Akron overcame . . .
Senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson led the Zips (4-1, 2-0 MAC) with a game-high 31 points and added six assists. Sophomore forward Enrique Freeman provided an energetic post presence, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
Senior guard Mike Nuga led Kent State in defeat with 19 points, while Pippen added 16 for the Flashes.
Even without the normal, raucous home crowd, the season's first installment of the rivalry series between the Zips and Flashes (3-2, 0-1 MAC) delivered the intensity, excitement and drama. Both sides took double-digit leads, only to have the other side battle back into the game. Still, in every big moment, it was the reining MAC Player of the Year who made the difference as Jackson sank big shot after big shot.
When he wasn't scoring, Jackson was still the fuse that ignited Akron's offense, assisting on a layup by Reece and a 3-pointer by Dawson early in the second half as part of a 10-0 run that tied the contest at 37-all, with the senior guard delivering the game-evening hoop on a driving layup that prompted a Kent State timeout.
Moments later, Jackson assisted on a layup by Freeman that gave Akron its first lead since the opening moments of the game, 42-41. Freeman also used his ups to rise above the crowd in arguably the game's decisive moment, snaring an offensive rebound, drawing a foul and making two free throws with 38 seconds remaining to stake his team to a 63-60 lead.
He followed that with a late defensive recovery to force a Kent State turnover on the ensuing possession, causing senior forward Danny Pippen to fumble the ball out of bounds with 31.5 seconds on the clock.