The Akron men's basketball team out-rebounded the Kent State Golden Flashes 37-36 on the way to a 62-61 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Saturday.

The Zips (24-10) had three players score in double figures, led by Ali Ali, who had 18 points and five assists. Enrique Freeman tacked on 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and Nate Johnson chipped in as well with 11 points.

The Akron offense was very productive from deep, knocking down eight threes on 29 attempts. Ali was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining three treys in the contest.

The Akron defense held Kent State shooters to only 37.9 percent from the field, including 21.1 percent from three-point range. The Zips also kept Giovanni Santiago to 3-of-13 shooting and seven points in the game.

How It Happened

After playing to a 26-26 tie, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 1:31 left in the first half to take a 34-26 lead. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 34-29 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 34 points.

Kent State proceeded to take a 52-51 lead before Akron went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Ali's layup, to seize a 59-52 lead with 3:31 to go in the contest. The Golden Flashes narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still held on for the 62-61 win.

MAC All-Tournament Team
Ali Ali - Akron
Enrique Freeman - Akron (MVP)
VonCameron Davis - Kent State
Jalen Sullinger - Kent State
Jaylin Hunter - Ohio

Game Notes

» Akron found success from beyond the arc, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Zips held the Golden Flashes to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field.
» Akron had a 37-36 edge on the boards in the win.
» Ali Ali led the Zips with 18 points.
» Akron got a team-high nine rebounds from Enrique Freeman.What's Next?The Zips will await to see who they'll play in the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening.