The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
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Western Michigan
Zips Host Western Michigan on Saturday
January 16 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zips battle the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday, January 17 at 2 p.m. for the 63rd all-time meeting between the two schools.
Akron and Western Michigan 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 (13-4, 4-1 Mid-American) vs Western Michigan (7-10, 1-4 Mid-American)
Saturday, Jan. 17 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
2 pm ET – ESPN+ – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 363-224 | At Akron: 181-92
Western Michigan: Dwayne Stephens | Overall Record: 39-73 | At Western Michigan: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 40-22 | Groce vs. Western Michigan: 13-5 Overall (10-3 at UA)
First Met: Mar. 5, 1988 At Kalamazoo (Akron 79, Western Michigan 74)
Last Met: Feb. 11, 2025 At Akron (Akron 105, Western Michigan 92)
At Akron: 22-7 | Neutral: 5-2 | At Kalamazoo: 13-13
Current Streak: W1
INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Western Michigan will battle for the 63rd time on Saturday. The Zips lead the series 40-22 and hold a 7-2 advantage in postseason action. Head coach John Groce is 13-5 all-time against the Broncos and 10-3 at Akron. Akron has won 16 of the last 19 meetings and 28 of the last 34 games of the series. The Zips are 22-7 all-time at home against the Broncos. Akron has won the past 13 home contests against WMU with the last loss at the JAR coming on Jan. 3, 2004.
The Zips won the first meeting of the 2023-24 season 77-66 at the JAR on January 16 before falling 90-86 in the second meeting on the road. The Zips took the lone meeting 2024-25 with a 105-92 victory at the JAR. Akron swept the series in 2022-23 with a 63-55 win on the road and an 81-64 victory at the JAR. Akron is 7-2 in the MAC Tournament against WMU and 5-2 on a neutral court. In addition, the Zips are 13-13 in Kalamazoo, winning six of the last 11 meetings at University Arena. In 2002, Akron opened the MAC Tournament in Kalamazoo and advanced to Cleveland after a 90-83 win as the 11th seed. The Zips are 2-0 in the MAC Tournament at University Arena and 6-6 all-time in opening-round games.
LAST TIME OUT (VS BALL STATE 1/13/26)
AKRON, Ohio -The Akron men's basketball won its 25th consecutive home game with an 87-77 victory over the Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday.
Akron holds the second-longest home winning streak, with St. Thomas leading the way with 27 straight home wins.
The Zips (13-4, 4-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 22 points and seven assists. Amani Lyles tacked on a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Shammah Scott chipped in with 18 points off the bench, while Evan Mahaffey scored 10 points and added five assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
Akron did a great job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 16 assists while turning the ball over eight times. Johnson's seven assists paced the Zips. Evan Mahaffey also contributed with five assists of his own.
Johnson recorded his 10th 20+ point performance of the season along with his 11th game of the season recording 5+ assists. He also now ranks 44th in all-time scoring at Akron with 1,070 points in his career while moving to ninth all-time in assists with 319. Johnson passed Steve McNees (2007-11) and will now look to surpass Nick Dials' (2006-08) 326 career assists for eighth all-time.
Akron started out the scoring by going on an 8-0 run, culminating in a three from Sharron Young, to take an early lead with 17:28 left in the first half. The Zips then entered halftime with a 43-34 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down nine shots to account for 27 of its 43 points.
Following the intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 47-35 before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 53-35 with 16:42 to go in the contest. The Cardinals narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 87-77 win. Akron got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 13 of its 44 total points.
LAST TIME AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN (2/11/25)
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team shot 51.9 percent from beyond the arc on the way to a 105-92 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos at James A. Rhodes Arena Tuesday evening for its 13th consecutive home victory.
The Zips (19-5, 11-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 22 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Tavari Johnson tacked on 17 points and Amani Lyles helped out with 15 points and two steals off the bench.
Akron's ball distribution was in full effect with five Zips recording three assists.
Led by James Okonkwo's three offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 11 second-chance points.
Akron's bench helped claim the win, with 40 points coming from the reserves. The Zips' bench has scored 30 or more points in 17 games while scoring 40 or more in eight games this season.
After falling behind 3-2, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:29 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lyles, to take an 11-3 lead. The Zips then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 52-42 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 10 shots to account for 30 of its 52 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 93-81 with 4:41 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 105-92 win.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron hosts Western Michigan to conclude a two-game home stand on Saturday.
The Zips enter Tuesday's contest with a 13-4 overall record and a 4-1 record in the MAC.
Akron recently defeated Ball State, 87-77, on Tuesday. Tavari Johnson led the Zips scoring with 22 points, while Amani Lyles recorded his second consecutive double-double with a 19-point, 12-rebound performance.
Akron is scoring 93.0 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 17.2 points per game. The Zips shoot .520 from the field while shooting .372 from beyond the arc and average 10.7 3-pointers per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .764 ft percentage while averaging 38.4 rebounds, 20.3 assists, 10.8 turnovers, 8.5 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (19.8) and assists (5.5). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (7.2) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (2.0) and total blocks (14).
Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (2nd - 93.0), scoring margin (3rd - +17.2, fg pct (2nd - .520), opp fg pct (2nd - .423), 3pt pct (3rd - .372), ft pct (3rd - .764) rebounds (3rd - 38.4), opp rebounds (5th - 33.1), off rebounds (5th - 11.8), def rebounds (3rd - 26.6), rebound margin (3rd - 5.3), turnover margin (2nd - 3.65), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.89), blocked shots (5th - 3.41), assists (1st - 20.29) and steals (2nd - 8.47).
The Zips rank 7th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.89), 4th in assists per game (20.3), 58th in bench points per game (29.94), 7th in effective fg pct (.600), 8th in fg pct (.520), 77th in fewest fouls per game (16.2), 39th in ft pct (.764), 70th in rebound margin (+5.2), 84th in def rebounds (26.53), 88th in rebounds per game (38.29), 18th in scoring margin (+17.2), 6th in scoring offense (93.0), 61st in steals per game (8.5), 34th in 3pt pct (.372), 20th in made 3pters per game (10.7), 30th in turnover margin (+3.7), 49th in forced turnovers per game (14.47) and 75th in fewest turnovers per game (10.8).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 20th in assist-turnover ratio (+3.42), 55th in total steals (34) and 52nd in steals per game (2.0). Tavari Johnson ranks 62nd in assist-turnover ratio (+2.85), 42nd in total assists (94), 40th in assists per game (5.5), 91st in fg pct (.536), 15th in total made fg (128), 38th in total points (336) and 42nd in points per game (19.8). Amani Lyles ranks 25th in fg pct (.609) and 96th in def rebounds per game (5.35).
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Western Michigan enters Saturday's game with a 7-10 overall record and a 1-4 record in the MAC.
The Broncos fell to UMass at home on Tuesday, 85-82, and have gone 2-3 over their last five games. Justice Williams tallied a career-high 29 points in the loss to the Minutemen, which included a 10-of-13 performance from the field and a 5-of-8 night from three-point range. EJ Ryans and Brady Swartz tallied 12 points apiece, while Declan Peterson paced the Broncos on the glass with a career-high six.
Williams leads the way in points (17.5) and shares the lead in steals (1.3) with Jalen Griffith. Griffith leads the Broncos in assists (2.2) while Jayden Brewer holds the top mark in rebounds (7.3) and total blocks (16).
Western Michigan is scoring 76.4 points per game while being outscored by its opponents by 2.2 points per game. The Broncos shoot .454 from the field while shooting .339 from beyond the arc and average 7.1 3-pointers per game. Western Michigan holds a .739 ft percentage while averaging 37.9 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 13.6 turnovers, 5.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
Western Michigan ranks in the top five in the MAC in opp 3pt pct (5th - .326), rebounds (4th - 37.9) and def rebounds (4th - 26.3).
The Broncos rank 51st in the NCAA in bench points per game (30.53) and 57th in fastbreak points (14.53).
Individually, Jayden Brewer ranks 90th in double-doubles (4) and 27th in def rebounds (6.29). Jalen Griffith ranks 76th in ft pct (.873).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 493-136 (.784) all-time record at the James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 21 seasons, Akron has posted a 289-40 (.878) record at the JAR. Akron is currently on a 25-game winning streak at the JAR dating back to the 2024-25 season, which currently is tied for the second-longest home winning streak in the country. Saint Thomas currently has won 27 straight to lead the nation. Duke, Akron and Miami (OH) are tied for second with 25.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 115-15 (.885) 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 9-0 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 86-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.761) in the league. The Zips are 72-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 112-28 (.800) 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 255-110 overall (.699), including a 154-32 mark in MAC play at home (.828). The Zips' 255 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 170 of their last 255 MAC games (.667).
TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6) to. Standing with 319 assists, Johnson needs 7 more to pass Nick Dials' (2006-08) , who is 8th all-time with 326 assists.
1K SCORING AS A ZIP 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 1,070 points, currently ranks as the 44th highest scorer in program history.
1K POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 1,070 points and 319 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 teams, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (6th - 93.0). The Zips are 11-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 87 against Ball State on Jan 13.
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 62-5 (.925) when scoring 85 or more points.
RAINING 3'S
Ranking in the top 20 for made 3's per game (20th- 10.7), Akron has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country the past couple of seasons. The Zips have made 10 or more 3pters in 11 games this season, with a season-high 15 falling against Princeton.
Akron is 10-2 this season when hitting 10 or more 3's and went 18-2 in during the 2024-25 season. Under the direction of John Groce, Akron is 98-22 (.817) when making 10 or more 3's.
Akron ranked 8th in the nation for made 3's per game in 2024-25 (10.7). The Blue and Gold hit 10 or more 3's in 20 games, 15 or more in six, while connecting on 19 3's against South Alabama (Feb. 8), which is the second most in program history.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (4th - 20.3), 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. 7 (+1.89).
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).
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 87-33 (.725) overall and 47-12 (.796) 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?
The Zips hit the road to battle Buffalo on Tuesday, January 20, for a 6:30 p.m. start.
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