The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Zips Battle Buffalo on the Road Tuesday
January 19 | Men's Basketball
Akron and Buffalo can be viewed on ESPN+ with Paul Peck (PxP) and Tony Watson (Analyst) on the call. 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 (14-4, 4-1 Mid-American) at Buffalo (13-5, 3-3 Mid-American)
Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Alumni Arena – Amherst, N.Y
6:30 pm ET – ESPN+ – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 364-224 | At Akron: 182-92
Buffalo:Â George Halcovage IIIÂ | Overall Record: 26-54 | At Buffalo: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 44-33 | Groce vs.Buffalo: 15-12 (10-8 at UA)
First Met: Dec. 4, 1954 At Akron (Akron 84, Buffalo 74)
Last Met: Mar. 7, 2025 At Akron (Akron 88, Buffalo 70)
At Akron: 28-8 | Neutral: 3-4 | At Buffalo: 13-21
Current Streak: 9W
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 78th meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 28th meeting for a Groce coached squad. Akron holds an all-time 44-33 series advantage while Groce is 15-12 overall and 10-8 at Akron. The Zips have won the past nine meetings.
The Zips and the Bulls have met seven times in postseason play with Buffalo holding a 4-3 edge.Â
Akron went 2-0 against the Bulls in 2024-25 after recording a 90-58 victory at Alumni Arena and an 88-70 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Zips swept the 2024 season series with a 76-59 win at James A. Rhodes Arean on January 12 Arena and a 73-62 victory at Alumni Arena on February 17.
Akron swept the regular season series in 2023 as well, defeating the Bulls at Alumni Arena (81-64) and at The JAR (86-66) Akron won the lone regular season meeting in 2021-22 on New Year's Day after trailing by as many as 14 points and won by 12 points (88-76). Akron also defeated Buffalo in the MAC Tournament 101-77.
LAST TIME OUT (VS WESTERN MICHIGAN 1/17/26)
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team recorded its 26th consecutive win at James A. Rhodes Arena while making 20 3s in a 104-89 victory against the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday.
Akron's 20 made 3s tied the school record, which was originally set against Ohio (March, 1, 2016) and most recently reached against Heidelberg (Nov. 14, 2024).
The Zips (14-4, 5-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 32 points, eight assists and three steals. Shammah Scott tacked on 23 points and five assists off of the bench, Amani Lyles chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Bowen Hardman scored 12 points on a 4-of-6 shooting performance from deep.
The Zips went 20-of-35 from 3-point range, tying a program record for made 3's in a game. The Blue and Gold were electric from beyond the arc, connecting on 57.1 percent of their 3's against the Broncos.
Akron took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 23 assists on 38 made field goals. Johnson's eight assists paced the Zips. Johnson recorded his 12th game this season with five or more assists.
After falling behind 6-4, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:46 left in the first half to take a 13-6 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 52-51 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 11 shots to account for 33 of its 52 points.
Western Michigan proceeded to take a 58-52 lead before Akron went on a 13-0 run, finished off by Scott's layup, to seize a 65-58 lead with 13:56 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 104-89 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting nine shots from deep to score 27 of its 52 points.
LAST TIME AGAINST BUFFALO (3/7/25)
AKRON, Ohio - All 11 Zips that touched the court scored in an 88-70 victory over Buffalo at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday to conclude the regular season.
With the win, Akron becomes just the second team in MAC history to go 17-1 in the regular season, joining the 2001-02 Kent State squad as the only two teams to record the feat. 17-1 is the best regular season record in the modern MAC era.
Akron also went 16-0 at the JAR this season. It is just the fourth time an Akron squad has gone undefeated at the JAR and the first since 2015-16.
The 2024-25 Zips also set the program record for most regular season wins with 25. The previous high was 24, which was last set by the 2019-20 team.
Akron (25-6, 17-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 14 points. Isaiah Gray added 14 points and Shammah Scott helped out with 11 points from the bench. James Okonkwo recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Akron grabbed 44 rebounds in Friday's game compared to Buffalo's 36, led by Okonkwo's 11 boards. The Zips also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 16 rebounds into 18 second chance points.
