>> Ohio 85, Kent State 63 -- Click Read More for details
>> Buffalo 74, Miami 63 -- Click Read More for details
>> Akron 74, Bowling Green 67 -- Click Read More for details
CLEVELAND, OH -- Marreon Jackson scored 29 points to lead No. 1- seed Toledo over upset-minded Ball State Thursday in Mid-American Conference quarterfinal action at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Jarron Coleman tallied a game-high 33 points for No. 8 seed Ball State, which overcame a 45-38 halftime deficit to force overtime with the teams deadlocked at 79-all. BSU built up an 84-79 advantage with 3:29 left in overtime. Toledo, however, rallied with a 12-2 run, grabbing its own five-point lead after a Ryan Rollins jumper at 0:58. Ball State pulled within two, but was unable to catch UT.
CLEVELAND, OH -- Despite not playing since Feb. 27, Ohio had the hot shooting hand Thursday as the Bobcats shot 58.8 percent from the field on the way to a 85-63 win over Kent State at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
The Flashes connected on just 38.5 percent overall, leaving KSU with 10 fewer field goals and two less 3-point goals. It was the third loss in four games for Kent State (15-8, 12-6 MAC). Ohio (14-7, 9-5 MAC) picked up its seventh victory in eight outings, but had seven games postponed or cancelled in February and early March. The 'Cats will now meet tourney No. 1 seed Toledo Friday (5 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network) in MAC semifinal action.
Jason Preston led Ohio's winning effort, hitting all eight shots from the field (including two trey attmpts) while scoring 19 points. Lunden McDay scored 18 points and Miles Brown added 11. Ben Vander Plas (10), Dwight Wilson II (10) and Ben Roderick (9) also contributed in a balanced Ohio scoring attack.
Kent State placed just two players in double figures. Trvell Beck and Malique Jacobs both registered 16 points.
NOTES:
>>> The Bobcats owned a 37-25 halftime advantage and led by 28 at one point before winning by 22.
>>> Ohio outrebounded the Flashes 33-24.
>>> Both team registered 16 made-free throws.
>>> The Bobcats were within one point of putting six players, including all five starters, in double figures.
>>> Preston's only missed shots on the day were free throws. He was two-of-three at the stripe.
CLEVELAND, OH -- Perennial MAC tourney power Buffalo kicked off its 2021 tournament drive with a 74-63 win over Miami Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
It was the sixth straight victory and ninth win in 10 games for UB, which plays the nightcap semifinal Friday. The contest will be carried on CBS Sports Network.
After drubbing MU twice (90-62 and 88-64) in regular season play, Buffalo (15-7, 12-5 MAC) had to fight off a RedHawks rally before pulling out to a final 11-point margin. The Bulls led 40-32 at intermission and were up 55-42 after two Jayvon Graves free throws at 10:34 of the final period.
Dalonte Brown's 3-point goal at 9:33 kicked off an 11-2 Miami run that ended with a Brown basket that left MU two short at 55-53. When Precious Ayeh converted an "and-one" score at 4:45, the Bulls held a 59-58 edge.
Buffalo, which dropped a first round game to Miami in last year's covid-aborted tournament, finally managed to stop the RedHawks and mounted its own rally. Ronaldo Segu's triple kicked off a 14-2 UB run that sealed Buffalo's victory.
Josh Mballa led Buffalo at both ends, scoring 23 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Williams tallied 20 points, hitting five-of-six trey attempts. As a team, UB hit 12-of-20 (60%) from outside the arc. Segu (16) and Jayvon Graves (13) also reached double figures for the victors.
Brown led the way for Miami, hitting 7-of-16 from the field and 3-of-9 outside the arc. Dae Dae Grant was the only other RedHawk in double figures, sinking 5-of-18 while scoring 12 points.
The RedHawks shot 39.7 percent overall and made 6-of-19 long distance tries. They got to the line just seven times, sinking all seven.
Buffalo shot 24 charity tosses, hitting 16. The Bulls made 23-of-52 (44.2%) from the field, and while they launched just one more trey attempt, they were good on 12 (of 20)
Bowling Green (14-11, 10-8 MAC) and Akron (15-7, 12-6 MAC) split their season series, with BG knocking off the Zips 83-71 on Feb. 26. This time, Akron jumped out to an early 8-0 lead.
The Falcons trailed by four at 16-12 with 9:52 remaining before intermission, but UA ran off 13 of the next 18 points. Jackson's two free throws at 3:05 put Akron in front 29-17.
After trailing 34-26 at the break, Bowling Green chipped away and tied the game at 57-all with 6:28 to go. Daeqwon Plowden then put BG in front with a layup.
With the contest knotted at 61-all, Jackson hit a jumper to put UA in front for good. It was the opening salvo in a 10-2 Zips run that stamped Akron's ticket to the next round.
Although Bowling Green had two more field goals (27-of-68, 39.7%), the Falcons struggled mightily from beyond the arc. They connected on just 3-of-23 on triples. Akron, meanwhile, hit 7-of-21 trey attempts. The Zips also helped themselves at the line, knocking down 17-of-24 tries. Bowling Green was good on 10-of-14 tosses.
Both teams had two players in double figures. Joining Jackson for UA was Bryan Trimble Jr with 12. Plowdon tallied 26 for the Falcons, followed by Chandler Turner's 12 points.