There are just four games remaining in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s basketball regular season, and we’re beginning to see teams officially clinch their spot in next month’s MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
Here’s how each team’s week played out:
Akron (11-6, 13-1 MAC)
What felt inevitable yet improbable finally happened: the Akron Zips lost a basketball game.
On Saturday, in Ohio’s Convocation Center, the Bobcats convincingly handed Akron their first conference loss, snapping a nation-best 14-game win streak, 84-67.
While the loss stings, it has no effect on tournament seeding – Akron still has a two-and-a-half game lead over second-place Miami.
Miami (OH) (20-7, 11-3 MAC)
The RedHawks split their games this week, dropping a road game against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday.
On Friday, they survived an overtime thriller against Kent State to clinch their spot in the MAC tourney.
Eian Elmer saved the day for Miami, swatting Cian Medley with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation to force the extra period, then sunk a clutch three with 20 seconds left in the OT period to give Miami a 94-92 lead.
Miami has yet to miss the tournament since the field switched from 12 to eight teams beginning in 2021.
Toledo (16-11, 9-5 MAC)
Toledo was faced with a pair of close decisions this week – they were able to sneak out a home victory over Ball State, 67-66.
In the second installment of the Battle of I-75 on Friday, Toledo fell to Bowling Green at Savage Arena, 69-68.
Toledo trailed most of the game but crawled all the way back, leading with just seconds to go until BG’s Javontae Campbell hit a last-second shot to give the Falcons the win.
Unlike the two teams above them, Toledo has yet to secure their spot in Cleveland but currently sits as the third seed.
Ohio (15-12, 9-5 MAC)
With their win over Akron, the Bobcats clinched their spot in the MAC tournament. OU currently sits as the fourth seed, .5 games back from Toledo and the third seed in the tournament.
The Bobcats are 4-1 in the MAC since the return of AJ Clayton, who had 18 points and eight rebounds against the Zips on Saturday.
Ohio is the most recent team to punch their ticket to Rocket Arena (formerly Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse) in March.
Kent State (18-9, 8-6 MAC)
The Golden Flashes are also on a 4-1 stretch in conference play, beating Bowling Green 91-84 on the road on Tuesday behind 32 points from Jalen Sullinger and falling to Miami at Millett Hall on Friday night.
Sullinger is averaging 20 points per game over the five-game stretch and 26 points per game over his last two.
Ball State (14-13, 7-7 MAC)
If the regular season ended today, Ball State would sit as the sixth seed in the tournament, a game ahead of Western Michigan (#8) and with the tiebreaker over Eastern Michigan (#7).
The Cardinals split their games this week, losing to Toledo on the road by just a point on Tuesday. They responded well, blowing out Buffalo at home on Saturday.
Payton Sparks paced Ball State in points in both contests, scoring 16 against Toledo and 18 against Buffalo.
While the Cards have some cushion, they can’t get too comfortable. Their final four opponents include Akron, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, and Miami.
Eastern Michigan (14-13, 7-7 MAC)
Eastern picked up two huge victories this week, upsetting Miami at home on Tuesday before coming back to beat NIU on the road on Saturday.
The Eagles’ two games this week were sponsored by Jalen Terry, who averaged 26 points this week. He had 28 against the Huskies on Saturday, including the game-winning triple from half-court as time expired.
Terry and his teammate, Da’Sean Nelson, are second and third in the MAC in scoring, chipping in 16.8 and 16.4 points per game, respectively.
Western Michigan (9-18, 6-8 MAC)
Western Michigan currently holds onto the final spot in the conference tournament with two weeks to go.
The Broncos blew out Buffalo on the road on Tuesday before suffering a home blowout of their own against the team directly below them in the standings, Central Michigan.
All Western needs to do is win out, and they’re on their way to Cleveland. Their schedule has its ups and downs in terms of opponents, featuring both Ohio and Kent State at home, who are well above them in the standings, and Bowling Green and NIU on the road, who sit below them.
Central Michigan (12-15, 5-9 MAC)
Central Michigan is the first team outside the tournament, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over Bowling Green, who sits behind them, as well as over Western Michigan, who are directly ahead of them.
The Chips swept the season series over Western, and just need a win + a Broncos loss to overtake them in the standings.
With an extremely favorable schedule (vs. Buffalo, at Eastern Michigan, at Ball State, vs. NIU), the Chippewas are in a prime position to sneak into the MAC tournament.
Bowling Green (11-16, 5-9 MAC)
The Falcons split their games this week, hanging 84 points on Kent State’s top defense yet still falling short at the Stroh on Tuesday.
On Saturday, they forced a series split in the Battle of I-75, thanks to last-second heroics from the aforementioned Campbell and Wilguens Jr. Exacte, who combined for two offensive rebounds in the final seconds, with Campbell finishing the job on a right-handed floater with nearly no time remaining.
The Falcons are still alive in the hunt for a tournament spot, a full game back from the eighth-seeded WMU Broncos.
Bowling Green’s four remaining games: @ Eastern Michigan (#7), vs Ball State (#6), @ Northern Illinois, vs Western Michigan (#8)
Buffalo (8-19, 3-11 MAC)
Buffalo is still alive in the hunt for a trip to the MAC tourney yet in need of a miracle.
The Bulls have lost their last two games by a combined 47 points, including a 34-point shellacking at the hands of Western Michigan.
UB will need BG, CMU, and WMU all to lose out, plus they will have to win out with a remaining schedule featuring each of the top three teams in the conference (Akron, Miami, Toledo), plus Central Michigan.
Northern Illinois (5-22, 1-13 MAC)
NIU has officially been eliminated from MAC tournament contention with a 10-point loss to Akron and their last-second loss to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively.
The Huskies once again have the longest losing streak in the conference, losers of eight straight.
In consolation, Quentin Jones is now at the top of the MAC in scoring, contributing 17.1 points per night.
NIU has not made the tournament two years running now, last losing in the first round in 2023 to eventual champion Kent State.
