KENT, Ohio — Enrique Freeman's 23 points helped Akron defeat Kent State 77-71 on Friday night.
Freeman also had eight rebounds, three steals, and five blocks for the Zips (14-4, 6-0 Mid-American Conference), who withstood a late rally after going ahead by as many as 20 in the first half. Ali Ali scored 23 points while going 5 of 11 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and 10 for 11 from the line. Tavari Johnson had 10 points and finished 5 of 7 from the field. It was the sixth straight win for the Zips.
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Giovanni Santiago led the way for the Golden Flashes (9-9, 2-4) with 16 points and two steals. Tyem Freeman added 14 points for Kent State. Reggie Bass also had 11 points.
Freeman led UA with 12 points in the second half, but KSU managed to close the gap to three in the waning minutes of the game. However, an Ali jumper as well as his four free throws down the stretch helped put things away.
Both teams next play Tuesday — Akron hosts Ohio and Kent State squares off against Bowling Green on the road.
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.