 Last week in the Mid-American Conference … The Akron Zips won both of their games and are the only 3-0 team in MAC play having won eight of their last nine games. The Kent State Golden Flashes are on their heels with big wins at home over Miami and Bowling Green while winning four of their last five.
In the Western Division, the Ball State Cardinals were surprised at home by Eastern Michigan while Northern Illinois won for just the second time this season and is tied for first. The Toledo Rockets, meanwhile, have dropped six of their last seven games
This week marks the end of the first round of intra-divisional play and affords some super matchups as Kent State travels to Akron , Ohio faces Miami , and Ball State faces Central Michigan
EASTERN DIVISION
AKRON (11-6, 3-0): The Zips won both of their games last week and have won eight of their last nine, giving them 3-0 to start a MAC season for the fifth time since joining the conference in 1992. Wednesday night, the Zips trailed almost the entire game at Bowling Green until Nick Harney’s floating layup with 0.5 seconds remaining gave UA the lead and the victory, 66-65, to go 2-0. It was UA’s third straight win and seventh in its last games. In addition, it marked the first time since the Zips joined the MAC that they opened their conference schedule with two consecutive road wins. Harney led the Zips with 12 points coming off the bench. Fifth-year senior F Nikola Cvetinovic scored 11 with six rebounds…Saturday night, an 11-2 run late in the second half gave UA a thrilling 68-63 win over Ohio at home. Marshall led all scorers in the game with 17 points and six rebounds along with two blocked shots, making him just the eighth player in MAC history to have 200 career blocked shots. The Zips head up to Buffalo on Wednesday night before they face Kent State at home on Saturday
BOWLING GREEN (7-9, 1-2): The Falcons dropped both of their games last week. Wednesday at home, they led the Akron Zips for over 38 minutes and held the lead in the final seconds. The visitors, however, managed to score the winning basket with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation for a 66-65 decision. It was BG’s third loss in the last four games. G Dee Brown and C Cameron Black led BGSU with 10 points each. Saturday at Kent , the Falcons almost came back from an 18-point halftime deficit closing to a two-possession game late before falling to Kent State 92-87 despite hitting 60 percent from the field in the second half and 52 percent from three-point range. Scott Thomas led BGSU with 23 points and Torian Oglesby came off the bench to add 16. The Falcons head to Oxford on Wednesday to battle Miami before heading home on Saturday to face Buffalo
BUFFALO (8-6, 1-2): The Bulls dropped both of their games last week. First they saw their two- game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night, losing to the Ohio Bobcats 62-52 in Athens . The 52 points was as season low for UB, who was led by senior F Mitchell Watt with 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore F Javon McCrea was held to just eight points in the contest. The second loss came Saturday when they dropped a 52-51 decision at Miami in a game that was close throughout. McCrea led UB with 16 points while Watt added 15 markers and 10 rebounds. McCrea is third in MAC scoring at 16.7. Watt is second in rebounds (8.3) while Jerrod Oldham is tied for the lead in assists. UB hosts Akron on Wednesday before heading to Bowling Green on Saturday
KENT STATE (12-4, 2-1): The Golden Flashes picked up two wins last week. They improved to 6-1 at home Wednesday night as they used a 13-4 run over the final 2:45 to defeat the Miami RedHawks, 61-57. Senior F Justin Greene led all scorers in the contest with 23 points and had six rebounds. Junior guard Randal Holt scored 16 and senior Carlton Guyton added 10. The Flashes then welcomed Bowling Green to the MAC Center and came away with an 92-87 victory after almost squandering an 18 point halftime lead. Greene matched his point total against Miami with 23, leading four KSU players in double figures. For his performance, Greene was named MAC East Player of the Week. KSU has two road games this week starting at Athens on Wednesday against Ohio . Saturday brings the first of two annual regular season battles with Akron -- this one on the Zips home floor.
