By Steve DiMatteoSpecial to FOX Sports Ohio
Akron’s point guard situation is currently in a state of forced transition, so the Zips decided to rely on their defense and big men to get the job done on Friday night.
Center Zeke Marshall had a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while forward Demetrius Treadwell had a double-double of his own, scoring 14 points and collecting 12 rebounds. The two would combine to score 21 of the Zips’ 30 second-half points.
For a while, though, it seemed as if the momentum that carried Kent State throughout the last month would take them right to the MAC championship game.
The Golden Flashes were on a roll early in the second half, taking a 46-43 lead on a 13-2 run, exploiting Akron’s problems at point guard. Freshman Carmelo Betancourt started in place of the suspended Alex Abreu – though Nick Harney saw plenty of time there as well – and never looked comfortable on the floor, though it’s hard to blame him.
But the best defense in the MAC in terms of field goal percentage stepped up and clamped down on Kent State, and the Golden Flashes scored only two points in the final four minutes of the game.
“It was one of those games where they’re very physical. They’re a very good defensive team,” said Kent St. coach Rob Senderoff. “They have a lot of length and they bother you.”
Senior Kent State guard Randal Holt scored 19 points, but no other player on the team was in double figures. Senior forward Chris Evans, who scored 25 points on Thursday night against Buffalo, was held in check all of Friday, scoring only 6 points (though he did grab 9 rebounds).
“They [Akron] didn’t do too much, I just attacked like I always do. Zeke was coming over on the weak side blocking some shots, and that made the difference,” said Evans.
Akron has been put in a tough position. With Abreu out, the team has been forced to adjust on the fly, and the guard position has become more of a crutch than a strength. But as long as Marshall and Treadwell continue to carry the Zips, they might just be able to make it work.
Akron moves on to face Ohio, a team it has already beaten twice this season. It’s also a rematch of last year’s MAC championship game, which Ohio won and would use as a springboard to a Sweet Sixteen run in the NCAA tournament.
Many of the games in this year’s MAC tournament have been close, grind-it-out affairs that come down to the wire. On Friday night, Ohio University wanted none of that in the first half, using an early 21-3 run to go into halftime with a very comfortable 41-24 lead.
But Western Michigan took a page out of Ohio’s book in the second half, opening with an 18-6 run and eventually cutting the deficit to just two points while also putting the Bobcats in foul trouble.
Ohio eventually broke out of its offensive funk, thanks to senior guards D.J. Cooper and Walter Offutt, and would pull away for the 74-63 win.
“Coach [Jim] Christian made a mention at halftime that they [Western Michigan] were going to attack us inside and to their credit they did that,” said Offutt. “We were just fortunate that we got together going into the mid-to-late second half, right when we could get it under control, and we finished strong.”
An emphatic slam by Jon Smith extended Ohio’s lead to nine points with 2:54 left, which was followed by a Nick Kellogg three-pointer. Western Michigan answered with a Darius Paul three, but Nick Kellogg would hit another three-point shot with a minute left to put the Bobcats back up by 12.
Western Michigan forward Darius Paul scored 16 points while recovering from food poisoning. Forward Nate Hutcheson scored 16 points and center Shayne Whittington added six points and 12 rebounds.
As for Ohio, it obviously didn’t want to blow a 17-point halftime lead, but the “survive and advance” mantra is the only thing that matters to the team right now.
“It’s that time of the year. What you want to do is play as hard as you can for 40 minutes and get an opportunity to play again,” said Christian.
For the third time in four years, Ohio will face Akron in the MAC tournament championship game. It will be interesting to see Cooper play this particular Akron team without Abreu trying to stop him. If anyone in the MAC could exploit this now glaring weakness for the Zips, it’s him.
