The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Central Michigan
Zips Travel to Central Michigan for Final Road Contest
March 02 | Men's Basketball
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 374-225 | At Akron: 192-93
Central Michigan: Andy Bronkema | Overall Record: 289-124 | At Central Michigan: 10-19
ALL-TIME SERIES\
Akron Leads: 43-15
Groce vs. Central Michigan: 14-3 Overall (11-1 At UA)
First Met: 1938-39 at Central Michigan (Akron 69, Central Michigan 51)
Last Met: Jan. 6, 2026 at Akron (Akron 82, Central Michigan 69)
In Akron: 26-5 | Neutral: 1-0 | In Mount Pleasant: 16-10
Current Streak: 10W
Inside The Series
Tuesday's game marks the 59th meeting in series history between Akron and Central Michigan, the 18th meeting for a Groce coached squad and 13th at Akron. The Zips hold an all-time 43-15 series advantage while Groce is 14-3 overall and 11-1 at Akron. The Zips are 1-0 against CMU in 2025-26, posting an 82-69 victory at the JAR on Jan. 6, 2026.
Akron swept CMU last season, winning the first meeting at the JAR,87-71, behind Seth Wilson's career-high 18 points while taking the road contest 85-82 with five Zips scoring in double figures and a 52 point second half to come away with the win. The Zips have won 28 of the last 31 meetings, including a 10-game winning streak. Akron has swept the series since the 2019-20 series with the last CMU victory coming in the 2018-19 season when the two teams split the season series. Akron fell in overtime 88-86 at McGuirk Arena in the first meeting but bounced back with a 70-67 win at Rhodes Arena.
The Zips won at the JAR 68-47 while winning at McGuirk Arena (60-56) and the JAR (57-56) in 2022-23. Akron won in 2020-21 (81-67 at James A. Rhodes Arena) and 2019-20 (80-67 at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.). Akron has defeated CMU 16 straight times at the JAR. The winning streak has stood since January 24, 2004.
LAST TIME OUT (AT KENT STATE 2/27/26)
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.
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.
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MICHIGAN (1/6/26)
AKRON, Ohio - Tavari Johnson cracked the top-10 for career assists after recording 10 against the Chippewas and became the eighth player in program history to record 1,000 points and 300 assists as the Blue and Gold took down Central Michigan 82-69 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday.
Johnson surpassed Joe Jakubick (1980-84) to rank 10th all-time in career assists with 305. Steve McNees (2007-11) is 9th all-time with 318 assists.
The Zips (11-4, 2-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Johnson, who recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. Shammah Scott added 19 points off the bench and Amani Lyles helped out with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Evan Mahaffey rounded out the list with 10 points while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Akron recorded it's 24th consecutive home win after defeating CMU.
Led by Eric Mahaffey's three offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
The Akron defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Tuesday's game, forcing 17 Central Michigan turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Lyles' four steals led the way individually for the Zips.
After jumping out to a 24-22 advantage, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 7:48 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Scott, to increase its lead to 32-22. The Zips then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-30 advantage. Akron did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 28 of its 43 points close to the basket.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Johnson's three, to grow the lead to 67-49 with 8:37 to go in the contest. The Chippewas narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 82-69 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 39 points.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron travels to battle Central Michigan on Tuesday.
The Zips enter Tuesday's contest with a 24-5 overall record and a 15-1 record in the MAC. The Blue and Gold are 8-3 on the road this season and have won 14 straight conference games.
Akron recently defeated Kent State on Friday. Five Zips scored in double figures with Shammah Scott scoring 23 points, while going 5-of-5 from deep. Tavari Johnson added 22 points and seven assists.
Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.7) and assists (5.3). Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (7.5) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.8). Amani Lyles and Mahaffey both have recorded a team-high 19 blocks.
Akron is scoring 89.9 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 15.2 points. The Zips shoot .505 from the field while shooting .378 from beyond the arc and average 10.9 3s per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .779 ft percentage while averaging 38.0 rebounds, 19.0 assists, 11.0 turnovers, 7.5 steals and 3.0 blocks per game.
The Zips rank in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (2nd - 89.9), scoring defense (5th - 74.7), scoring margin (2nd - +15.2), fg pct (2nd - .505), opp fg pct (1st - .423), 3pt pct (3rd - .378), 3s made per game (1st - 10.9), ft pct (1st - .779), rebounds (2nd - 38.0), opp rebounds (3rd - 33.3), off rebounds (4th - 11.4), def rebounds (3rd - 26.6), rebound margin (3rd - +4.7), turnover margin (3rd - +2.72), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.73), assists (19.03) and steals (5th - 7.52).
Akron ranks 14th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.73), 5th in assists per game (19.0), 30th in bench points per game (30.07), 9th in effective fg pct (.590), 79th in fg pct defense (.424), 60th in fewest fouls per game (15.9), 17th in ft pct (.779), 55th in rebound margin (+4.7), 55th in defensive rebounds per game (26.55), 57th in rebounds per game (37.97), 11th in scoring margin (+15.2), 4th in scoring offense (89.9), 24th in 3pt pct (.378), 13th in 3s made per game (10.9), 43rd in turnover margin (+2.8) and 46th in turnovers forced per game (13.79).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 50th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+2.71), 82nd in total steals (51) and 89th in steals per game (1.76). Tavari Johnson ranks 45th in total assists (153), 45th in assists per game (5.3), 97th in fg pct (.522), 13th in total made fg (217), 25th in ft pct (.899), 25th in total points (599) and 23rd in points per game (20.7). Amani Lyles ranks 47th in fg pct (.565) and 85th in def rebounds per game (5.45).
