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Tavari Johnson, Bowen Hardman guide Akron to basketball win over Kent
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- Tavari Johnson, Bowen Hardman guide Akron to basketball win over Kent
A rivalry game between the University of Akron and Kent State University men's basketball teams generally features memorable sights and sounds.
The game on Friday, Jan. 30, included basketball and a few other unexpected details.
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There was a scrum a few seconds after tipoff when players dove on the court for the initial possession of the game and got tangled up to the point that both head coaches rushed out to deescalate the situation.
About five minutes before halftime, a Kent State player got sick on the court and the game was delayed while Akron employees used mops to clean things up.
And then there was the 3-point shooting by Bowen Hardman and Tavari Johnson that helped propel Akron to a 69-52 win over Kent State before a crowd of around 5,000 at Rhodes Arena.
Akron coach John Groce took to a microphone after the game and yelled to the crowd, "Thanks everyone for coming. It was electric in here. Go Zips."
Akron Zips forward Chabi Barre (8) celebrates with the Ak-Rowdies after beating Kent State in an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
Groce then met with media members and reflected on Akron's sixth win in a row over Kent State.
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"I thought that was a rock fight," Groce said. "I kept thinking the last 24 hours, this thing is going to look maybe more after watching it like a football game than a basketball game. We talked about that a little bit, and I didn't know that it was also going to be WWE to start the game.
"I have never seen anything like that, but when you play in this rivalry and coach in this rivalry, the emotion, the physicality, the energy and the effort level of both teams is off the charts. I thought that was again the case today.
"It was two teams that came in offensively, nationally and Mid-American Conference ranked, and average 90-ish points a game, and the game was in the 60s and 50s. That is what I mean by rock fight. I don't think either team shot it very well."
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) drives past Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jahari Williamson (25) on Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron.
Johnson and Hardman were two players who did shoot well, with each senior making 5 of 9 shots from the field to lead the Zips (18-4, 9-1) past the Golden Flashes (16-6, 7-3).
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Johnson made 3 of 5 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and all three of his free throws en route to 16 points, a career-high nine rebounds and four assists in almost 38 minutes.
"We have got a lot of talented guys and we have got a lot of scorers," Johnson said. "Me and Bo were the only ones in double digits. The next game, it might be Amani [Lyles] and Evan [Mahaffey]. Amani and Shammah [Scott] or Zach [Halligan]. A lot of guys have scored in double digits."
Johnson, a 6-foot guard, joked he "was a force to be reckoned with" and "moving people under the boards."
"There were no ill intentions between each team [at the start]," Johnson said. "They got tangled up. Kent or Akron didn't want to let go of the ball. That is how it is when you are competing."
Akron Zips guard Bowen Hardman (15) shoots a three against Kent State Golden Flashes forward Rayvon Griffith (0) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
All of Hardman's field goal attempts were 3s, and he finished with 15 points in 20 minutes.
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"We definitely battled," said Hardman, a 6-3 guard. "We take this game very serious here at Akron. Our biggest process this week was we are going to have to play hard and we are going to have to hit on rebounds. Individually, shots were great. Guys got to finding me."
Akron redshirt freshman Eric Mahaffey contributed nine points and five rebounds. His brother, senior Evan Mahaffey, also scored nine points and senior Shammah Scott had nine points, three rebounds and three assists.
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) attempts a layup against Kent State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
"It wasn't a high scoring game, so staying poised and composed was important," said Akron senior Amani Lyles, who had eight points, five rebounds and three assists.
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Akron finished 25 of 60 from the field, including 11 of 34 from beyond the 3-point arc, and 8 of 12 on free throws.
Kent State made 19 of 67 shots from the field, including 1 of 23 from beyond the 3-point arc, and 13 of 21 free throws. The Flashes were 0 of 13 on 3s in the second half.
Hardman said he was pleased with how he and his teammates "guarded on the perimeter."
Akron Zips forward Amani Lyles (0) attempts a layup under Kent State Golden Flashes forward Delrecco Gillespie (23) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
"For about 20 minutes, we were competitive," Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said. "They were competitive for 40 [minutes]. ... They are a good defensive team and we didn't shoot the ball well. Give them credit. They did a good job making some of those shots difficult."
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KSU's bright spots were Delrecco Gillespie (17 points), Morgan Safford (10 points) and Rayvon Griffith (six points, career-high 17 rebounds).
KSU had a 52-39 edge in rebounds and Akron had a 17-6 advantage in assists.
Akron Zips forward Chabi Barre (8) dunks ahead of Kent State Golden Flashes forward Delrecco Gillespie (23) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
"They were terrific on the glass," Groce said. "I thought our defense was good, but some of it was they missed shots. We missed shots. I never thought we got to the pace we wanted to play at offensively, but a few possessions in the second half. It was just a rock fight. An ugly game.
"I told our guys, if you want to be a good basketball team, you've got to find ways to win different types of games. Some rock fights and some that look like you're on a racetrack. I thought we relied heavily on our defense and heavily on our seniors. I thought their leadership was really good.
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"Hardman, obviously, made a big impact on the game. ... He was dialed in. We kept running stuff for him and the guys did a good job finding him. He made big shots."
Akron never trailed. Hardman's final 3-pointer gave Akron a 50-33 lead with 12:23 remaining in the second half. Johnson's final 3-pointer gave the Zips their largest lead, 64-41, with 4:58 to go.
"They are a good team with length," Senderoff said of UA. "... They have got some really tough, competitive guys."
Akron Zips head coach John Groce watches his guys during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
Akron owns longest home win streak in NCAA Division I men's basketball
Akron also extended its home win streak to a nation-best 28 games.
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"We take a lot of pride in that, especially beating our rival in the crib," Lyles said. "Having the fans here, it was a packed gym, it was very loud, we appreciate the fans for coming out."
The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, had its 27-game home win streak snapped on Jan. 29 with an 81-80 loss to North Dakota.
"You gotta give our fans, the AK-Rowdies, the students, the community and the university people that were all out credit," Groce said. "A lot of the other sports teams on our campus, their teams were in here supporting the guys tonight. They had something to do with tonight's point spread. We have had some other good crowds as well. Tonight, was exceptional. That is a part of it. And a part of it is we have had good teams. We have had really good players."
Kent State Golden Flashes forward Rayvon Griffith (0) topples on top of Akron Zips forward Chabi Barre (8) as he fights to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the JAR, Jan. 30, 2026, in Akron, Ohio.
Halil 'Chabi' Barre returns for Akron men's basketball
Halil "Chabi" Barre returned to game action for Akron after missing the past 10 games with a broken hand.
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Barre, a 6-10 junior, totaled three points, three rebounds, a block and an assist in 11 minutes.
"Chabi had not played basketball in a game in six weeks," Groce said. "He had practiced two days with contact. I wasn't sure whether or not we were going to put him in the game or not tonight. He looked good enough in practice yesterday [Thursday] that it made me think about it. Then, obviously, they ended up getting us pretty good on the glass. I thought we needed some size and we rolled the dice. I thought his minutes were invaluable."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tavari Johnson, Bowen Hardman lead Akron basketball past Kent State
