The Akron Zips continued their dominance in the Mid-American Conference with a decisive 85-71 victory over rivals Kent State Golden Flashes yesterday night, as reported by WKYC. With this win, the Zips secured their ninth consecutive victory and maintained an unbeaten 9-0 record within the conference.
Akron's Nate Johnson led the scoring with 20 points, supported by Tavari Johnson, who added 15 points. Six players scored in double figures which helped to solidify their lead, Jalen Sullinger of Kent State put up 23 points in a losing effort, Cleveland.com reports the Zips' productivity not just in scoring but also outrebounding Kent State 24-13, overall they had a substantial halftime lead of 48-31.
The game took place in front of a packed crowd at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, witnessing Akron shooting 47.5% from the field and effectively limiting Kent State to just 29.0% field goals in the first half, cementing a performance that displayed Akron as a formidable, well-rounded team, according to The Beacon Journal.
During his post-game remarks, Akron coach John Groce praised the rivalry and his team's joy in playing such games, "I want them to have fun with it. I think they had a good balance of having an edge with having fun," Coach Groce said "I want them to experience the joy of the rivalry" as he urged his team to enjoy the competitive spirit, "We have great respect for the rivalry game," said Groce in a statement obtained by Cleveland.com, while Kent State coach Rob Senderoff likened Akron's team to major baseball powerhouses, expressing high regard for their performance and acknowledging the team's strength and the coach's expertise, "They are right now in this conference, like when I grew up it was the New York Yankees or nowadays like the Los Angeles Dodgers," Senderoff told The Beacon Journal.
