The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Zips Conclude the Regular Season with Buffalo on Senior Day
March 06 | Men's Basketball
Akron (24-6, 15-1 Mid-American) vs Buffalo (9-21, 4-13 Mid-American)
Friday, Mar. 7 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
7 pm ET – ESPN+ - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron:Â John Groce | Overall Record: 345-219Â | At Akron: 163-87
Buffalo:Â George Halcovage IIIÂ Â | Overall Record: 13-48 | At Buffalo: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 43-33 | Groce vs.Buffalo: 9-8 (14-12 Overall)
First Met: Dec. 4, 1954 (W, Akron 84, Buffalo 74) At Akron
Last Met: Jan. 21, 2025 (W, Akron 90, Buffalo 58 At Buffalo
At Akron: 27-8 | Neutral: 3-4 | At Buffalo: 13-21
Current Streak: 8W
INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday's game marks the 77th meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 27th meeting for a Groce coached squad. Akron holds an all-time 43-33 series advantage while Groce is 14-12 overall and 9-8 at Akron.Â
The Zips and the Bulls have met seven times in postseason play with Buffalo holding a 4-3 edge. The Zips have won the past seven meetings.
Akron is 1-0 against the Bulls this season after recording a 90-58 victory at Alumni Arena on January 21.
The Zips swept the 2023-24 season series with a 76-59 win at James A. Rhodes Arean on January 12 Arena and a 73-62 victory at Alumni Arena on February 17.
Akron swept the regular season series in 2023, defeating the Bulls at Alumni Arena (81-64) and at The JAR (86-66) Akron won the lone regular season meeting in 2021-22 on New Year's Day after trailing by as many as 14 points and won by 12 points (88-76). Akron also defeated Buffalo in the MAC Tournament 101-77.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
Buffalo comes into Friday's contest with a 9-21 overall record, a 4-13 record in the MAC and a 3-12 record on the road.
The Bulls are coming off an 84-69 loss against Miami on March 4. Tyson Dunn finished with a game-high 16 points while adding 8 assists. Dunn's 8 assists moved him to seventh all-time in single season assists in program history as he passed Ken Pope (1973-74, 156) and John Boyer (2009-10, 159).
Ryan Sabol leads the Bulls in points (14.4) while Dunn leads the way in assists (5.5) and steals (1.6). Noah Batchelor is the leader in rebounds (6.1) while Ben Michaels serves as the leader in total blocks (23).
Buffalo averages 71.9 points per game and has been outscored by their opponents this season by 8.8 points per game. The Bulls are shooting .428 from the field and .305 from beyond the arc with 7.9 3-point shots falling per game. Buffalo is also shooting .693 from the free-throw line. The Bulls average 34.4 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 14.6 turnovers, 6.9 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.Â
The Bulls rank in the top five in the MAC in defensive rebounds (5th - 25.3), blocked shots (t3rd - 3.53) and assists (4th - 13.70).
Buffalo ranks 71st in the NCAA in bench points (24.37), 58th in fastbreak points (12.50) and 66th in 3pters attempted (25.8). Tyson Dunn ranks 28th in total assists (164) and 37th in assists per game (5.5). Ryan Sabol ranks 54th in ft pct. (.868), 54th in 3pters attempted (219), 96th in 3pt pct. (.356), 86th in 3pters made per game (2.6) and total 3pters made (78).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
The Zips host the Buffalo Bulls on Senior Day for the 77th all-time meeting. Akron holds a 24-6 overall record, a 16-1 record in the MAC and a 15-0 record at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Akron is coming off a 96-87 victory at Toledo on March 4. It snapped an eight game skid at Savage Arena with the last win coming on January 23, 2013. Six Zips scored in double figures, with Shammah Scott's 16 points leading the Blue and Gold's scoring efforts.
Nate Johnson leads the Zips in scoring (13.5) and steals (1.9). Nate is one of two Zips to average 10 or more points per game with Tavari Johnson (13.0) joining him. T. Johnson leads Akron in assists (3.9) while James Okonkwo leads the Zips in rebounds (7.3). Amani Lyles leads the Zips in blocks (35).
Akron is currently scoring 83.9 points per game and has outscored its opponents by 9.4 points per game. The Zips are shooting .470 from the field while shooting .360 from beyond the arc and averages 10.8 3-pointers per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .752 ft percentage while averaging 39.3 rebounds, 18.3 assists,12.6 turnovers, 7.5 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.
Akron is in the top five in the MAC for scoring offense (1st - 83.9), scoring margin (1st - +9.4), fg pct. (2nd - .470), opp. fg pct (2nd - .427), 3pt pct (2nd - .360), opp. 3pt pct (2nd - .311), 3pters made (1st - 10.8), ft pct (3rd - .752), rebounds (1st - 39.3), off. rebounds (3rd - 11.9), def. rebounds (1st - 27.4), rebound margin (2nd - +4.5), assist-turnover margin (1st - +1.46), blocked shots (1st - 3.70), assists (1st - 18.30) and steals (4th - 7.53).
