The Akron Zips are going dancing for the second year in a row. They came back from down 18 points to beat the Miami RedHawks in the MAC Championship, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time in program history that the Zips will go to the tournament two years in a row.
Led by head coach, John Groce, the Zips came into the game as favorites to win. In their last meeting on Jan. 25, the Zips beat the RedHawks by 30, completely dominating them on both ends of the floor.
RedHawks coach Travis Steele, half-brother of Groce, was determined not to let the same thing happen again. Miami’s defense made a sharp turnaround from that point, not allowing more than 92 points in a game for the rest of the season. When the half-brothers played their way into the championship game, they both knew it would not be a repeat of last time.
The RedHawks started the game on fire, seemingly unable to miss from beyond the arc. Peter Suder played a large part, scoring 16 points through the first 12 minutes of the game. He scored 11 straight points for the RedHawks to establish an early 34-16 lead against the Zips. Groce’s team started 0 for 8 from 3-point range, contributing to Miami’s dominant start.
After the under-8 media timeout, the game began to shift. The Zips’ defense started forcing Suder to pass the ball, not letting him get an open shot. The Zip’s offense, still cold from beyond the arc, began to chip back into the game. They went into the half down 12 points.
The Zips came out of the half reinvigorated to get back into the game. Their turnaround started on the defensive end of the court. Akron locked down on Suder, holding him to only eight points after the 8-minute mark in the first half. The Zips’ offense kept slowly and steadily chipping their way back into the game. Tavari Johnson hit a 3 to cut Miami’s lead to 70-64 with 8:17 remaining on the clock. From then on, Akron’s defense held the RedHawks to only four points for the rest of the game.
With the game tied 74-74 and under 10 seconds to play, Redhawks guard Evan Ipsaro missed a lead-taking 10-foot 2-point shot. Akron tossed the rebound up the court to MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson, who put in a fast-break layup to take the lead and seal Akron’s championship.
The Zips are now going back to March Madness for a second year in a row, and a team no one wants to see in the first round. A phenomenal defensive performance held the RedHawks to only 28 second-half points and 4 points during the final eight minutes. Groce has proved again to be one of the best coaches in mid-major basketball, turning a slow, physical team centered around Enrique Freeman into one of the fastest teams in Division I and making the tournament in two separate years playing two different styles. The Zips will now look to pull off their first NCAA Tournament win under Groce.