The Akron defense held Buffalo shooters to only 37.7 percent from the field, including 25.9 percent from three-point range.
After jumping out to a 26-17 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 10:05 left in the first half to increase its lead to 35-17. The Zips then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 47-24 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 47 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Sharron Young's jumper, to grow the lead to 83-63 with 3:56 to go in the contest. The Bulls narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 88-70 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 22 of its 41 points in the lane.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron plays the first of two road contests this week when they battle Buffalo on Tuesday.
The Zips enter Tuesday's contest with a 14-4 overall record and a 5-1 record in the MAC.
Akron recently defeated Western Michigan 104-89 at the JAR on Saturday. The Zips tied the program record for made 3s in a game (20) while Tavari Johnson recorded 32 points, eight assists and four rebounds, while Shammah Scott notched 23 points, five assists and three rebounds in the win.
Akron is scoring 93.6 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 17.1 points per game. The Zips shoot .522 from the field while shooting .385 from beyond the arc and average 11.2 3s per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .768 ft percentage while averaging 37.9 rebounds, 20.4 assists, 10.6 turnovers, 8.4 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.4) and assists (5.7). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (7.1) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (2.0) and total blocks (15).
Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (2nd - 93.6), scoring margin (2nd - +17.1), fg pct (2nd - .522), opp fg pct (2nd - .431), 3pt pct (3rd - .385), 3pters made per game (2nd - 11.2), ft pct (3rd - .768), rebounds (3rd - 37.9), opp rebounds (5th - 32.8), off rebounds (5th - 11.8), def rebounds (3rd - 26.2), rebound margin (3rd - 5.2), turnover margin (2nd - + 3.67), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.93), blocked shots (5th - 3.49), assists (1st - 20.44) and steals (2nd - 8.44).
The Zips rank 6th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.93), 3rd in assists per game (20.4), 47th in bench points per game (30.22), 3rd in effective pg pct (.607), 19th in fastbreak points (16.32), 5th in fg pct (.522), 65th for fewest fouls per game (16.1), 35th in ft pct (.768), 69th in rebound margin (+5.1), 96th in rebounds per game (37.89), 15th in scoring margin (+17.1), 3rd in scoring offense (93.6), 61st in steals per game (8.4), 14th in 3pt pct (.385), 9th in 3pters made per game (11.2), 28th in turnover margin (+3.7), 51st in forced turnovers (14.33) and 71st in fewest turnovers per game (10.6).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 25th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+3.29), 45th in total steals (36) and 48th in steals per game (2.0). Tavari Johnson ranks 46th in assist-turnover ratio (+3.00), 35th in total assists (102), 34th in assists per game (5.7), 84th in fg pct (.538), 10th for made fg (140), 24th in ft pct (.900), 26th in total points (368) and 25th in points per game (20.4). Amani Lyles ranks 29th in fg pct (.606). Shammah Scott tanks 18th in 3pt pct (.439), 93rd for 3s made per game (2.61) and 100th in total made 3s (47).
SCOUTING THE BULLS
Buffalo enters Tuesday's contest with a 13-5 overall record and a 3-3 record in the MAC.
The Bulls fell to Miami (OH), 105-102, in overtime on Saturday. The Bulls finished with five players in double figure scoring with Angelo Brizzi leading the way with 24 points. Daniel Freitag (22), Ryan Sabol (20), Derrick Talton Jr. (11) and Tim Oboh (11) rounded out the top scorers. Noah Batchelor had a game-high 12 rebounds.
UB currently holds a 6-2 record at Alumni Arena this season.
Daniel Freitag leads the Bulls in scoring (20.4), assists (3.6) and shares the lead for rebounds with Batchelor (4.8). Angelo Brizzi leads the squad in steals (2.1) while Tim Oboh holds the top mark for total blocks (22).
Buffalo is scoring 81.2 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 6.7 points per game. The Bulls shoot .485 from the field while shooting .398 from beyond the arc and average 9.7 3-pointers per game. Buffalo holds a .744 ft percentage while averaging 32.2 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 10.3 turnovers, 8.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
Buffalo ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring margin (5th - 6.7), fg pct (4th - .485), 3pt pct (2nd - .398), opp 3pt pct (5th - .334), 3pters made per game (4th - 9.7), opp rebounds (4th - 32.6), assist-turnover margin (4th - +1.43) and steals (3rd - 8.00).
