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Kent State basketball: 5 things to know about Wagon Wheel games with Akron Zips
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- Kent State basketball: 5 things to know about Wagon Wheel games with Akron Zips
KENT — The Wagon Wheel rivalry between Akron and Kent State is being reignited for the first time this season, but the stakes could not be more different for the Golden Flashes basketball teams.
When the women's team takes on the Zips at 1 p.m. Saturday at the M.A.C. Center, the Flashes will be looking to continue a trend of dominance. KSU has won the last four games between the two teams and 10 of the last 12. Kent State has also won each of the last three games by nine or more points.
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It is the reverse on the men's side. Last season, Akron won all three games against the Flashes, including 62-61 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game for a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
The men's game will tip off at 7 p.m. Friday at the M.A.C. Center.
As one team looks to uphold recent history and one team seeks to buck the recent trend, here are five things to know before the upcoming weekend slate.
Kent State coach Rob Senderoff works the sideline during the second half in a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal March 15, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
There is "no extra motivation" for the Kent State men's basketball team against Akron
In the MAC title game last March, Kent State gifted Akron two late free throws, allowing the Zips to pull out a win in the waning seconds. The loss prevented Flashes coach Rob Senderoff from making his third NCAA Tournament appearance.
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This time around, Kent State (13-7, 4-4) is playing a MAC powerhouse, as Akron is 15-5 overall record and a perfect 8-0 against MAC opponents. But Senderoff is not stressing the recent losses to Akron or the standings.
"There is no extra motivation for this game at all," he said. "Akron has a great team, and we are just trying to get better and play well at home against a good opponent and continue to improve as we get closer to March."
The Kent State men's basketball team has improved its defense at home since the start of MAC play
Kent State has become a defensive-minded team in every sense of the word this season.
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KSU allows the fewest points per game (64.2), which is nearly six points less than the second-best team in the conference and ranks 20th in the nation. The Flashes also hold opponents to the lowest field goal percentage and 3-point percentage in the MAC, and are second in the conference in total rebounds per game.
On the defensive side of the floor, the team has been extremely successful this season — even though it didn't look that way at the start of the MAC schedule. In Kent State's first three MAC home games, it allowed nearly 80 points per game — a staggering 16 more than its season average — including a 94-point barrage by Western Michigan on Jan. 14.
Kent State lost each of the first three MAC home games of the season, and opponents shot at least 48.9% in those games. Overall, KSU has held opponents to 41% shooting this season.
KSU started to find itself defensively, though, in the most recent home game against Bowling Green .
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In Tuesday's game, BGSU was held under 33% shooting and scored just 57 points, the fewest allowed by the Flashes since a 68-49 win over Buffalo on Jan. 10.
"In order for us to be successful, we need to defend and rebound at an elite level," Senderoff said. "We did that against BG, and it showed in the results. If we can keep that up, we will continue to have success."
KSU will have a tall task ahead of it, as Akron is the MAC's top-scoring offense this season at 84 points per game.
Kent State Golden Flashes center Cli'Ron Hornbeak (42) and Akron Zips forward Enrique Freeman (25) eye a rebound on Feb. 23, 2024, in Akron. The Flashes recently took Hornbeak out of the starting lineup, and his production has improved coming off the bench.
Kent State men's basketball is playing with a tweaked lineup
To start the season, center Cli'ron Hornbeak was in Kent State's starting five, but in the last three games he has been playing off the bench. Forwards Anthony Morales and Delrecco Gillespie have been sharing his playing time.
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Guard Mike Bekelja has also been moved from the starting lineup to the bench.
Hornbeak has been one of the more solid players for KSU this season, averaging 8.6 points, a team-high 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He is also shooting 61.2% — the best on the team for a player with 50 or more attempts.
In the last three games, he has been playing more than 20 minutes per game and almost 30 on one occasion. He only played more than 20 minutes once in the month of January before he started coming off the bench.
In his spot, Morales has struggled. He is 0-for-7 shooting in the three games he has started, and he has only contributed five rebounds and two assists.
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"Anthony has started, and it has given him a bigger role within our team," Senderoff said. "He has a high IQ as a player, and it seems to have helped him, as well."
Gillespie is doing a little bit better, as he is shooting 5 for 7 for 13 points with 19 rebounds and one assist.
"We made the switch with Cli'ron and Delrecco along with Anthony because, after the Miami game, I thought we needed to shake some things up," Senderoff said. "Cli'ron has actually played more in the last three games than he had prior. Maybe it has helped him with his foul trouble, and Delrecco has excelled with more minutes, as well."
Kent State's Jenna Batsch shoots over Northern Illinois forward Brooke Blumenfeld during the first half of the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Cleveland.
Jenna Batsch comes into game with extreme momentum for the Kent State women's team
Guard Jenna Batsch has been fully embodying the first option role for the KSU women's team as of late.
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She has scored in double figures in every game this season except the first one, and she leads the team in scoring by more than four points per game. Her scoring average of 16.1 points is climbing, and Batsch has scored 15 or more points in six of the last 18 games.
Against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, she more than doubled that with a career-high 33 points — 10 points more than her previous season-high.
The points came on efficient shooting, as well, as she shot 61.9% from the floor and 50% on 3-pointers in the game. She also added three rebounds and two assists.
"I really just took the same shots I usually take, but they all were going in," Batsch said. "It feels good to see that early, and it gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the game."
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Akron will have its hands full trying to contain Batsch, who is the MAC's fourth-leading scorer while pacing the conference's most explosive offense (76.3 points per game).
Kent State coach Todd Starkey on the sidelines as the Golden Flashes battle Ball State in a MAC Tournament semifinal on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Cleveland.
Energy will play a big factor in the Kent State women's basketball team's home game against Akron
With a weekend home game against a rival on the agenda, Kent State will look to come out fast and play with high energy to start the game.
The Flashes (14-7, 7-2) have been doing that this season, and it is important for the team to carry that into the game against the Zips (9-12, 3-6).
In a 79-59 home win over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, KSU flew out to a 16-point halftime lead and coasted from there. In an 80-50 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 18, the lead was 15 going into the half.
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In the team's most recent loss (66-57 to Ball State on Jan. 15) before embarking on a four-game winning streak, Kent State trailed by two points at halftime.
The trend has been set, it seems — if the Flashes come out fast and play well in the first half, it sets the tone for the second half, which leads to Kent State victories.
KSU should have less of a problem than normal, as Akron has struggled this season as a team. The shorthanded Zips are three games below .500 and have the third-worst record in the conference. The Flashes are tied for second.
"It is a rivalry game; there is more to it than other games," Flashes coach Todd Starkey said. "You feel the rivalry, but we just have to focus on us — that's what we have control over. I am excited for another opportunity to play at home in front of our fans."
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John Hilber is an Akron Beacon Journal correspondent. You can contact him at jhilber@kent.edu .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Here are 5 things to know before Wagon Wheel rivalry weekend tips off
