Zips Travel to Western Michigan on Tuesday

Tuesday, February 17

Kalamazoo, MI

7:00 pm

University of Akron

Western Michigan

February 16 | Men's Basketball

ESPN+WHLO 640AM Livestats Akron Notes

AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zips battle the Western Michigan Broncos on Tuesday, February 17, at 7 p.m. for the 64th all-time meeting between the two schools. Akron and Western Michigan can be viewed on ESPN+ with Evan Stockton (PxP) and Joe Haklin (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.

HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 370-225 | At Akron: 188-93
Western Michigan: Dwayne Stephens | Overall Record: 41-79 | At Western Michigan: Same

ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 41-22 | Groce vs. Western Michigan:14-5 Overall (11-3 at UA)
First Met: Mar. 5, 1988 At Kalamazoo (Akron 79, Western Michigan 74)
Last Met: Jan. 17, 2026 At Akron (Akron 104, Western Michigan 89)
At Akron: 23-7 | Neutral: 5-2 | At Kalamazoo: 13-13
Current Streak: W2

INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Western Michigan will battle for the 64th time on Tuesday. The Zips lead the series 41-22 and hold a 7-2 advantage in postseason action. Head coach John Groce is 14-5 all-time against the Broncos and 11-3 at Akron. Akron has won 17 of the last 20 meetings and 29 of the last 35 games of the series. The Zips are 23-7 all-time at home against the Broncos. Akron has won the past 14 home contests against WMU with the last loss at the JAR coming on Jan. 3, 2004.

Akron is currently 1-0 against the Broncos in 2025-26 with a 104-86 victory at the JAR on Jan. 17, 2026.

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 UMASS 2/13/26)
AKRON, Ohio -The Akron men's basketball team used a 55-point second half to secure a 99-92 win over the UMass Minutemen at home Friday.

Akron has now won 29 straight games at James A. Rhodes Arena, 10 conference games in a row and has notched its fifth straight season with at least 20 wins.

The Zips (20-5, 11-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 23 points and four assists. Amani Lyles tacked on 19 points, Shammah Scott added 14 points, while Evan Mahaffey notched 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.

Johnson also moved into sixth for career assists, passing Nate Barnett (1972-75). With his 23 points, he also moved to 23rd on the all-time scoring list, now recording 1,246 career points as a Zip.

Akron recorded its 17th game with 85 or more points, moving to 15-2 on the season and 104-22 under head coach John Groce.

The Zips converted their free throw opportunities, going 38-of-43, just two shy of the school record of 40 made FT against Marietta on Dec. 12, 1956.

Akron grabbed 34 rebounds in Friday's game compared to UMass' 29, led by Eric Mahaffey's 11 boards.

Akron forced 16 UMass turnovers while committing 11 themselves in Friday's game. The Zips turned those takeaways into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Evan Mahaffey led the way individually with three steals.

After falling behind 11-6, Akron went on a 15-0 run with 16:16 left in the first half to take a 21-11 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 44-43 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 44 points.

Following intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 66-63 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Lyles' three, to grow the lead to 73-63 with 10:40 to go in the contest. The Minutemen narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 99-92 win. Akron capitalized on 10 UMass turnovers in the period, collecting 16 points off those turnovers.

LAST TIME AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN (1/17/26)
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team recorded its 26th consecutive win at James A. Rhodes Arena while making 20 3s in a 104-89 victory against the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday.

Akron's 20 made 3s tied the school record, which was originally set against Ohio (March, 1, 2016) and most recently reached against Heidelberg (Nov. 14, 2024).

The Zips (14-4, 5-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 32 points, eight assists and three steals. Shammah Scott tacked on 23 points and five assists off of the bench, Amani Lyles chipped in with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Bowen Hardman scored 12 points on a 4-of-6 shooting performance from deep.

The Zips went 20-of-35 from 3-point range, tying a program record for made 3's in a game. The Blue and Gold were electric from beyond the arc, connecting on 57.1 percent of their 3's against the Broncos.

Akron took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 23 assists on 38 made field goals. Johnson's eight assists paced the Zips. Johnson recorded his 12th game this season with five or more assists.

After falling behind 6-4, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 17:46 left in the first half to take a 13-6 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 52-51 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 11 shots to account for 33 of its 52 points.

Western Michigan proceeded to take a 58-52 lead before Akron went on a 13-0 run, finished off by Scott's layup, to seize a 65-58 lead with 13:56 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 104-89 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting nine shots from deep to score 27 of its 52 points.

ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron travels to Western Michigan to battle the Broncos on Tuesday.

The Zips enter Friday's contest with a 20-5 overall record and an 11-1 record in the MAC. The Blue and Gold are 5-3 on the road this season.

Akron recently defeated UMass at the JAR to post its 29th consecutive home win. The Zips had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 23 points and four assists. Amani Lyles tacked on 19 points, Shammah Scott added 14 points, while Evan Mahaffey notched 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.

Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.5) and assists (5.2). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (7.3) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.8) and total blocks (18).

Akron is scoring 89.9 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 15.0 points. The Zips shoot .504 from the field while shooting .372 from beyond the arc and average 10.9 3s per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .774 ft percentage while averaging 37.7 rebounds, 19.2 assists, 10.9 turnovers, 7.6 steals and 3.2 blocks per game.

Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (2nd - 89.9). scoring margin (2nd - +15.0), fg pct (2nd - .504), opp fg pct (1st - .426), 3pt pct (3rd - .372), 3s made per game (1st - 10.9), ft pct (.774), rebounds (2nd - 37.7), off rebounds (5th - 11.5), def rebounds (3rd - 26.2), rebound margin (3rd - +4.1), turnover margin (2nd - +3.04), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.76), assists (1st - 19.2) and steals (4th - 7.6).

The Zips rank 13th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.76), 8th in assists per game (19.2), 39th in bench points (29.52), 9th in effective fg pct (.588), 24th in fastbreak points (15.2), 15th in fg pct (.504), 95th in fg pct defense (.426), 59th in fewest fouls per game (16.0), 22nd in ft pct (.774), 76th in rebound margin (+4.0), 70th in def rebounds per game (26.2), 76th in rebounds per game (37.68), 8th in scoring offense (89.9), 29th in 3pt pct (.372), 15th in 3s made per game (10.9), 34th in turnover margin (+3.1) and 54th in turnovers forced per game (13.96).

Individually, Evan Mahaffey ran 46th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+2.75), 73rd in total steals (46) and 75th in steals per game (1.84). Tavari Johnson ranks 55th in total assists (129), 58th in assists per game (5.2), 35th in fg pct (.583), 13th in made fg (190), 30th in ft pct (.893), 28th in total points (512) and 22nd in points per game (20.5). Amani Lyles ranks 86th in fg pct (.529) and 86th in defensive rebounds per game (5.44).

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Western Michigan enters Tuesday's contest with a 9-16 overall record and a 3-9record in the MAC. The Broncos are 7-5 at home so far this season.

The Broncos posted a 76-62 victory over in-state rival Eastern Michigan on February 14. WMU outscored EMU 48-29 after the break to collect a 76-62 road win and complete the season sweep over Eastern Michigan for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. Brady Swartz made four three-pointers and led Western Michigan with 16 points, while EJ Ryans chipped in 13 points. The trio of Swartz, Jayden Brewer and Michael Sulaka collected a team-leading seven rebounds apiece to help the Brown and Gold own a 45-29 edge on the glass, their largest rebounding advantage against a MAC foe this season.

Justice Williams leads the way in points (15.3). Jalen Griffith is the leader in assists (3.7) and steals (1.0), while Jayden Brewer holds the top mark in rebounds (6.6) and total blocks (25).

Western Michigan is scoring 74.6 points per game while being outscored by its opponents by 4.5 points. The Broncos shoot .444 from the field while shooting .350 from beyond the arc and average 7.4 3s per game. Western Michigan holds a .729 ft percentage while averaging 36.9 rebounds, 17.5 assists, 12.4 turnovers, 5.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.

The Broncos rank in the top five in the MAC in rebounds (4th - 36.9) and off rebounds (4th - 11.6).

Western Michigan ranks 34th in the NCAA in bench points (29.92) and 80th in fastbreak points (12.72).

ON THE ROAD
Akron is 5-3 in road contest this season, defeating Tulane, Bowling Green, Buffalo,Ohio and Eastern Michigan, while falling to No. 2/1 Purdue,(RV) Miami (OH) and Troy. The Zips were 8-4 on the road in 2024-25.

AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 94-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.777) in the league. The Zips are 79-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 116-28 (.805) 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 262-110 overall (.704), including a 158-32 mark in MAC play at home (.832). The Zips' 262 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 177 of their last 262 MAC games (.676).

SINCE 19-20
Since the 2019-20 season, Akron has recorded a 157-59 (.727) overall record and an 94-27 (.777) record in the MAC. The Zips have claimed the MAC Regular Season Title twice ('20,'25) and the MAC Tournament Title three times as well ('22,'24'25). The Zips' 72.7 winning percentage ranks 13th in the country and best in the MAC.

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 94-34 (.734) overall and 54-12 (.818) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well. Akron's 73.4 winning percentage ranks 19th in the country and 1st in the MAC in that span.

THE ZIPS AND 20 WINS
20 win seasons are nothing new for the Zips. The Blue and Gold have recorded at least 20 wins in 18 of the last 21 seasons, and five consecutive under John Groce, after recording their 20th win of the season against UMass on Friday, February 13.

UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Akron is just one of 17 teams this season to post a perfect record at their home arena. The Zips are joined by MAC foe Miami (OH). Akron is currently 13-0 at James. A. Rhodes Arena this season.

CONSISTENTLY WINNING
With their win over UMass on Feb. 13, the Zips have recorded 20 wins in five consecutive seasons. So far this season, there are 15 teams who've recorded 20 wins over past five seasons. Coming into 2025-26, 39 teams had won 20 games in each of the past four seasons.

TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6). Standing with 354 assists, Johnson needs 28 more to pass Loren Cristian Jackson (2018-21) who is 5th all-time with 381 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 1,246 points, currently ranks as the 23rd highest scorer in program history.

HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (8th - 89.9). The Zips are 15-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 99 against UMass on Feb. 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 66-5 (.929) when scoring 85 or more points.

DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (8th - 19.2), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in 10 games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was at Buffalo (21) on Jan. 20, 2026.

The Zips are 10-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 37-0 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. 13 (+1.76).

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).

WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron stays on the road as it battles Ball State on Friday, February 20, for a 6:30 p.m. start. The Zips and Cardinals will be featured on CBS Sports Network.