CLEVELAND — It was a party nine years in the making, and the opponent made it all the more sweeter.
Akron punched it's ticket to the NCAA tournament Saturday night with a resounding 75-55 win over archrival Kent State in the Mid-American Conference men's basketball championship game. Cleveland native Enrique Freeman -- playing in front of his hometown fans -- had 23 points and six rebounds to carry the Zips, who won the league tourney for the first time since 2013.
A bombshell came before the game when KSU guard Malique Jacobs along with three others were suspended for at least the first half of play after a video of them singing offensive song lyrics about Akron surfaced on social media. The misstep left the Golden Flashes without one of their best players for the opening 20 minutes, and they fell behind 34-25 in the process.
Even when Jacobs returned, Kent State (23-10) struggled to gain traction on offense. While Justyn Hamilton scored 19 and hauled in eight rebounds, MAC Player of the Year Sincere Carry was rendered powerless by a stingy Akron defense, tallying just six points on 2 of 11 shooting while turning the ball over six times.
When it came to that defense, Enrique Freeman was a force inside by grabbing eight boards, and also led all scorers with 23 points. When the votes were tallied, the Cleveland native was named tournament MVP.
Ali Ali and Xavier Castaneda each added 15 point of their own, and UA (24-9) shot 52% from the field. Kent managed to close the gap to one with an 8-0 blitz to begin the second half, but never threatened again, with no players besides Hamilton scoring in double figures.
Akron will now tune in to selection Sunday to see who and where it will play in the NCAA tournament. ESPN's Joe Lunardi has not yet updated his predictions, but had Kent State as a 13-seed before tonight's action.
Check below for a full recap of tonight's action:
2ND HALF
0:00: A thunderous Enrique Freeman slam and one last Ali Ali 3 put the finishing touches on a 75-55 Akron win. The Zips are headed to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years.
1:08: Kent State has failed to get any momentum, and Enrique Freeman has been just too much. Zips fans can taste it as their team leads 70-55.
3:37: Another Enrique Freeman jumper makes it 63-49 Akron as an exasperated Rob Senderoff tries to motivate his team one more time during the final media timeout.
4:48: Enrique Freeman now has 16 points and six boards as Akron maintains a 60-47 lead.
Malique Jacobs is getting booed every time he touches the ball.
7:53: As chants of "overrated" pepper the arena, Enrique lays it in and gets fouled in the process. Akron is on an 11-0 run and now leads it 56-39.
9:29: We're more than halfway through the second half, and Akron is starting to run away with it. Gavin Clarke has 11 points as the Zips now lead 52-39.
11:59: It's now 45-37 Akron, as Kent State star Sincere Carry is a dismal 2 of 9 from the field.
14:57: Akron answers back with 3s by Garvin Clarke and Xavier Castaneda. The Zips' lead is back up to 40-33.
17:32: Malique Jacobs is back on the floor, and Kent State responds with an 8-0 run. VonCameron Davis and Sincere Carry both hit 3s to cut the Akron lead to 34-33.
1ST HALF
0:00: Greg Tribble's next 3-point attempt misses and a desperation heave by Sincere Carry sails wide. We head into halftime with Akron up nine.
0:28: A 3 by Greg Tribble makes it 34-25 Zips. John Groce calls a timeout to draw up another play.
2:21: Giovanni Santiago gets trapped in a corner, but Rob Senderoff manages to call timeout. It's still a 31-25 game.
3:17: Akron extends its lead to nine before Justyn Hamilton stops the bleeding with a 3. Zips are still on top, though, 31-25.
5:48: Sincere Carry is struggling, and Xavier Castaneda turns his seventh turnover of the night into a breakaway layup. Akron now leads 25-20.
7:30: Akron regains an 18-16 lead in what has become a defensive struggle. Neither team is shooting above 40% from the field.
11:36: Lots of hard play as Sincere Carry turns it over with an offensive foul. Kent State leads 13-9, but Ali Ali leads all scorers with seven (two 3s).
15:55: Things are already getting chippy, as both teams fight over a held ball that ends in possession for Kent State. As for the game, KSU has a 10-3 lead following 3s by VonCameron Davis and Sincere Carry.
PREGAME
7:30 p.m.: Both teams have taken the floor, with a loud chorus of boos coming from the Akron side, in light of today's developments.