The Mid-American Conference is going full speed ahead through the season. As the weeks enter the holiday portion of the year, the MAC draws closer to an even more celebrated tradition, the legend that is MACtion. 

Let’s take a look at how the teams in the MAC did this past week.  

Ball State 

Ball State went 3-1 over the past two weeks. After a 20-point loss against Arkansas-Little Rock, the Cardinals won three games in a row, with victories against Bellarmine, Detroit Mercy and Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. 

The Cardinals defeated SIUE 83-71 in their last contest, holding the lead for the entire matchup against the Cougars. Five players scored double digits in the win.

Basheer Jihad scored 27 points on 7-13 shooting against the Cougars, leading the team in points. Ball State shot 52.4% from the three-point line, while shooting 45.5% overall from the field.  

Next up- Indiana St. on Dec. 16 at 12:45 p.m. 

Kent State 

Kent State is red hot with three straight victories against Shawnee State, South Dakota State and Cleveland State. With these wins, the Golden Flashes have jumped to second in the MAC standings. 

The Golden Flashes last defeated Cleveland State 83-77, scoring 46 points in the first half against the Vikings. 

Cli’Ron Hornbeak shot 7-7, scoring 15 points against the Vikings. The Golden Flashes shot 55.4% from the field and grabbed 45 rebounds. 

Next up- Oregon on Dec. 21 at 8:00 p.m. 

Akron 

After starting the season 4-0, the Zips then lost three straight games, but now are back to their winning ways after winning their last two contests, improving their record to 6-3.

The Zips won at the last possible second against Northern Kentucky. Enrique Freeman dunked with 3.6 seconds left on the clock, putting Akron ahead 77-76 for the victory.  

Freeman scored 21 points on 10/12 shooting. Additionally, Freeman finished with yet another double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds.  

Next up- Miami- Hamilton on Dec. 17 at 1:00 p.m. 

Eastern Michigan 

Eastern Michigan’s strong start to their season continues as their record now rests at 5-4. The Eagles went 1-1 in their past two games, defeating Lake Superior State 68-53 and losing to Oakland 77-63.  

Oakland’s 43 points in the second half carried them to victory against Eastern Michigan. The Eagles turned over the ball 14 times in the contest. 

Tyson Acuff scored 18 points for the Eagles, shooting 10/10 from the free-throw line. Eastern Michigan shot 43.1% from the field. 

Next up- Michigan on Dec. 16 at 1:30 p.m. 

Northern Illinois 

The Huskies began the season red-hot with a 5-1 record. Unfortunately for them, good things can’t last forever, as the Huskies are on a losing streak through their last three games. 

Northern Illinois lost 74-71 against Monmouth in their last game. The Huskies started strong, scoring 41 points in the first half and jumping to a 12-point lead. However Monmouth scored 45 points in the second half, along with Jakari Spence hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer as time expired to seal the Husky loss.  

Xavier Amos scored 21 points on 10/15 shooting for the Huskies. Northern Illinois shot 46% from the field. 

Next up- Calumet on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. 

Ohio 

The Bobcats’ three-game winning streak came to an end after two straight losses against Youngstown State and Marshall. 

Ohio outscored Marshall 38-37 in the first half of the matchup. In the second half, the Thundering Herd scored 37 points en route to their 74-69 victory. 

Jaylin Hunter scored 19 points on 7/19 shooting for the Bobcats, while also dishing out five assists against the Thundering Herd. 

Next up- Defiance on Dec. 18 at 6:00 p.m. 

Toledo 

Bowling Green’s I-75 rivals have begun a winning streak of their own, as after a four-game losing streak, Toledo won two games straight.  

The Rockets defeated Oakland 69-68 and Northern Iowa 84-80 in their last game. Toledo scored 48 points in the second half against Northern Iowa. 

Ra’Heim Moss scored 21 points on 5/10 shooting for the Rockets. Toledo shot 46.7% from the field and forced 13 UNI turnovers. 

Next up- Marshall on Dec. 13 at 6:00 p.m. 

Miami 

Miami is one of four teams in the MAC that have a record below .500. After a two-game winning streak, losses against Ohio State and Davidson have dropped their record to 4-5. 

The red and black lost by 18 points against Davidson, never holding the lead once through the entire game.  

Ryan Mabrey scored 15 points on 6/10 shooting for the RedHawks. Miami OH struggled shooting, registering just 37.3% from the field and 32.1% from the three-point line.  

Next up- Wright State on Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m. 

Central Michigan 

The Chippewas’ rough start to their 23-24 campaign continues their record now standing at 3-6. Central Michigan went 1-1 over their past two games, starting with a win against Valparaiso. 

Central Michigan lost to Creighton 109-64. The Chippewas were outplayed by the #10 Blue Jyas, allowing 56 points in the first half and 53 in the second. 

Derrick Butler scored 28 points on 13/21 shooting. The Chippewas had major shooting struggles, shooting 39.7% from the field and 10.5% from the three-point line. 

Next up- Davenport on Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m. 

Western Michigan 

Like so many other teams in the MAC, Western Michigan is yet another team currently on a losing streak. The Broncos have lost three straight, dropping their record to 2-7. 

In their last game, the Broncos went up against Youngstown State. The Penguins outscored Western Michigan 37-30 in the first half and despite the Broncos 38-point rally in the second half, held on to beat WMU 72-68.

JaVaughn Hannah scored 18 points on 6/10 shooting for the Broncos. WMU shot 41.7% from the field and 28% from the three-point line. 

Next up- University of Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 16 at 1:00 p.m. 

Buffalo 

Buffalo’s season struggles continue, as after a win against Northwestern, the Bulls have lost seven games in a row.  

The Bulls last game against Western Kentucky saw them lose by 17 points. The Bulls were outscored in both halves of play, with WKU scoring 44 points in the first half and 38 points in the second, the Bulls never held a lead. 

Sy Chatman recorded a double-double for the Bulls, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Bulls had major shooting struggles against WKU, shooting 36.6% from the field and 14.7% from the three-point line. 

Next up- Richmond on Dec. 21 at 6:00 p.m. 

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