Akron Zips peel back another layer of toughness vs Kent State. Opinion

KENT — Akron forward Amani Lyles used his 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame to form an immovable fortress as Kent State forward Delrecco Gillespie attempted to back him down in the paint.

Lyles’ resistance caused Gillespie to travel as he lowered his left shoulder while trying to create separation for a shot.

The Kent State turnover occurred with 14:02 left in the second half and provided a perfect snapshot of how Akron’s defense neutralized KSU’s duo of formidable big men.

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Akron vs. Kent State men's basketball, Wagon Wheel rivalry photos

Akron Zips wing Zach Halligan (21), forward Amani Lyles (0) and forward Rich Brisco (2) celebrate after beating Kent State in an NCAA college basketball game at the M.A.C. Center, Feb. 27, 2026, in Kent, Ohio.

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Akron possesses the requisite offensive firepower to shoot the lights out and torch opponents in transition. Nothing about the bread and butter of the two-time defending Mid-American Conference Tournament champion is a secret by now.

However, a revelation came to light as Lyles and Akron wing Evan Mahaffey showed a different side of UA during its Wagon Wheel rivalry rematch at Kent State. The Zips can ramp up their toughness and bloody their noses when it’s required.

Kent State learned the hard way as Akron rolled to a 92-70 victory on Feb. 27 at a sold-out M.A.C. Center. UA extended its series winning streak to seven games and has not lost to KSU since March 10, 2023.

“I think this is one of the more complete games we’ve played, and I thought we were pretty tough from start to finish,” Akron coach John Groce said. “Execution was pretty good as well. That's why we played well. You match that with some toughness and some force, then you’ve got something.”

College basketball: Akron vs. Kent State score, recap, highlights and stats

Akron Zips basketball braces for Kent State big men and delivers defensive statement

An undisclosed injury kept Kent State starting center Rob Whaley Jr. from playing in Akron’s 69-52 win on Jan. 30 at Rhodes Arena. But Whaley was back for the sequel at KSU, and a focal point of Akron’s game plan called for combatting Whaley and Gillespie. Doing so adequately would be easier said than done, though. Gillespie entered the most recent clash averaging 18.7 points and 11.6 rebounds. Whaley had averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Mahaffey said he and Lyles had worked in practice on different strategies for battling Kent State’s post players. Those tactics translated well. Gillespie scored a season-low seven points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. Whaley scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and finished with three rebounds.

“We did a good job just matching their energy, hitting them first, just dominating the paint area,” Lyles said. “We take a lot of pride in that.”

Akron (24-5, 15-1) extended its winning streak to five games and snapped Kent State’s four-game winning streak in one fell swoop.

Gillespie dealt with a stinger at one point during the game, Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said, and Whaley sat out for roughly six minutes of the first half after turning his left ankle.

But there are no excuses for Kent State (21-8, 12-4) failing to match Akron’s physicality and intensity.

Senderoff gets it. He watched Akron manhandle his team.

“Anything about injury this, injury that, take that, throw that out,” Senderoff said. “That has zero to do with anything that happened on the court tonight.”

Akron Zips guards Shammah Scott and Tavari Johnson each score more than 20 points and are perfect from 3-point range

As a tandem, Lyles (five points, 1-of-7 shooting, eight rebounds) and Mahaffey (13 points, 5-of-13 shooting, four rebounds) only outscored Gillespie and Whaley 18-16 and outrebounded them 12-11.

Kent State's path to victory against Akron was in the paint, and KSU simply did not gain an advantage there. On the other hand, Lyles and Mahaffey were backed by Akron’s sharpshooting guards.

Shammah Scott scored a game-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field (5 of 5 on 3-pointers). Tavari Johnson scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor (4 of 4 on 3s) and tallied seven assists and six rebounds. Sharron Young scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field (4 of 6 on 3s). Eric Mahaffey, Evan’s younger brother, added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor (1 of 3 on 3s), plus six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Akron Zips assemble 15-0 run in first half and proceed to crush Kent State Golden Flashes in men's basketball Wagon Wheel rematch

Scott, Young and Eric Mahaffey all came off the bench. Akron’s reserves outscored their Kent State counterparts 52-20.

Starting guard Morgan Safford led Kent State with 15 points. KSU went ahead 8-5 with 15:34 left in the first half. Akron then produced a 15-0 run and never trailed again.

The Zips won the rebounding battle 38-27, with Lyles’ eight rebounds leading UA.

Akron Zips coverage: UA's Shammah Scott and Cavs guard Craig Porter Jr. have basketball bond

Here’s another relevant point about Lyles: Although he had an uncharacteristically poor offensive performance, he didn’t allow it to sap him of energy. He didn’t whine or hang his head. He remained engaged on the defensive end and active on the boards. He impacted the game.

Meanwhile, Evan Mahaffey demonstrated rare versatility. He’s a 6-6, 215-pound wing, yet he played as if he’s a power forward and thereby satisfied guard-dominant Akron’s game plan against Gillespie (6-8, 229 pounds) and Whaley (6-7, 290 pounds).

Evan Mahaffey proved he has enough length, athleticism and grit to hold his own.

“He's one of the few guys I've coached since I've been here literally that can guard one through five, depending on who the five is,” Groce said. “But tonight he was matched up on Gillespie and Whaley at times. Gillespie's a physical force. So is Whaley.”

Akron scrapped accordingly and provided a sneak peek of a rugged style it will need to summon again come tournament time.

Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at  nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter:  @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips basketball ramps up toughness in blowout win vs Kent State