The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ball State
Akron Returns to the JAR to Host Ball State
January 12 | Men's Basketball
Akron and Ball State can be viewed on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi (PxP) and Jeff Phelps (Analyst) on the call. Fans can listen to the action on the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) on the call. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com/coverage.
Akron (12-4, 3-1 Mid-American) vs Ball State (4-12, 0-4 Mid-American)
Tuesday, Jan. 13 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
7 pm ET – ESPN+ – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 362-224 | At Akron: 180-92
Ball State:Â Michael Lewis | Overall Record: 53-57Â | At Ball State: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 32-19 | Groce vs. Ball State: 12-7 Overall (9-4 at UA)
First Met: 1937-38 At Akron (Akron 38, Ball State 39)
Last Met: Feb. 25, 2025 At Ball State (Akron 87, Ball State 82)
At Akron:18-6 | Neutral: 2-0 | At Ball State: 12-13
Current Streak: 4W
INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Ball State will be meeting for the 52nd time on Tuesday. The Zips are 32-19 all-time against the Cardinals while John Groce is 12-7 overall and 9-4 at Akron against Ball State.
Akron is 18-6 all-time against BSU at home, 12-13 at BSU and 2-0 in neutral site games. Akron is 1-1 all-time versus Ball State in the MAC Tournament.
The Zips went 2-0 against BSU in 2024-25 after taking down the Cardinals 81-73 at the JAR on February 4, while taking an 87-82 victory at Worthen Arena. In the sole meeting in 2023-24, Akron came away with an 80-76 victory at Worthen Arena. Down 35-33 at the half, Akron used a 47-point second half to come away with the victory.
Akron split the series in 2022-23 against BSU with each team winning on their home court. The Zips fell 70-63 on January 6 in Muncie, Ind., while winning 87-83 at the JAR.
UA's Jimond Ivey broke Worthen Arena's all-time scoring mark of 41 points previously held by Bonzi Wells (Ball State, 1996) and Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan, 1998). Ivey's nine 3-pointers set an arena record and he tied the arena record for made field goals (15) set in 1992 by Xavier's Brian Grant. In addition, the 217 combined points are the most in Worthen Arena history, while Akron's 106 points are the most ever by a visiting team and by the losing team in that arena.
LAST TIME OUT (VS BOWLING GREEN 1/9/26)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team got a 38-point showing from the bench on the way to a 77-67 victory against the Bowling Green Falcons on the road Friday.
The Zips (12-4, 3-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Amani Lyles, who put together a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Bowen Hardman added 15 points off of the bench, Eric Mahaffey helped out with 14 points and seven rebounds while Sharron Young added 10 points, four assists, two steals and two rebounds.
Akron utilized fantastic ball movement in Friday's game, piling up 19 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Tavari Johnson lent a helping hand the most for the Zips with seven assists.
The Akron defense caused its share of mistakes in Friday's game, forcing 15 Bowling Green turnovers while committing 14. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the other end of the floor. Evan Mahaffey's four steals led the way individually for the Zips.
After jumping out to a 5-2 advantage, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 17:16 left in the first half to increase its lead to 13-2. The Zips then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-27 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 43 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Evan Mahaffey's layup, to grow the lead to 71-61 with 1:57 to go in the contest. The Zips held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 77-67 win. Akron capitalized on seven Bowling Green turnovers in the period, collecting 10 points off those turnovers.
LAST TIME AGAINST BALL STATE (2/25/25)
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Akron men's basketball team got a 42-point performance from the bench on the way to an 87-82 victory against the Ball State Cardinals on the road Tuesday.
Akron has seen its bench score 30 or more points in 20 games with nine games featuring 40 or more points.
The Zips (22-6, 14-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 21 points. Tavari has scored 20 or more points in seven games this season. Shammah Scott added 18 points and five assists off of the bench and Amani Lyles chipped in as well with 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks from the bench.
Nate Johnson pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace the Akron offense which grabbed 10 boards and turned them into 12 second chance points.
After playing to an 18-18 tie, Akron went on a 14-0 run with 13:26 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lyles, to take a 32-18 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 47-39 advantage. Akron got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 27 of its 47 total points.
Following intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 64-54 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Tavari Johnson's layup, to grow the lead to 69-54 with 12:03 to go in the contest. The Cardinals narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still held on for the 87-82 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 26 of its 40 points in the lane.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron hosts Ball State for the first of two home games this week on Tuesday, January 13.
The Zips enter Tuesday's contest with a 12-4 overall record and a 3-1 record in the MAC.
Akron recently defeated Bowling Green on Friday, 77-67. Four Zips scored in double figures, led by Amani Lyles' 18-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Akron is scoring 93.4 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 17.7 points per game. The Zips shoot .522 from the field while shooting .372 from beyond the arc and average 10.6 3-pointers per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .758 ft percentage while averaging 38.7 rebounds, 20.6 assists, 10.9 turnovers, 8.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (19.6) and assists (5.4). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (6.9) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (2.0) and total blocks (13).
Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (1st - 93.4), scoring margin (2nd - +17.7), fg pct (2nd - .522), opp fg pct (2nd - .420), 3pt pct (3rd - .373), 3pters made per game (2nd - 10.6), ft pct (3rd - .758), rebounds (3rd - 38.7), off rebounds (5th - 11.9), def rebounds (2nd - 26.8), rebound margin (2nd - +5.5), turnover margin (2nd - +3.75), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.88), blocked shots (5th - 3.38), assists (1st - 20.56) and steals (2nd - 8.56).
