The hot streak has come to a halt for the Falcons.

The Bowling Green men’s basketball team (8-8, 2-1 MAC) fell to the Akron Zips (10-6, 2-1 MAC) 74-70 at the Stroh Center on Tuesday.

The Falcons’ first MAC loss this season, the match broke a four-game win streak.

Senior Leon Ayers III’s 19 points propelled the Falcon offense and sophomore Kaden Metheny chipped in 16 points.

Point guard Enrique Freeman lifted the Zips ’offense with 21 points, bolstered by hitting nine of 10 free throws.

The first half started with a bang as the Falcons went out in front early with an 8-0 run but the Zips bounced back and tied it up at halftime, 36-36.

The second half started with a tough back-and-forth battle, but BGSU had the edge for the first ten minutes. However, with two minutes to go, Akron took advantage of multiple late fouls with a 5-0 run.

Bowling Green pushed hard to come within one at 71-70, but the Zips sealed the deal with free throws to make it 74-70.

In the end, the game came down to rebounds and free throws, as Akron outrebounded the Falcons 35-30 and made 13 of 14 free throws.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Michael Huger acknowledged the growth and effort of the team from previous seasons.

“In the past, this would’ve been a 25-point win for Akron,” he said. “We were right there an gave ourselves a chance to win with a different mentality.”

Bowling Green’s conference record is now 2-1, ranking fourth in the MAC standings.

The Falcons look to get more MAC wins in their next matchup against the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday with tip-off at 1 p.m.

To learn more about the men’s basketball team, visit the athletics department website.