The Bulls rank 79th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.43), 25th in effective fg pct (.573), 45th in fg pct (.485), 94th in fewest fouls per game (16.6), 47th in ft attempts per game (24.6), 94th in ft pct (.744), 48th in ft made per game (18.3), 93rd in scoring offense (81.2), 81st in steals per game (8.0), 8th in 3pt pct (.398), 59th in 3pters made per game (9.7), 94th in turnover margin (+1.8) and 47th in fewest turnovers per game (10.3).
Individually, Ryan Sabol ranks 65th in assist-turnover ratio (+2.77), 16th in ft pct (.914), 47th in minutes per game (34:49), 43rd in 3pt pct (.408), 23rd in 3pters made per game (3.22) and 27th in total made 3s (58). Daniel Freitag ranks 5th in total ft attempts (149), 3rd in total ft made (122), 79th in minutes per game (34:02), 28th in total points (367), 26th in points per game (20.4), 65th in 3pt pct (.395). Angelo Brizzi ranks 99th in ft pct (.859), 37th it total steals (37) and 41st in steals per game (2.06).
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 2-2 in road contest this season, falling to No. 2/1 Purdue and (RV) Miami (OH) while defeating Tulane and Bowling Green
The Zips were 8-4 on the road in 2024-25.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 88-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.765) in the league. The Zips are 73-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 113-28 (.801) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 256-110 overall (.699), including a 155-32 mark in MAC play at home (.829). The Zips' 256 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 171 of their last 256 MAC games (.668).
TOP 10 IN ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6). Standing with 327 assists, Johnson needs 18 more to pass Andy Hipsher (2000-04) who is 7th all-time with 344 assists.
1K SCORING AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point wearing the Akron Blue and Gold against Concord on Dec. 29, 2025 with a 28 point performance. He became the 50th player in program history to record 1k points. Â
Johnson, who stands at 1,102 points, currently ranks as the 40th highest scorer in program history.
1KÂ POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 1,102 points and 327 assists in his time at Akron. He became 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.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Akron's 20 made 3s against Western Michigan (Jan. 17) tied the school record, which was originally set against Ohio (March, 1, 2016) and most recently reached against Heidelberg (Nov. 14, 2024). The Zips went 20-of-35 from beyond the arc (.571) and made 38 field goals on the day against the Broncos in a 104-89 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena. Four Zips connected on three or more 3s, as Shammah Scott (5), Tavari Johnson (4),Bowen Hardman (4) and Amani Lyles (3) led the sharpshooting.
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 88-33 (.727) overall and 48-12 (.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.
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (3rd - 93.6). The Zips are 12-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 104 against Western Michigan on Jan 17.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 63-5 (.926) when scoring 85 or more points.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (3rd - 20.4), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in nine games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was against Western Michigan (23) on Jan. 17, 2026.
The Zips are 9-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 36-0 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. 6 (+1.93).
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 3S
Ranking in the top 10 for made 3's per game (9th- 11.2), 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 12 games this season, with a season-high 20 falling against Western Michigan. Akron tied the program record for 3s in a game against the Broncos.
Akron is 11-2 this season when hitting 10 or more 3s and went 18-2 in during the 2024-25 season. Under the direction of John Groce, Akron is 99-22 (.818) 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.
20-POINT PERFORMANCES
The Zips have seen five Zips record 20 or more points in a game this season. Tavari Johnson leads the way with 11 games while scoring a career-high 35 points against Yale. Amani Lyles has three games while scoring a career-high 25 against Milwaukee. Shammah Scott has three game while scoring a career-high 25 against Yale. Eric Mahaffey has one game while scoring a career-high 20 points against Iona. Sharron Young has one game while scoring a career-high 20 against Murray State.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips stay on the road, as they travel to face the Ohio Bobcats on Friday, January 23, for an 8 p.m. start. Akron and Ohio will be featured on ESPNU.
