Kent State University
19-12,9-9MAC
Akron
24-7,14-4MAC
Flashes Fall Short in Regular Season Finale to Zips
3/6/2020 10:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio- The Kent State men's basketball team fell short to rival Akron, 79-76, Friday night inside the James A. Rhodes Arena in the Mid-American Conference regular-season finale.
Kent State finishes the regular season with an overall record of 19-12.The Flashes went 9-9 in MAC play and will be the No. 6 seed in Monday's opening round of the MAC Tournament. Kent State will host No. 11 seed Eastern Michigan.
A layup from sophomore Anthony Roberts tied the game at 69 with 1:42 remaining. The Zips took a 73-69 lead after a pair of free throws and a layup from Loren Cristian Jackson with 37 seconds remaining in the game.
The Flashes trimmed the Zips' lead to one, 75-74, when senior Troy Simons converted a trio of free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer attempt.
Both teams exchanged trips to the free throw line in the final 10 seconds of the game.
With Akron leading 79-63 with four seconds left, the Flashes had a chance to tie the game with one final possession as senior Antonio Williams put up a three-pointer from the top of the circle that went wide to the left.
Roberts led the Flashes with 17 points and five rebounds, while Simons added 16 points and four boards. Junior Danny Pippen scored 14 points and Williams rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points.
Flashes will return to action Monday, March 9 as Kent State will host the No. 11 seed Eastern Michigan in the First Round of the MAC Tournament at the M.A.C. Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and tickets are available for purchase here.