The Zips rank 39th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.46), 3rd in assists per game (18.3), 7th in bench points (33.93), 37th in effective fg pct. (.554), 25th in fastbreak points (14.20), 64th in fg pct. (.470), 68th in ft pct. (.752), 48th in rebound margin (+4.6), 26th in def. rebounds (27.47), 70th in off. rebounds (12.07), 21st in rebounds per game (39.53), 39th in scoring margin (+9.4), 10th in scoring offense (83.9), 6th in 3pters attempted (30.0), 73rd in 3pt pct. (.360), 51st in 3pt def. (.311) and 7th in 3pters made per game (10.8). James Okonkwo ranks 94th in off. rebounds per game (2.70) while Nate Johnson ranks 49th in total steals (57) and 55th in steals per game (1.90).
LAST TIME AGAINST BUFFALOÂ (1/21/25)
AMHERST, N.Y. - The Akron men's basketball team shot over 57 percent from the field and 52 percent from three-point range on the way to a 90-58 win against the Buffalo Bulls on the road Tuesday.
The Zips increased their winning streak to six straight to begin MAC play. Akron has won six-straight to begin conference action in back-to-back seasons.
The Blue and Gold have also scored 85 or more points in the past five conference contests. Akron has scored 85 or more points in 10 games this season and is 10-0 on the year when doing so.
The Zips (13-5, 6-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 20 points and five assists. Nate Johnson added 18 points and nine rebounds and James Okonkwo chipped in as well with 11 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Gray and Marvin Musiime-Kamali both recorded 10 points against the Bulls. Musiime-Kamali set a career high in scoring.
Akron shared the ball well in Tuesday's game, racking up 21 assists on 35 made field goals. Tavari Johnson's five assists led the Zips and Shammah Scott also chipped in with four assists of his own.
The Akron defense held Buffalo shooters to only 30.4 percent from the field, including 25 percent from three-point range. The Bulls did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only eight offensive rebounds and scored five second chance points while Akron pulled down 42 defensive rebounds. Amani Lyles was a force on defense, recording a career high four blocks to lead the Zips.
After falling behind 2-0, Akron went on a 13-0 run with 18:49 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Nate Johnson, to take a 13-2 lead. The Zips then added four points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 40-25 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 40 points.
Following intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 52-33 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Okonkwo's layup, to grow the lead to 61-33 with 11:43 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 90-58 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 30 of its 50 points in the lane.
LAST TIME OUT (AT TOLEDOÂ 3/4/25)
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team recorded its first win at Toledo since January 23, 2013 as six Zips scored in double figures in a 96-87 win against the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday.
The Zips (24-6, 16-1) were led by Shammah Scott, who had 16 points, five assists and two steals. Tavari Johnson tacked on 14 points and two steals and Nate Johnson helped out with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. This was the 18th game this season Akron has seen four or more players hit double figure scoring in a game.
The Akron offense was strong from downtown, making 13 threes on 24 attempts. Tavari Johnson hit four treys for the Zips in the contest. Akron has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in 17 games this season.
Akron moved the ball well against the Rockets, collecting 21 assists on 32 made baskets. The Blue and Gold have recorded 20 or more assists in 14 games.
After jumping out to a 12-10 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 13:41 left in the first half to increase its lead to 21-10. The Zips then added 10 points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 45-24 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 45 points.
The Zips then held on for the victory in the second half. Akron got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 19 of its 51 total points.
LIMITED EDITION
The Zips are looking to become just the second team in MAC history to finish the regular season 17-1, which stands as the best mark in conference in the modern era. Only one team in conference history has finished the regular season at 17-1, with Kent State going 17-1 in the 2001-02 season.
PERFECT AT HOME
Out of the 364 Div. I basketball teams, just eight remain perfect at home. One of those teams is the Akron Zips, who have a 15-0 record at their home crib. Akron is the only team in the MAC to have a perfect home record. There is one team the Zips have played are perfect at home, which is Yale (11-0). New Orleans (Southland) is the only school yet to win at home this season. On the flip side, just Houston remains perfect on the road.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 81-26 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.757) in the league. The Zips are 67-23 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 108-28 (.794) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 250-109 overall (.696), including a 150-32 mark in MAC play at home (.824). The Zips' 250 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 165 of their last 250 MAC games (.717).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 484-135 (.782) all-time record at the James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 17 seasons, Akron has posted a 280-40 (.875) record at the JAR. The Zips recorded a 13-1 record at the JAR last season and had won their last 16 home games dating back to the 2022-23 season before falling to EMU on March 5, 2024.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 103-19 (.844)Â at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23 and 13-1 in 2023-24. Akron is 15-0 at the JAR in 2024-25.
Akron owns a 102-21 (.829) home-opening record and 38-4 (.905) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 22-of-23 home opening games. Akron is 21-8 in MAC openers, and 12-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 18 seasons, the Zips are 15-3 in MAC openers and 7-1 at home. Akron has won the last 9-of-10 MAC openers.
Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
COMING OFF THE BENCH
Akron ranks 7th in the NCAA for bench production with 33.93 points per game. The Zips' bench has recorded 21 games with 30 or more points and 10 games with 40 or more points. The Akron bench recorded a season high 49 points against Ball State on February 4.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top-10 in assists per game in the NCAA (3rd - 18.3), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in 14 games with a season high 28 coming against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8/24).Â
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips will prepare for the first round of Mid-American Conference Tournament, which will see the Blue and Gold play on the first day (Mar. 13) at 11 a.m.
