The Kent State men’s basketball team’s three-year losing streak against the University of Akron will have to wait longer to be broken.

A sold-out home crowd in the M.A.C. Center arrived early and stayed loud, but it was not enough as the Flashes dropped their second loss of the season to “The School Down the Road” by a final score of 92-70.

Out of the gate, the Flashes held their own until five early turnovers put all the momentum in the Zips hands, and they never looked back.

Graduate student forward Morgan Safford led KSU in scoring with a total of 15 points.

After missing the first matchup against the Zips, graduate forward Rob Whaley Jr. limped to the locker room in the first half but returned minutes later. Whaley finished with nine points and played only 22 minutes.

When the teams faced off in Akron, the Flashes shot 1-for-23 from the field, which was the biggest contributor to the loss. This time around, shooting was slightly improved for KSU as they finished 26-for-60.

While KSU’s shooting flipped this time around, scoring was not easier.

In the second half, the Flashes only mustered 33 points and could not claw their way back into the game.

The Zips stayed hot, shooting the ball well all night, finishing 32-for-58, and held the lead for over 35 minutes.

Before Friday’s matchup, senior guard Tavari Johnson averaged 20.6 points per game and led Akron in scoring. Unsurprisingly, Johnson helped the Zips to another rivalry win with 22 points and seemed to score at will most of the night. 

Junior guard Shammah Scott had a game for the ages, posting a team-high 23 points and shot a perfect 100 percent from beyond the arc. Johnson was also perfect from three, as the two guards combined for a perfect nine-for-nine from deep.

More than likely, for the Flashes to win a Mid-American Conference championship, they will have to beat Akron in Cleveland, which has been a challenge all decade long. 

Josh Szeremet is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected]