This afternoon, only one men’s basketball team will remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.
The Miami University RedHawks (14-4, 6-0 in conference play) travel to the University of Akron Zips (13-5, 6-0 in conference play) at 2 p.m. to determine whether head coach Travis Steele or his half brother, Akron head coach Jim Groce, will continue their winning streak.
After dropping their last non-conference game to the Princeton University Tigers, the reigning MAC champion Zips entered conference play at 7-5 before facing the Bowling Green State University Falcons.
The Falcons outscored Akron 32-30 in the first half, but 17 points from first-year guard Sharron Young allowed the Zips to tie the game late in the second. A late-game 3-pointer from senior guard Isaiah Gray gave the Zips the lead in the final minute for their first conference win.
From there, Akron rolled through its next five games, including a 90-58 win over the University of Buffalo Bulls, and rose to 6-0 in conference play.
A key component of their success has been redshirt junior guard Nate Johnson. He leads the Zips with 235 points, including a season-high 28 against the University of Toledo Rockets on Jan. 14.
Johnson has proven to be a reliable shooter at the free throw line as well. His 41 free throws on 51 attempts (.804) make him the eighth-most accurate free throw shooter in the conference.
Junior guard Tavari Johnson sits behind him with 215 points comprising 29 3-pointers. He leads the Zips in assists with 74, the fourth most in the conference.
In their conference slate, the Zips have rebounded the ball at least 30 times per game, peaking at 49 in their last game against the Bulls. Senior forward James Okonkwo leads the conference with 142 rebounds and averages 6.7 each game.
Akron’s six-game winning streak included two victories over teams the RedHawks faced as well.
Miami’s first conference matchup against the Bulls was a preview for the RedHawks’ recent success. Six players scored in the double-digits, with redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft putting up 20 towards a Miami victory.
The RedHawks followed their first game with five more wins. Tuesday’s success against Bowling Green marked Miami’s seventh-straight win, putting the RedHawks in position today to outdo their 2005-06 start and go 7-0 in MAC play.
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Craft and junior guard Peter Suder have continued their success from the first half of the season, scoring 90 and 78 respectively in MAC play, but one player that has stepped up since January is Brant Byers.
The redshirt first-year wing posted double-digit points in one game during the non-conference slate. However, Byers has scored more than 10 points in five of Miami’s six conference matchups, with his best performance being an 18-point day against the Bulls.
Beyond his scoring ability, Byers has had 15 rebounds, four steals and three blocks in the new year.
Additionally, sophomore wing Eian Elmer and sophomore guard Mekhi Cooper have consistently performed well against conference opponents. The duo racked up 128 points combined in MAC play so far.
When Miami met Akron last March in the first round of the MAC tournament, the RedHawks kept the game close and entered halftime down 37-35. However, the Zips outscored them 38-28 in the final 20 minutes to take the win.
Akron moved on and eventually won the MAC championship against the Kent State University Golden Flashes.
In this year’s rematch, the stakes couldn’t be any higher. Both teams are fighting to continue their winning streak and maintain their undefeated status in conference play, and the winner will take the No. 1 seed in the MAC.
Tipoff is at 2 p.m. in Akron. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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