Akron held off a Toledo second-half comeback to win 96-87 and move to 16-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
This victory marked Akron’s first win at Toledo since Jan. 23, 2013, breaking a 12-year drought. The Rockets were looking to help increase their seed for the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, while the Zips had little to play for besides pride, as they already locked up a MAC regular-season championship.
The Zips dominated the Rockets in the first half. Akron head coach John Groce had his team playing excellent defense, holding their opponent to only 24 points at the halfway point. The offense was well-rounded, with many players contributing to a 45-point half. The 21-point lead made it seem like this game was going to be a blowout in the Zips’ favor, but Toledo wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The Rockets came out of the half looking to claw their way back into the game. Toledo put together one of its best halves of basketball, scoring 63 points. This was led largely by Sam Lewis, who tied his career-high point total of 23, with 21 points in the second half. Javan Simmons also put together a career-high 22 points to help his team stay in the game. Toledo’s resilience was on display, as it shot almost 73% from the field in the second half. The effort from the Rockets turned a 24-point deficit into a three-point gap in the final minutes of the second half.
The Zips scored 51 points in the second half, shooting 68.2 % from the field. Shammah Scott led the Zips with 16 points off of the bench. The effort from the Zips consisted of four starters and two role players scoring in double figures. Groce kept his team composed in the final stretch, converting all 10 free-throw attempts to secure the win.
The Rockets have lost their fourth in a row and have dropped in the standings to fifth place, where they are tied with Eastern Michigan. Toledo had an extremely impressive second-half performance to get back into the game, but their efforts ultimately fell short. The Zips move to 24-6 and 16-1 in the MAC. On Friday, Akron hosts its senior night at home against the Buffalo Bulls on ESPN+. The Rockets face a hot Ohio Bobcats team, who is looking for a chance to get the third seed in the MAC Tournament, on Friday at home.
