The cacophony of James A. Rhodes Arena was just too much for the Kent State men’s basketball team, as the Flashes were defeated by the Zips for the sixth-consecutive time, including four-straight losses at Akron dating back to the 2021-2022 season. 

The game began with a wild scene at mid court, as the Flashes and Zips began the game in a physical dogpile to determine who picked up the opening possession. 

On the second tip-off, Akron claimed the ball, and that set the tone for what became a blowout 69-52 loss for KSU. 

The Flashes struggled mightily from beyond the arc, scoring just a single three out of 23 attempts. 

The Zips opened the game on a staggering 10-2 run that the Flashes could not overcome. KSU brought the lead within single digits just before halftime, but Akron’s domination of the 3-point line ruined all momentum generated by the Flashes. 

Leading the Zips in scoring was senior guard Tavari Johnson, who finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Senior guard Bowen Hardman followed closely behind Johnson with 15 points on the night, all of his points came from behind the arc, as he went 5-9 from 3-point distance. 

Delrecco Gillespie led the Flashes in scoring with 17 points, but he could not stay out of foul trouble, as the senior forward missed most of the first half due to three personal fouls. This marks back-to-back big games against conference opponents that KSU’s star player was on the bench due to fouls, as Gillespie finished with four fouls against No. 24 Miami. 

It should be noted that the Flashes were without Rob Whaley Jr. for the second-straight contest due to injury. The graduate student forward has been the Flashes primary paint defender all year, and the Zips may have had a much harder night with Whaley Jr. in the mix. 

Gage Wellman is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].