The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
24-5,15-1MAC
Kent State
21-8,12-4MAC
Akron Shoots Over 55 Percent to Roll Past Kent State, 92-70
February 27 | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio -The Akron men's basketball team shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and 55 percent from the field on the way to a 92-70 victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes on the road Friday.
Akron recorded a program record 14th consecutive conference victory while defeating rival Kent State for the seventh straight time.
The Zips (24-5, 15-1) had five players score in double figures, led by Shammah Scott, who had 23 points. Tavari Johnson added 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Sharron Young chipped in as well with 19 points from the bench. Evan Mahaffey scored 12 points while adding five assists and four rebounds, while Eric Mahaffey notched 11 points while adding six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Akron shared the ball well in Friday's game, racking up 20 assists on 32 made field goals. Johnson's seven assists led the Zips and Evan Mahaffey also added five assists of his own.
Akron forced 14 Kent State turnovers. The Zips turned those takeaways into 25 points on the offensive end of the floor. Eric Mahaffey's three steals led the way for Akron.
How It Happened
After falling behind 8-5, Akron went on a 13-0 run with 15:24 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Young, to take an 18-8 lead. The Zips then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 47-37 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down nine shots to account for 27 of its 47 points.
Akron started tacking on points in the second half almost immediately, going on a 10-0 run, finished off by Young's layup, to grow the lead to 57-37 with 16:12 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 92-70 win. Akron got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 22 of its 45 total points.
Game Notes
» The Zips made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 14 of 28 shots.» Akron never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Akron recorded 20 total assists in the game.
» The Akron bench made an impact by adding 53 points to its scoring output.
» Five Akron players scored 10 or more points.
» Shammah Scott and Sharron Young came off the bench to score 23 and 19 points, respectively.
» Akron had a 38-27 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Akron defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Akron cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Shammah Scott had a game-high 23 points and Tavari Johnson added 22.
» Akron got a team-high eight rebounds from Amani Lyles.
What's Next?
Akron travels to Central Michigan on Tuesday, March 3, for the final road contest of the regular season. The Zips and Chippewas will battle at 7 p.m.
