The Zips thoroughly outplayed the Flashes on offense in a repeat of last season’s MAC Tournament title match, showcasing dominance from the beginning until the end.
For Akron, Nate Johnson contributed significantly to the victory with 20 points as they triumphed over their archrivals, Kent State, with a score of 85-71 on Friday evening, extending their winning streak to nine games and maintaining a perfect record in Mid-American Conference competition.
Nate Johnson’s performance was complemented by five rebounds, while Tavari Johnson also stood out by scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including hitting 2 of 3 attempts from long range and providing five assists. James Okonkwo was efficient as well, making 3 of 4 field goals and sinking 5 of 6 free throws to wrap up the game with 11 points.
Jalen Sullinger finished with 23 points for the Golden Flashes (13-8, 4-5). Anthony Morales added 10 points.
Johnson led Akron with 13 points in the first half to help put them up 48-31 at the break. Tavari Johnson led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points.
In front of a sellout crowd on its home floor, KSU entered the night as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country and made just 6 of 25 attempts from beyond the arc. The Flashes have lost four in a row to the Zips dating back to last season, their longest losing streak in the rivalry dating back to 2013.
Both teams play Tuesday. Akron hosts Ball State and Kent State squares off against Eastern Michigan on the road.
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