Akron ranks 8th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.88), 4th in assists per game (20.6), 59th in bench points (29.94), 7th in effective fg pct (.601), 30th in fast break points (16.25), 5th in fg pct (.522), 83rd in fewest fouls per game (16.3), 59th in ft pct (.758), 68th in rebound margin (+5.4), 87th in defensive rebounds (26.69), 86th in rebounds per game (38.63), 18th in scoring margin (+17.7), 7th in scoring offense (93.4), 58th in steals per game (8.6), 37th in 3pt pct (.372), 23rd in 3pters made per game (10.6), 29th in turnover margin (+3.8), 45th in turnovers forced per game (14.75), and 90th in fewest turnovers per game (10.9).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 28th in assist-turnover ratio (+3.33), 63rd in total steals (32) and 53rd in steals per game (2.0). Tavari Johnson ranks 57th in assist-turnover ratio (+2.90), 46th in total assists (87), 44th in assists per game (5.4), 79th in fg pct (.609), 18th in made fg (119), 42nd in total points (314) and 45th in points per game (19.6). Amani Lyles ranks 24th in fg pct (.609).
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Ball State enters Tuesday's game with a 4-12 overall record and a 0-4 record in the MAC.
The Cardinals dropped their third straight game with a 79-71 loss at UMass. Ball State is also 0-7 on the road this season.
Davion Hill put up 22 points, including 18 in the second half, seven rebounds and two assists in the loss, while Armoni Zeigler and Preston Copeland both added 12 points.
Ball State is scoring 67.4 points per game while being outscored by its opponents by 2.4 points per game. The Cardinals shoot .418 from the field while shooting .310 from beyond the arc and average 7.0 3-pointers per game. Ball State holds a .686 ft percentage while averaging 31.9 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 11.0 turnovers, 7.9 steals and 2.8 blocks per game.
Davion Hill leads the squad in points (11.6). Armoni Zeigler is the leader in assists (2.9) while sharing the lead for rebounds with Mason Jones (4.8). Jones leads BSU in steals (1.8) and Cam Denson leads the way in total blocks (17).
Ball State ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st - 69.8), turnover margin (4th - +2.75) and steals (4th - 7.94).
The Cardinals rank 58th in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game (15.9), 90th in scoring defense (69.8), 98th in steals per game (7.9), 59th in turnover margin (+2.8), 87th in forced turnovers per game (13.75) and 92nd in fewest turnovers per game (11.0).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 492-136 (.783) all-time record at the James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 21 seasons, Akron has posted a 288-40 (.878) record at the JAR. Akron is currently on a 24-game winning streak at the JAR dating back to the 2024-25 season, which currently is tied for the third longest home winning streak in the country. Saint Thomas currently has won 27 straight to lead the nation. Duke has claimed 25, Akron and Miami (OH) are tied for third with 24.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 114-15 (.883) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23,13-1 in 2023-24, 16-0 at the JAR in 2024-25 and are 8-0 in 2025-26.
Akron owns a 103-21 (.831) home-opening record and 39-4 (.907) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 23-of-24 home opening games. Akron is 26-8 in MAC openers, and 13-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 19 seasons, the Zips are 16-3 in MAC openers and 8-1 at home. Akron has won the last 10-of-11 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.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 85-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.759) in the league. The Zips are 71-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 111-28 (.798) 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 254-110 overall (.698), including a 153-32 mark in MAC play at home (.827). The Zips' 254 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 169 of their last 254 MAC games (.665).
TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6) to rank 10th all-time. Standing with 312, Johnson needs 7 assists to pass Steve McNees (2007-11), who is 9th all-time with 318 assists.
1K SCORING AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point wearing the Akron Blue and Gold against Concord on Dec. 29, 2025 with a 28 point performance. He became the 50th player in program history to record 1k points. Johnson, who stands at 1,048 points, currently ranks as the 45th highest scorer in program history.
1KÂ POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 1,048 points and 312 assists in his time at Akron. He became the first player since Loren Cristian Jackson to record 1k points and at least 300 assists in his career as a Zip and just the eighth player all-time.
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (7th - 93.4). The Zips are 10-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 115 against Concord on Dec. 29.Â
Akron scored 85 or more points in 19 games in 2024-25, were 19-0 when hitting that mark and finished ranked No.8 in the nation in scoring offense (84.0).
Under John Groce, Akron is 61-5 (.924) when scoring 85 or more points.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (4th - 20.6), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in eight games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was against Central Michigan (22) on Jan.6.
The Zips are 8-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 35-0 with John Groce leading the Blue and Gold.
Akron is also one of the top teams in the country when it comes to assist-turnover ratio, ranking no. 8 (+1.88).
The Zips ranked 4th in the nation in assists per game (17.7) last season. The Blue and Gold recorded 20 or more assists in 15 games with a season high 28 coming against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8/24).Â
THE SENIOR CLASS: A WHOLE LOT OF WINNING
Akron's senior class has seen a great deal of success wearing the Blue and Gold. Since the 2022-23 season, the Zips have gone 86-33 (.723) overall and 46-12 (.793) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron continues its stay at the JAR when Western Michigan comes to town on Saturday, January 17 for a 2 p.m. start.
