CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Akron secured the Mid-American Conference tournament championship Friday night, holding off rival Kent State 75-68 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The top-seeded Zips built a 14-point halftime lead behind a strong first half, then withstood a second-half surge by the Golden Flashes. Shammah Scott led Akron with 18 points, while Evan Mahaffey added 16. Tavari Johnson also scored 18 for the Zips. Kent State’s Rob Whaley scored 15 of his team-high 15 points after halftime to fuel the comeback attempt, which cut the deficit to two points late. The Golden Flashes dominated the offensive glass 17-7 but shot just 29.4% from the field. Akron improved to 26-5, while Kent State fell to 24-9.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Interstat) — In a gritty, defensive struggle defined by missed shots and second chances, the Akron Zips used a dominant first-half performance and just enough late execution to outlast the Kent State Golden Flashes 75-68 in a Mid-American Conference tournament semifinal on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. A crowd of 10,936 saw the top-seeded Zips (26-5) advance to the conference championship game, while the fourth-seeded Golden Flashes (24-9) saw their season end in the rivalry matchup for the third time this year. The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ last meeting just two weeks prior, a 92-70 Akron rout. This time, offensive efficiency was scarce. Both teams finished with identical 71 possessions, but Akron’s superior shooting — 25 of 57 from the field compared to Kent State’s 20 of 68 — proved the decisive difference. The Golden Flashes’ offensive rating of 95.9 paled next to Akron’s 105.9. The most important stretch of the game came early, as Akron established a lead it would never relinquish. The Zips raced out to a 42-28 halftime advantage, fueled by a balanced attack and stifling defense that held Kent State to 29.4% shooting in the opening period. Akron’s backcourt duo of Shammah Scott, a Cleveland native, and Tavari Johnson set the tone. Scott scored 18 points, while Johnson added 18 points and three assists, consistently breaking down the Kent State defense. Kent State, which had won eight of its last nine games entering the night, refused to fade. The Golden Flashes chipped away in the second half, leveraging a massive 17-7 advantage in offensive rebounds to generate extra opportunities. A 7-0 run early in the half, capped by a Rob Whaley layup and free throw, cut the deficit to 44-37 and forced an Akron timeout. Whaley, a force inside, led Kent State with 15 points, while guard Quinn Woidke provided a spark off the bench with 12 points. The Golden Flashes’ hustle kept them within striking distance, narrowing the gap to just five points on multiple occasions in the final ten minutes. Each time Kent State threatened, however, Akron had an answer. With the lead trimmed to 65-60, Scott silenced the rally with a critical 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 1:50 mark, pushing the margin back to eight. Evan Mahaffey, who finished with 16 points, three blocks, and several key defensive stops, then sealed the victory with a soaring alley-oop dunk off a feed from Amani Lyles with 1:07 remaining, extinguishing Kent State’s final hopes. The Golden Flashes’ comeback effort was ultimately undone by their cold shooting, particularly from beyond the arc where they hit just 7 of 27 attempts. Despite winning the turnover battle evenly and scoring more second-chance points, they could not overcome the early hole or match Akron’s shot-making down the stretch. Akron also received significant contributions from its supporting cast. Bowen Hardman hit three 3-pointers for nine points, and Lyles anchored the interior with eight points, two assists, and two blocks. For Kent State, Jahari Williamson scored 10 points, and Cian Medley dished out three assists, but the team’s overall assist total of six highlighted the offensive struggles against a disciplined Akron defense that recorded six blocks and three steals. The victory marked Akron’s third win over its archrival this season, following regular-season triumphs by 17 and 19 points. The Zips now move on to play for the MAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, while Kent State’s season, which included a 24-win campaign, concludes short of its ultimate goal.

Preview: Akron Aims to Complete Season Sweep of Rival Kent State CLEVELAND (Interstat) — A high-stakes chapter in one of the Mid-American Conference’s fiercest rivalries will be written on a neutral floor Friday when Akron faces Kent State at Rocket Arena. The 25-5 Zips, who clinched the MAC regular-season title, carry a 72.2% win probability according to National Statistical’s ELO system and are installed as 6-point favorites. The over/under is set at 163.5. Akron seeks a decisive three-game season sweep after dominating the previous meetings. The Zips won 69-52 at home on Jan. 30, then delivered a 92-70 rout at Kent State on Feb. 27. In that most recent matchup, Akron guard Tavari Johnson was instrumental, scoring 22 points and dishing 7 assists. Johnson, averaging 22.5 points over his last four games, enters hot after a 25-point performance in Thursday’s 73-70 win over Buffalo. He has been the catalyst for an Akron offense that has won 12 of its last 13. The 24-8 Golden Flashes, however, arrive with momentum of their own, winners of five straight since that Feb. 27 loss to Akron. They are coming off an 86-75 victory over Ohio on Thursday, fueled by 27 points from guard Delrecco Gillespie. Gillespie’s performance will be critical. He was held to just 7 points in the last meeting with Akron, a significant drop from his recent form, which includes four 17-plus-point outings in the last six games. Containing Johnson and generating offense against the MAC’s top defense will be Kent State’s dual challenge. The neutral-site setting in Cleveland adds a postseason atmosphere to the rivalry, serving as a potential preview of next week’s MAC Tournament. Akron looks to solidify its NCAA tournament seeding, while Kent State aims to prove it can solve the Zips’ defense and alter the season’s narrative. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT Friday, March 13.