start.
