The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ball State
Akron Battles Ball State on CBSSN on Friday
February 19 | Men's Basketball
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 371-225 | At Akron: 189-93
Ball State:Â Michael Lewis | Overall Record: 57-63 | At Ball State: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 33-19 | Groce vs. Ball State: 13-7 Overall (10-4 at UA)
First Met: 1937-38 At Akron (Akron 38, Ball State 39)
Last Met: Jan.13, 2026 At Akron (Akron 87, Ball State 77)
At Akron:19-6 | Neutral: 2-0 | At Ball State: 12-13
Current Streak: 5W
INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Ball State will be meeting for the 53rd time on Friday. The Zips are 33-19 all-time against the Cardinals while John Groce is 13-7 overall and10-4 at Akron against Ball State. Akron is 19-6 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.
Akron is 1-0 against BSU this season after defeating the Cardinals 87-77 at the JAR. 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 (AT WESTERN MICHIGAN 2/17/26)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Akron men's basketball team got a 32-point performance from the bench on the way to a 90-73 win against the Western Michigan Broncos on the road Tuesday.
Akron recorded its 11th straight MAC victory and swept the regular season series with the Broncos.
The Zips (21-5, 12-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Tavari Johnson, who had 17 points and six assists. Evan Mahaffey added 14 points, five rebounds and two assists,Shammah Scott chipped in with 14 points and four assists, while Amani Lyles recorded 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Akron grabbed 43 rebounds in Tuesday's game compared to Western Michigan's 27, led by Lyles' nine boards. The Zips also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 13 rebounds into 10 second chance points.
Johnson recorded his 24th double-figure scoring game, his 21st game scoring 15 or more points and 15th game this season with five or more assists.
Akron did a great job disrupting Western Michigan shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Eric Mahaffey led the way individually for the Zips with two rejections.
After jumping out to a 22-15 advantage, Akron went on a 12-0 run with 10:50 left in the first half to increase its lead to 34-15. The Zips then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 53-34 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 53 points.
The Zips then held on for the victory in the second half. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 24 of its 37 points in the lane.
LAST TIME AGAINST 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.Â
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.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron travels to Ball State to battle the Cardinals on Friday for a nationally televised game.
The Zips enter Friday's contest with a 21-5 overall record and a 12-1 record in the MAC. The Blue and Gold are 6-3 on the road this season.
Akron recently defeated Western Michigan on the road Tuesday, 90-73. The Zips saw four players score in double figures while shooting 50 percent from the field to post their 11th consecutive conference victory.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.3) 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 (19).
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 .374 from beyond the arc and average 10.9 3s per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .773 ft percentage while averaging 37.9 rebounds, 19.1 assists, 10.7 turnovers, 7.5 steals and 3.3 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 - .374), 3s made per game (1st - 10.9), ft pct (1st - .773), rebounds (2nd - 37.9), off rebounds (4th - 11.5), def rebounds (3rd - 26.4), rebound margin (3rd - +4.5), turnover margin (2nd - +3.00), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.78), assists (1st - 19.12) and steals (5th - 7.54).
The Zips rank 11th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.78), 7th in assists per game (19.1), 39th in bench points (29.62), 10th in effective fg pct (.589), 22nd in fastbreak points (15.38), 14th in fg pct (.504), 94th in fg pct def (.426), 60th in fewest fouls per game (16.0), 22nd in ft pct (.773), 67th in rebound margin (+4.5), 65th in def rebounds (26.35), 66th in rebounds per game (37.88), 12th in scoring margin (+15.0), 8th in scoring offense (89.9), 28th in 3pt pct (.374), 14th in made 3s per game (10.9), 35th in turnover margin (+3.0), 58th in turnovers forced per game (13.77) and 86th for fewest turnovers per game (10.7).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 39th in assist-turnover ratio (+2.81), 82nd in total steals (46), 93rd in steals per game (1.77). Tavari Johnson ranks 51st in total assists (135), 54th in assists per game (5.2), 41st in fg pct (.577), 10th in total fg made (196), 33rd in ft pct (.886), 26th in total points (529) and 22nd in points per game. Amani Lyles ranks 88th in def rebounds per game (5.38).
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Ball State enters Friday's contest with an 8-18 overall record and a 3-10 record in the MAC. The Cardinals are 5-6 at home so far this season.
Ball State recently lost 69-57 to Ohio on Tuesday. BSU started on a 9-0 run to begin the second half after trailing 32-15 at the half. Devon Barnes led the way in scoring with 17 points, while Davion Hill was close behind with 16.
Hill serves as the leader in points (12.7) while Armoni Zeigler leads the way in assists (2.8) and rebounds (4.9). Mason Jones holds the top mark in steals (1.6) and Cam Denson has recorded 21 total blocks.
Ball State is scoring 66.0 points per game while being outscored by its opponents by 4.0 points. The Cardinals shoot .412 from the field while shooting .305 from beyond the arc and average 7.4 3s per game. Ball State holds a .694 ft percentage while averaging 31.7 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 10.7 turnovers, 7.7 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.
Ball State ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring defense (1st - 70.0), turnover margin (5th - +2.19) and steals (3rd - 7.69).
Ball State ranks 89th in the NCAA in bench points per game (25.65), 47th in fewest fouls per game (15.7), 80th in scoring defense (70.0), 89th in steals per game (7.7), 67th in turnover margin (+2.2), 97th in forced turnovers per game (12.92) and 86th for fewest turnovers per game (10.7).
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 6-3 in road contest this season, defeating Tulane, Bowling Green, Buffalo,Ohio, Eastern Michigan and Western 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 95-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.778) in the league. The Zips are 80-24 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 263-110 overall (.705), including a 158-32 mark in MAC play at home (.832). The Zips' 263 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 178 of their last 263 MAC games (.677).
ON NATIONAL TV
The Zips are 4-2 this season in national televised games, defeating Bowling Green (CBSSN), Ohio (ESPNU), Kent State (CBSSN) and UMass (CBSSN, while falling to Purdue (Big Ten Network) and Troy (ESPN2).
Akron will be featured two more times on national television, with one wildcard date to be possibly selected. Akron will be featured on CBSSN when they travel to Ball State (Feb. 20). The Zips will also be on ESPNU when they travel to Kent State (Feb. 27).
The remaining date will be announced 21 days prior to the contests, which may affect a home contest against NIU (March 6).
Akron went 6-2 on the national stage in 2024-25 with wins against Bowling Green, Kent State (x2), Ohio, Toledo and Miami (OH) (76-74). The two defeats came at Ohio (84-67) and against Arizona (93-65).
SINCE 19-20
Since the 2019-20 season, Akron has recorded a 158-59 (.728) overall record and an 95-27 (.778) 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' 72.8 winning percentage ranks 13th in the country and best in the MAC.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 95-34 (.736) overall and 55-12 (.821) 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 73.6 winning percentage ranks 16th 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.
CONSISTENTLYÂ 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 16 teams who've recorded 20 wins in five consecutive 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 360 assists, Johnson needs 22 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 1,263 points, currently ranks as the 21st 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 16-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 90 at Western Michigan on Feb. 17
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 67-5 (.931) when scoring 85 or more points.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (7th - 19.1), 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 (+1.78).
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
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, February 24, to host Buffalo for a 7 p.m. start.