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWASÂ
Central Michigan enters Tuesday's contest with a 10-9 overall record and a 6-10 record in the MAC. The Chippewas are 8-4 at home this season.
Tamario Adley scored a game-high 21 points and Central Michigan held off host Buffalo down the stretch to register its first road win of the 2025-26 season, a 75-70 victory Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena.
With the win, Central Michigan snapped a seven-game losing streak in games played at Buffalo and registered its first win on the road against Bulls since Feb. 14, 2015 (75-74). It was Central Michigan's first road win since a 69-67 victory at Ball State on March 4, 2025.
Adley leads CMU in points (12.9) and steals (1.5). Phat Phat Brooks serves as the leader in assists (4.0), while Nathan Claerbaut leads the way in rebounds (5.7) and total blocks (63).
Central Michigan is scoring 73.9 points per game while being outscored by its opponents by 2.8 points. The Chippewas shoot .467 from the field while shooting .329 from beyond the arc and average 6.5 3s per game. CMU holds a .704 ft percentage while averaging 33.0 rebounds, 15.1 assists, 12.6 turnovers, 6.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game.
The Chippewas rank in the top five in the MAC in blocked shots (1st. -4.41).
Central Michigan ranks 46th in the NCAA in blocked shots per game (4.4) and 98th in fg pct (.467).
Individually, Nathan Claerbaut ranks 18th in the NCAA in total blocked shots (62), 19th in blocks per game (2.17), 41st in fg pct (.569). Logan McIntire ranks 54th in 3pt pct (.393).
SHAMMAH SCOTT-PLAYER OF THE WEEK (3/2)
Shooting above 70 percent from the field and 88 percent from deep, Shammah Scott was a decisive factor in the Akron Zips' 2-0 week. Scott went 12-of17 (.706) from the field and 8-of-9 (.889) from deep this past week. Against Kent State on Friday, he went a perfect 5-of-5 from long range, along with a spotless 4-of-4 from the free throw line, to contribute to a 23-point outburst to lead the Zips to a 92-70 victory over the Golden Flashes on national television. Tuesday saw Scott drop 13 points on a 5-of-8 shooting night that included a 3-of-4 mark from deep. He also added two rebounds and three assists in a 99-85 win over Buffalo.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 98-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.784) in the league. The Zips are 83-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 117-28 (.807) 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 266-110 overall (.707), including a 159-32 mark in MAC play at home (.833). The Zips' 266 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 182 of their last 266 MAC games (.684).
STREAKY ZIPS IN CONFERENCE ACTION
The Zips have won 14 straight conference games, a new program record for consecutive conference victories. The previous high was 13 straight, set by the 2012-13 and 2024-25 squads. Both of those teams hold the program record for most MAC victories to begin conference action.Â
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 8-3 in road contest this season, defeating Tulane, Bowling Green, Buffalo,Ohio, Eastern Michigan Western Michigan,Ball State and Kent State, while falling to No. 2/1 Purdue, (RV) Miami (OH) and Troy. The Zips were 8-4 on the road in 2024-25.
CONSISTENTLYÂ WINNING
With their win over UMass on Feb. 13, the Zips have recorded 20 wins in five consecutive seasons. So far this season, there are 20 teams who've recorded 20 wins in five consecutive seasons. Coming into 2025-26, 39 teams had won 20 games each of the past four seasons.
SINCE 19-20
Since the 2019-20 season, Akron has recorded a 161-59 (.732) overall record and an 98-27 (.784) record in the MAC. The Zips have claimed the MAC Regular Season Title twice ('20,'25) and the MAC Tournament Title three times as well ('22,'24'25). The Zips' 73.2 winning percentage ranks 12th in the country and best in the MAC.Â
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 98-34 (.742) overall and 58-12 (.829) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well. Akron's 74.2 winning percentage ranks 12th in the country and 1st in the MAC in that span.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (5th - 19.0), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in 11 games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was at Kent State (20) on Feb. 27, 2026.
The Zips are 11-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 38-0 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. 14 (+1.73).
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
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (4th - 89.9). The Zips are 18-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 92 at Kent State on Feb. 27.
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 69-5 (.932) when scoring 85 or more points.
TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6). Standing with 378 assists, Johnson needs four more to pass Loren Cristian Jackson (2018-21) who is 5th all-time with 381 assists.
SINGLE SEASON ASSISTS TOP 10
Tavari Johnson entered the top-10 for the most assists in a single season on Feb. 20 at Ball State when he dished out six assists. Currently with 153 assists in 2025-26, Johnson ranks fourth for the most assists in a single season. Eric McLaughlin (1988-89) is third with 156, Dru Joyce,(2005-06) is second with 165 and Alex Abreu (2012-13) is first with 173 assists in a single season.
SINGLE SEASON SCORING TOP 10
Tavari Johnson currently has scored 599 points in 2025-26, ranking him 10th all-time for single season scoring. He passed Isaiah Johnson (2016-17)after scoring 22 points at Kent State (Feb. 27). Marcel Boyce (1986-87) is 9th with 601 points and Derrick Tarver (2003-04) is 8th with 612 points scored in a single season.
1K SCORING AS A ZIP 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. Johnson, who stands at 1,333 points, currently ranks as the 18th highest scorer in program history. He is just the 13th player in program history to score 1,300 or more points.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron hosts Northern Illinois for the final regular season and home contest of the 2025-26 season on Friday, March 6. The Zips will honor its five seniors prior to battling the Huskies and will be featured on CBSSN.
