2021 MAC Men’s Basketball Game Recaps: January 30

There was a lot of action on the MAC hardwood this weekend as eight teams saw action, Akron, Ohio, Miami, and Toledo all picking up wins.

There’s going to be a lot of shifting in the MAC standings going down the stretch as we’re having one of the more competitive MAC seasons in recent memory.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our upcoming power rankings, stats corner and “Chase for Cleveland” tournament preview over the coming days for more info on how today’s games have affected the outlook on the conference.

Without futher ado, recaps!

Bobcats Bounces Bulls 76-75 in Thriller

Friday night saw an outstanding contest between some very good teams, as Ohio’s Dwight Wilson converted on a layup with 25 seconds to go in the game to give the Green and White the victory over the Bulls.

Wilson led all scorers with 21 points, while Buffalo’s Jayvon Graves recorded 18 points on 7-11 from the field and 3-4 from three-point range. Ohio was efficient offensively as it had 48 points in the paint, and shot over 52% on field goals.

Both squads return to action Tuesday as Ohio (10-6) hit the road to take on CMU as Buffalo (6-6) travels for a contest at Ball State.

Zips Zoom Past Cardinals 74-42

Akron had its way in this one as Ball State only dressed nine scholarship player for the contest, and the Zips never looked back after a 17-0 run in the first half. UA’s Loren Cristian Jackson led both teams with 16 points, while Ishmael El-Amin led the Cardinals with 13 points. BSU shot under 30% from the field in the first half, while Akron shot over 46% in both halves.

Akron (10-3) heads to the other side of the state Tuesday in a pivotal matchup with Toledo, which will all but assuredly have major ramifications in the MAC standings. The Cards (6-8) host a Buffalo team coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Ohio.

RedHawks Best Broncos 65-56

It was a slugfest in Millett Hall as both offenses shot under 42% for the game, but the RedHawks were able to close out strong, with seven free throw makes to put the game on ice on their home court. The tandem of Dalonte Brown and Mekhi Lairy for the ‘Hawks combined for 31 points to go with Brown’s five rebounds and Lairy’s six assists. WMU’s Greg Lee had a strong outing as well with 20 points and seven boards.

Action resumes on Tuesday for Miami (8-5) as it takes on Kent State on the road while WMU (2-11) travels for a contest at Bowling Green on Saturday.

Rockets Propel Past Falcons 84-66

Toledo took command early in this edition of the Battle of I-75 as it entered the half with a 40-28 lead and never looked back in the victory. Six Rockets recorded double figures as Marreon Jackson had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Trey Diggs had some success off the bench as he had 17 points and was 5-11 from three-point land.

Tuesday will be a big night for both teams as the Rockets (15-4) will be looking forward to their upcoming meeting with Akron, while BG (10-7) heads north for a contest with EMU.