CLEVELAND — You certainly wouldn't have thought they were they underdog.
Fourth-seeded Akron knocked off No. 1 seed Toledo 70-62 Friday evening to advance to the finals of the Mid-American Conference men's basketball Tournament. Xavier Castaneda had 26 points to lead the Zips, who never trailed once in the game.
From the get-go, Akron seemed to be in control, and at one point led by as many as 15. Castaneda made five 3s and Enrique Freeman added 12 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, UA (23-9) shot 47.2% from the field, including 53.3% in the first half.
Toledo (26-7) got off to a sluggish start, but leading scorer Ryan Rollins went on to put up 18 with six boards. But the Rockets never seriously threatened, and were doomed by shooting a paltry 45.5% from the free throw line (compared to 80% for the Zips).
Akron appeared to be in trouble after both Freeman and Michael Wynn fouled out late, but Toledo couldn't make any clutch baskets and the remaining Zips rotation players managed to hit their free throws. UA will advance to its first MAC championship game since 2017, and will face either Kent State or Ohio Saturday night.
What following is a comprehensive recap of the action, with the most recent plays and updates closest to the top:
2ND HALF
0:00: Toledo could not hit another field goal, and Akron was able to to make its free throws and come away with a 70-62 upset win. The Zips will face either Kent State or Ohio in tomorrow night's finals.
1:31: A major turn of events as Enrique Freeman has fouled out after putting up 12 points and 10 rebounds. Akron still leads 66-61, but is down to its five main rotation players.
1:51: Akron is down to just six rotation players as Michael Wynn fouls out, and Enrique Freeman has four fouls of his own.
The good news? A 3 by Mikal Dawson has the Zips up 66-59.
4:09: As we head down to the wire, Akron continues to led Toledo hang around. Ryan Rollins now leads the Rockets with 16 points and has his team within six at 61-55.
7:33: And just like that, Xavier Castaneda hits a pair of big 3s. He has a game-high 24 and Akron has extended its lead to 59-51.
8:22: Akron has still yet to trail in this one and leads 53-49. Besides Xavier Castaneda, Ali Ali now has 13 points, including a 3-point play during the last series.
11:31: Akron continues to cling to a 48-44 lead as Xavier Castaneda now has 18 points.
A big difference so far? Free throws, as the Zips have made all seven of their attempts (including three by Castaneda on the last series) while Toledo is just 3 of 9 from the line.
15:15: Ryan Rollins is heating up and now has 11 points, and Toledo has closed the gap to 43-38. Xavier Castaneda still leads all scorers with 15.
1ST HALF
0:00: At halftime, underdog Akron is firmly in control with a 38-28 lead. Five different Zips have scored at least six points, with the team shooting a stellar 53.3% from the field.
3:40: Akron has still yet to trail in this game and currently holds a 30-21 lead. Xavier Castaneda still leads the Zips with 10 points, while Rockets star Ryan Rollins has scored just two on 1 of 8 shooting.
Check out some photos from the action so far:
7:14: Xavier Castaneda is heating up, leading Akron with eight points and two 3s. The Zips have opened up a 26-18 lead on the regular-season champs.
11:15: Toledo has stayed in it, but Akron still leads 17-14. Ra'Heim Moss leads all scorers with nine early.
14:33: Akron is off to an impressive start, leading 12-7 at the first media timeout. Both Xavier Castaneda and Mikal Dawson have hit 3s.
PREGAME
4:53 p.m.: Both of today's games will air on CBS Sports Network. Kent State will tip off roughly a half-hour after Akron's game ends.