Another week of college basketball has been completed, meaning another week of MAC’s men’s basketball play has finished. With the season now a couple of games in, the MAC’s top teams are becoming more and more apparent.
For Bowling Green, the Falcons have lost two games in a row, but for the rest of the MAC, let’s see how they did.
Akron
Oh man are the Zips starting off the season red hot, currently sitting at the top of the MAC at 4-0 with their two victories this week coming against Heidelberg and Florida International.
The Zips dominated in their matchup against Heidelberg, scoring 114 points and winning by a total of 58 points. The Zips grabbed a team total of 49 rebounds in the contest.
Senior forward Enrique Freeman had one heck of a week, first grabbing a team-high 17 rebounds in the matchup against Heidelberg and scoring 10 points and then scoring 27 points with 14 rebounds against FIU, recording two double-doubles.
Next Up- USU on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Toledo
The Rockets are the second and only other team in the MAC to remain undefeated this season after their one-point 78-77 win against Wright State.
Wright State gave it their all, but the Rockets were able to escape with a victory and remain undefeated after a highly contested matchup.
Junior guard Dante Maddox Jr scored 20 points in the contest, going 4-8 from three, 50% and led the team with four assists as well. Fellow junior guard Ra’Heim Moss was second in scoring with 16 points with 7-13 shooting.
Next up- UNM on Nov 21 at 11:15 p.m.
Northern Illinois
After beginning the season with a loss against #5 Marquette, the Huskies have won four straight games, with their victories this week coming against Georgia State and Arkansas-Little Rock.
Against Georgia State, the Huskies took the lead in the final minutes of the second half, while in the second battle NIU exploded for 58 first-half points against Little Rock, leading the entire game.
For individual performances, the Huskies had two impressive top scorers in both games. First, junior guard Zarique Nutter dropped 22 points on 9/12 shooting against Georgia St. Against Little Rock, sophomore forward Xavier Amos scored 21 points.
Next up- DePaul on Nov. 25 at 9:00 p.m.
Ball State
This past week, the Cardinals went 1-1. After a victory against Oakland City, Ball State suffered its first loss of the year against Evansville.
Despite a three-point deficit at the end of the first half, the loss against Evansville was a 24-point loss for the Cardinals. Evansville scored 44 points in the second half. Ball State shot 31.4% from the field and turned over the ball 18 times.
In their victory against Oakland City, junior guard Jalin Anderson scored 20 points on 8/12 shooting with three assists in 24 minutes on the court.
Next up- SC Upstate on Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Ohio
The Bobcats had just one lone game this past week, defeating Detroit Mercy 71-52.
Ohio was highly efficient in their victory against the Titans, scoring 32 points in the first half and 39 points in the second half. The Bobcats defense held the Titans to 4-23 from the three-point line.
Senior guard Jaylin Hunter recorded a double-double in the win, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, also recording six assists.
Next up- G Washington on Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Kent State
The reigning and defending MAC champions went 1-1 this past week in their contests, defeating Hampton by 38 points but falling to Missouri St. by just four points.
In their win over Hampton, the Golden Flashes, as a team, shot 52.8% from the field and 46.2% from the three-point line. Kent State grabbed 40 rebounds, a nearly 14-rebound deficit compared to their opponents.
Senior forward Chris Payton Jr scored 20 points on 7/9 shooting in the matchup against Hampton. Payton Jr also recorded eight rebounds.
Next up- Fordham on Nov 20 at 5:45 p.m.
Eastern Michigan
After starting the season 1-1, the Eastern Michigan Eagles finished the next two contests 1-1, keeping them 2-2. After a 43-point loss against #10 Florida Atlantic, the Eagles rebounded with a seven-point victory against Cleveland State.
Finishing the first half, Cleveland State led the contest 32-29. The Eagles managed to score 40 points in the second half of play to come away with the victory, with the team shooting 47.2% from the field.
Junior guard Tyson Acuff was extraordinary in the victory against Cleveland State. Acuff, scoring 31 points on 11/17 shooting and recording six rebounds.
Next up- Detroit Mercy on Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Miami OH
What a rebound of a week for the RedHawks; after starting the season 0-2, Miami OH has won their past two games against Coppin State and Eastern Illinois.
In both contests, the RedHawks scored 40 points in the first half against Coppin St and 44 points in the first half against EIU. The victory against Coppin St was a 28-point victory for Miami OH and the RedHawks shot 52.9% from the field.
Freshman guard Evan Ipsaro scored 18 points in the victory against EIU; more impressively, Ipsaro went 11/11 from the free-throw line.
Next up- SBU on Nov. 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Buffalo
Buffalo picked up their first victory of the season and the first victory of Buffalo Head Coach George Halcovage in his tenure as coach.
The Bulls defeated Rob. Wesleyan by six points in an 89-83 victory. The Bulls scored 51 points in the first half and shot 61.4% from the field through both halves of play. The Bulls also shot 44.4% from the three-point line but turned the ball over 28 times.
Senior Sy Chatman scored 19 points on 7/10 shooting in the victory. Senior Jonnivius Smith grabbed 16 rebounds additionally.
Next up- Hofstra on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Central Michigan
After their loss to FIU, Central Michigan started the season 0-3. The Chippewas finally picked up their first victory of the season against USF.
CMU managed to defeat USF for their first victory of their 23-24 campaign. CMU shot 49.1% from the field and shot 53.3% from the three-point line. The Chippewas also turned over the ball 17 times.
Junior guard Anthony Pritchard led the Chippewas in points with 22 on 9/13 shooting, six rebounds and five assists.
Next up- Siena on Nov. 20 at 11:30 a.m.
Western Michigan
The Broncos are currently ranked at the bottom of the MAC standings and are the only team yet to capture a win.
Northwestern and Ohio State defeated Western Michigan in the last two games. The Broncos almost captured a victory against Northwestern but were defeated by just four points. Against Ohio State, it was a double-digit loss, with Ohio State winning by 17 points.
In the loss against Northwestern, Sophomore guard Seth Hubbard scored 17 points, though it did come off 7/21 shooting.
Next up- SE Louisiana on Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
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