MIAMI (1-2, 5-10): The RedHawks split their two-games as on the week. Wednesday night, they let a five-point lead late in the second half slip away, losing on the road at Kent State , 61-57. It was MU’s third consecutive loss and fifth in the last six games. Sophomore C Drew McGee led four players in double figures with a career high 16 points while senior F Julian Mavunga added 14 along with six rebounds. Saturday MU picked up its first MAC win of the season while ending a three-game losing streak as the hosting RedHawks nipped Buffalo , 52-51. Freshman G Brian Sullivan, who is becoming a second option in the Hawk offense, led all scorers with 17 points. Mavunga leads the MAC in scoring (18.5) and rebounds (9.9). Miami plays host to Bowling Green on Wednesday before a trip to Athens Saturday to battle Ohio
OHIO (13-4, 1-2): The Bobcats ended the week with a split. Their two-game losing streak came to an end with a 62-52 win over Buffalo Wednesday night at the Convocation Center . The key to the victory was the Ohio defense as the ‘Cats held UB 26 points below its season average. Junior G D.J. Cooper led the Cats with 15 points while F Nick Kellogg added 14 and Ivo Baltic chipped in with 12…Saturday at Akron , the Zips used an 11-2 run late in the second half to defeat the ‘Cats 68-63. Cooper led four Ohio players in double figures with 13 points despite going just 2-of-16 from the field. Cooper is tied for the lead in assists in the MAC at 6.1 per game. The Cats return home for two games in the coming week -- the first Wednesday night against Kent State , followed by a visit by Miami,
WESTERN DIVISION
BALL STATE (10-5, 2-1): The Cardinals split their two games last week. On Tuesday night, they squeaked out a 70-68 win at Toledo for their fourth consecutive win. Jarrod Jones connected on a layup with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation, capping a 10-4 run over the last 1:59. Jones finished the night with 22 points and eight rebounds as BSU shot 10-of-17 from three-point range en route to shooting 50 percent for the game. On Saturday, Eastern Michigan came into Worthen Arena and stunned the Cards, 52-48, as the Eagles scored on a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation. BSU had a six-point lead at halftime but shot just 5-of-19 from the field in the second half. Jones had another double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds while Smith had 11 points but no assists. He is third in the MAC in assists (3.0). Jones is second to Miami ’s Julian Mavunga in both scoring (17.8) and rebounds (8.5). The Cardinals spend this week on the road as they head up to Central Michigan on Wednesday then onto Northern Illinois on Saturday
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-1, 7-9): The Chippewas split their two games last week. They improved to 2-0 in MAC play Wednesday night as they defeated Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti 60-56. It is CMU’s first two-game winning streak since late November when they defeated UC-Irvine and Dartmouth at the Great Alaska Shootout. G Derek Jackson led the Chips with 15 points while Austin McBroom added 13 and Trey Ziegler had 11. The Chips then headed to Northern Illinois and were surprised by the Huskies, 74-66, with Ziegler again leading the scoring with 16 points. CMU faces Ball State at home on Wednesday before heading down to Kalamazoo on Saturday to face Western Michigan
EASTERN MICHIGAN (2-1, 7-10): The Eagles split their two games. Wednesday, they squandered a six-point halftime lead as they fell to Central Michigan, 60-56, at the EMU Convocation Center . F Jamell Harris led four Eagles in double figures with 12 points but it was not enough to avoid their fourth loss in the last five games. On Saturday in Muncie, Antonio Green’s layup with 1.5 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a stunning 51-48 win over Ball State, coming back from a six-point halftime deficit. G Quintin Dailey led EMU with 13 points while Green had 11 coming off the bench. EMU is home this week, beginning Wednesday night against Western Michigan . On Saturday, Toledo makes the short trek to Ypsilanti
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (2-13, 1-2): The Huskies split their two-games last week. They were competitive Wednesday night at Western Michigan , only to fall to the Broncos, 77-68, as a 10-4 run over the final two minutes sealed NIU’s fate. Senior F Tim Toler led the Huskies with 15 points while G Abdel Nader added 14. The Huskies returned home and picked up just
their second win of the season by surprising Central Michigan , 74-66. NIU shot a sizzling 55 percent from the field, overall, and Nader scored a career high 22 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Freshman G Stein Berg added 12. NIU heads to Toledo on Wednesday before returning to the Convocation Center on Saturday to battle Ball State
TOLEDO (8-9, 0-3): The Rockets lost both games last week. They let a five-point lead with 1:59 remaining get away from them as Ball State rallied for a 70-68 win at Savage Arena on Tuesday night. F Rian Pearson led the home team with 19 points, but it was not enough . Then Saturday in Kalamazoo , Western Michigan put a 74-52 loss on the slumping Rockets despite Pearson scoring 15 points and Julius Brown leading the UT charge with 17. The Rockets host Northern Illinois on Wednesday night before heading to Eastern Michigan on Saturday
WESTERN MICHIGAN (8-9, 2-1) The Broncos picked up two wins last week. On Wednesday night, reserve Hayden Horgenson scored a career-high 18 points, including going 4-of-6 from three-point range as the Broncos picked up their fourth win in the last six games by defeating Northern Illinois, 77-68, at University Arena. He was one of four WMU players in double figures as head coach Steve Hawkins picked up his 152nd career win at the school, tying him with Bob Donewald for second place on the WMU all-time list. Saturday against Toledo , the Broncos posted a 74-52 victory as Matt Stainbrook collected his second double-double of the season and sixth of this career with 13 points and 11 rebounds. His performances this week garnered him MAC West Player of the Week honors. Flenard Whitfield led WMU with 19 points. The Broncos head east to Ypsilanti on Wednesday night to battle Eastern Michigan . WMU is home on Saturday when it meets Central Michigan
There you have it, your weekly MAC Men’s Basketball Checkup with this week ending the first round of intra-divisional games. Next week starts a stretch of cross-division games.
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