Akron Zips vs. Kent State Golden Flashes males's basketball | Stay rating updates – Akron Beacon Journal

KENT — Spherical 1 of this season’s Akron-Kent State males’s basketball rivalry will get underway tonight. The Zips (13-4, 5-0) enter the evening tied for first within the Mid-American Convention with an ideal league file. The Golden Flashes (9-8, 2-3) have been something however good, however can jump-start their season with a house win over their rivals.
Return right here all through the evening for reside updates on the sport.
Ali Ali hit 4 free throws within the closing 17 seconds to assist Akron wrap up a 77-71 win and stay unbeaten within the Mid-American Convention.
Ali and Enrique Freeman completed with 23 factors for apiece for the Zips. Giovanni Santiago led the Flashes with 16.
Akron has received six straight and is 14-4 on the season.
Jalen Sullinger’s basket with 1:46 left cuts Akron’s result in 70-67.
Kent State trailed by 20 within the first half and sat getting ready to defeat within the second half. Now the Flashes have hope.
Akron’s Ali Ali, Kaleb Thornton and Tavan Johnson every have 4 fouls. Kent State is already within the double bonus with over eight minutes left. The very last thing the Zips want is for the Flashes to attain with the clock stopped.
A Chris Payton Jr. dunk lower Akron’s result in 59-51. It is the closest the Flashes have been in a very long time.
Kent State was capable of get inside 10 early within the second half.
Mikel Dawson’s 3-pointer and back-to-back Enrique Freeman layups helped Akron restore a 46-31 lead. Freeman’s second basket was arrange by his block on the defensive finish.
Dawson’s 3 broke an 0-for-5 drought from exterior the arc to start out the sport.
The Zips could not have requested for a greater opening half on the street in opposition to the rival.
Ali Ali has 16 factors and Enrique Freeman has 11 for Akron. Giovanni Santiago has 6 factors for Kent State, which shot 26% from the sector within the first half.
Akron is changing quite a few second-chance alternatives within the paint. With that in thoughts, Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff has Chris Payton Jr. again within the sport with two fouls.
The Zips have expanded their result in 27-11.
It is at all times a sport of runs, proper?
A 7-2 Kent State run cuts Akron’s result in 19-11. The Flashes scored seven straight factors earlier than an Amani Lyles put again ended Kent State’s run.
What a begin for Akron.
After Kent State’s Mike Bekelja hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring, the Zips have gone on a 17-1 run. Ali Ali already has 11 factors for Akron.
The very last thing Kent State needed to see was Chris Payton Jr. heading to the bench earlier than the primary media timeout. He picked up his second foul with 16:50 left within the first half on Ali Ali’s 3-point try. Ali made all three free throws.
ESPNU will televise the sport, which begins at 7, whereas ESPN+ is livestreaming it.
The Zips host the Golden Flashes on Saturday, Feb. 24. The sport time has but to be decided for that matchup. The MAC Match in Cleveland, usually the positioning of a 3rd UA-KSU assembly every season, is March 14-16.
Based on NCAA Division I stat leaders, by video games performed Wednesday, 6-foot-7 Akron senior ahead Enrique Freeman leads the nation in rebounds per sport at 13.2. He is grabbed 224 rebounds in UA’s 17 video games. Freeman‘s 15 double-doubles are also tops within the nation, although, he is tied with Vonterius Woolbright of Western Carolina. Freeman‘s .5895 taking pictures share from the sector ranks him thirty third within the nation. Freeman‘s scoring common of 18.4 factors per sport, ties him for 68th within the nation. Freeman was named the MAC Participant of the Week for the sixth time this season earlier within the week.
Here is a take a look at the MAC standings, coming into enjoying Friday evening:

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