Freeman scores 24 as Akron holds off Ohio 65-62 in Mid-American Conference semifinal
CLEVELAND -- — Enrique Freeman had 24 points in Akron's 65-62 win over Ohio on Friday night in the semifinal round of the Mid-American Conference tournament.
The second-seeded Zips advance to face eighth-seeded Kent State, which upset top-seeded Toledo and fifth-seeded Bowling Green to reach the championship game.
Freeman also contributed 21 rebounds and seven blocks for the Zips (23-10). Ali Ali added 16 points while shooting 4 for 13 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line while he also had eight rebounds. Sammy Hunter had 14 points and shot 5 for 9, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc.
Jaylin Hunter finished with 17 points for the Bobcats (20-13). Miles Brown added 16 points and two steals for Ohio. Shereef Mitchell also had 14 points and four assists. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Bobcats.
Freeman scored six points in the first half and Akron went into the break trailing 26-16. Freeman scored 18 points down the stretch in the second half to help lead Akron to a three-point victory.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Todd Von Sossan
- John Floyd
- Tony Meeks
2023-24 Mid-American Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Toledo | 14-4 | - | 20-12 |
Akron | 13-5 | 1 | 24-11 |
Ohio | 13-5 | 1 | 20-13 |
Central Michigan | 12-6 | 2 | 18-14 |
Bowling Green | 10-8 | 4 | 20-14 |
Miami (OH) | 9-9 | 5 | 15-17 |
Western Michigan | 9-9 | 5 | 12-20 |
Kent State | 8-10 | 6 | 17-17 |
Ball State | 7-11 | 7 | 15-16 |
Eastern Michigan | 6-12 | 8 | 13-18 |
Northern Illinois | 5-13 | 9 | 11-20 |
Buffalo | 2-16 | 12 | 4-27 |