Tuesday, February 4
Akron, Ohio
7 PM
Ball State University
10-12,4-6MAC
73
at
81
Akron
17-5,10-0MAC
1
2
F
Ball St.
36
37
73
Akron
38
43
81
Photo by: Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Falls in Back-and-Forth Contest at Akron
February 04, 2025 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – The Ball State men's basketball team was within striking distance with five minutes to play at Akron but the host Zips pulled out an 81-73 win on Tuesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Cardinals (10-12, 4-6 Mid-American Conference) trailed 68-66 at the 5:45 mark of the second half following a layup from Joey Hart, but Akron (17-5, 10-0 MAC) scored eight straight points to open up a 10-point edge and would lead by at least eight the rest of the way.
Neither team led by more than four points through the game's first 28 minutes, as the Zips took a 38-36 lead into the halftime break. Ball State had eight different scorers in the opening period, as Jermahri Hill led the Cardinals in scoring with seven.
Hill tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the game, while Payton Sparks (15 points, three rebounds) and Mickey Pearson Jr. (12 points, four rebounds) joined him in double figures scoring for the visitors. Hart and Ethan Brittain-Watts added seven points each, while Jeremiah Hernandez put in six points and Mason Jones five points and four rebounds.
Sharron Young led the Akron offense with 18 points and five assists while the Zips held a 31-28 edge in rebounding and committed two fewer turnovers (10-8).
Ball State shot 54.9 percent (28-51) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) on 3-pointers and 60 percent (12-20) on free throws. Akron hit 53.8 percent (35-65) of its field goal attempts including 25 percent (7-28) from distance to remain unbeaten in conference play.
The Cardinals take a break from MAC opponents when they host Southern Miss at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the MAC-SBC Challenge.
The Cardinals (10-12, 4-6 Mid-American Conference) trailed 68-66 at the 5:45 mark of the second half following a layup from Joey Hart, but Akron (17-5, 10-0 MAC) scored eight straight points to open up a 10-point edge and would lead by at least eight the rest of the way.
Neither team led by more than four points through the game's first 28 minutes, as the Zips took a 38-36 lead into the halftime break. Ball State had eight different scorers in the opening period, as Jermahri Hill led the Cardinals in scoring with seven.
Hill tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the game, while Payton Sparks (15 points, three rebounds) and Mickey Pearson Jr. (12 points, four rebounds) joined him in double figures scoring for the visitors. Hart and Ethan Brittain-Watts added seven points each, while Jeremiah Hernandez put in six points and Mason Jones five points and four rebounds.
Sharron Young led the Akron offense with 18 points and five assists while the Zips held a 31-28 edge in rebounding and committed two fewer turnovers (10-8).
Ball State shot 54.9 percent (28-51) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) on 3-pointers and 60 percent (12-20) on free throws. Akron hit 53.8 percent (35-65) of its field goal attempts including 25 percent (7-28) from distance to remain unbeaten in conference play.
The Cardinals take a break from MAC opponents when they host Southern Miss at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the MAC-SBC Challenge.
Team Stats
BSU
UA
FG%
.549
.538
3FG%
.294
.250
FT%
.600
.500
RB
28
31
TO
10
8
STL
3
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballC
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