“They’re very physical, they’re big, and they throw the ball inside. “We did a pretty good job with our interior defense,” said Senderoff. Akron sophomore forward Enrique Freeman, who averages a double-double, finished with 13 points and seven boards but was held to six attempts from the floor. The Zips look to run offense through the post, and the Flashes kept them from establishing much inside-out rhythm. Kent State was able to control the first matchup of 2022 defensively, holding Akron to 35% shooting from the floor and a 4-of-24 effort from 3-point range. “Playing your rival, playing on national TV, both teams playing pretty well, it should be a great college basketball game.”įriday night's clash will be broadcast live on ESPN2. "It’s exciting to be playing these games in mid-February that are meaningful,” said Senderoff.
The winner remains in the middle of the MAC regular season title mix, with first-place Toledo (11-2 in conference play) well within reach. Rhodes Arena with seven wins in their last eight outings, setting the stage for yet another classic showdown between two perennial MAC powers separated by a mere 12 miles. They will also enter Friday night’s nationally televised showdown at James A. Miami (OH) and Akron both have two wins in their last four games.The Zips quickly shook off that setback to Kent State, winning their next four games. Vegas had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the RedHawks as a 30.5-point favorite. The RedHawks are a big 31-point favorite against the Zips. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up. The Zips have experienced some offensive struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the game with the fewest overall touchdowns in the nation, having accrued only 13 on the season. Two offensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The RedHawks are 10th worst in the nation in yards per game, with only 307.5 on average. Miami (OH)'s victory lifted them to 6-4 while Akron's loss dropped them down to 0-10. One of the most thrilling moments of the game was Scippio's 87-yard TD reception in the third quarter. No one had a big game offensively for Akron, but they got scores from WR Timothy Scippio and WR Julian Hicks. They suffered a grim 42-14 defeat to the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Meanwhile, a victory for Akron just wasn't in the stars as the team never even grasped a temporary lead. One of the most memorable plays of the contest was Bester's 59-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter. RB Jaylon Bester was the offensive standout of the matchup for the RedHawks, as he rushed for 85 yards and two TDs on nine carries. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 44-3 win over the Bowling Green Falcons. Miami (OH) entered their game last Wednesday as the heavy favorite, and they fully lived up to expectations. Miami (OH) is cruising in on a four-game winning streak while Akron is stumbling in off of ten consecutive losses. Get ready for a Mid-American battle as the Miami (OH) RedHawks and the Akron Zips will face off at 7:30 p.m. Current Records: Miami (OH) 6-4 Akron 0-10 What to Know