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I know this will not be a popular comment, but I thought both teams respected each other and played a physical but very clean game. I did not see any taunting and I remember on one play Tribble was knocked down and the Kent player offered his hand to get him up. I hope this sportsmanship continues when we play them in Kent.

I don't understand why Akron fans don't get it. Keep seeing comments on how awesome the atmosphere was and what a great game it was to be at. But it could be like that every game. It was like that for soccer ten years ago. Didn't matter if we were playing a Big Ten team or Bowling Green, the place was packed. You can show up for more games, not just the one's against a cross town rival. This team deserves better crowds on a consistent basis.

Student section update: 100% full lets us in 15 minutes early so we didn’t freeze. Gonna be packed house

I really think this may be the best job Groce has done since arriving here. Bandaogo and Ali bail, Dawson goes down, Clarke out for a substantial period, 4 freshmen getting regular minutes... He's earned every cent of his pay this season.

Don't know why they just didn't have Reghi call the game. The guy's been around long enough to handle this game right.

From the Portage County trailer park board...

They're taking notice of what Groce is building yet again...

What. A. Game. I FORGOT about how big Garvin Clarke is to this team. These guys are something else. They also DESERVE CROWDS LIKE THAT! IF YOU HAVE TICKETS OR A CHANCE TO GET THEM, LETS MAKE THAT HAPPEN ON TUESDAY FOR ANOTHER HUGE GAME!

Nothing quite says "You're a valuable game to us here at ESPN" like having your play-by-play and analyst working from their bedroom offices instead of actually being at the game and experiencing things. How in the world could they comment in the student section, the atmosphere, or even some of the plays and calls by watching on a monitor, while the kiddies are playing romper room in the next room? What a joke. This is the second Zips game that had "remote" announcers. Give me Michael Reghi and Jeff Phelps back.....

😂 We wish. I think if you combine all the crowds from the previous home games together it might equal the crowd from last night.

Great win. Feels like we were pretty cold in the 2nd half and all of Kent States fouls kind of gave it to us, but I’ll take it! Tonight’s unsung here - Garvin Clarke. Though not a lot of scoring, made a lot of good hustle plays.

Pinky VERY pink right now.

Not a knock on Tavari's potential, but I think I trust Clarke more than him in these big games.

Can’t State still sucks!!

A Kent / Akron hoops game never fails to make me feel like I'm 19 again. So geeked up ! ( and just a little drunk)

One decision that changed the course of history: Kicking Trimble to the curb. Zips have lost one MAC game since he was fired.

Someone on the reddit post game thread said the same thing. I actually think he deserves a 10 year extension if not longer.

I was thinking about this post watching the game. I think everyone there that went to UA feels a little AK Rowdie coming out during this one. Good times, and hopefully it happens more often

Pretty sure that Mr. Pinky reached an entire new hue tonight.

Very proud of the team and our fans tonight. The game looked fabulous on TV. How can you watch a game like this and not want to play for UA? I hope we had some recruits there tonight. Can't get too high though. We have to play Toledo, Balls and PCCC again. But Good Lord does it feel great to be Zip tonight. Congrats to the team and all fans who attended. You were great!

The first to 60 rule in effect again tonight. Great win, great teamism!

Great night to be a Zips fan!

Castenada sealing his MAC POTY tonight.

"just because a team has more blocks, steals and better stats doesn't mean they have the better defense" What the heck is she talking about?

Clarkes defense so far has been HUGE

Let’s get a “DUI” chant going if Sullinger goes to the FT line. Make me feel like is 2009!

People don't talk about this enough

This may have been pointed out earlier in the thread and I missed it, but the Cant fans seem less and less confident in their squad the longer Groce is on the Akron bench (I suspect it could also be realizing they have the inferior coach). There was not the usual cockiness as they came into the JAR this time. They were less vocal and smaller in numbers than some past games. They bailed on their team quickly. I loved seeing all the Zips students in white waving goodbye as the Cant kids in their black shirts filed out like a long line of ants.

Add in missing X for a stretch and adding new pieces as he keeps working on the rotations. COY hands down.

That would be great, but we'll be back to the same type of crowd we had last week with Miami. At least a third of the lower bowl will still be empty. This year is the best showing from the students that we have seen in a very long time. I think Groce and the players engaging with those kids it is really paying off.

What was it that made this game so great? Was it the rivalry? Was it the play of the Zips? Was it the hype? Was it the crowd? You could not go wrong citing any of those factors. The thing that sticks out to me is the response and energy of the students. Most season ticket holders and GA ticket buyers don't bring fanaticism. The students do and when you see that you want to return to see it again and again. They were there for the CSU game in the 80's (biggest UA attendance ever; the cap't was right, they were in the aisles, I was a season ticket holder in the lower bowl and I could not get out b/c of all the people sitting in the aisle). Same was true for soccer during the 2010 season. The students were everywhere and the games turned into events that you had to be there to witness. I hope this brings students back to the JAR. If they come so will the public. I'll be there Tuesday. let's fill the JAR again.

Well that sucked.

Give me Akron's defense over Toledo's offense.

Reagan Bass has a 22 point first half as the Zips lead Western in K'Zoo 42-34 . Reagan made 7 of 11 FGs and 8/11 FTs in the first 20.

Agree. I saw that, too. Was good to see. And i think that's a popular comment. I didn't mind that Kent went without Santiago, have to admit, but feel really bad for Giovanni. He's been with that program a long time. He's like the Zips Tribble. A lifer.

I concur. They'll never find a better representative of Can't State to helm that program. Might as well lock him in.

As a fan, I'm not getting ahead of myself. Two weeks ago, Kent was a "final 4" team and then a loss in the Dekalb Triangle, a guard breaks his hand, and a deflating loss to the Zips. NOW the Zips are the target and the team that will "make noise." Sometimes I like them flying under the radar. A poor performance on Tuesday and Dennis and Shumate will be the golden men.

A very happy Saturday morning, Zips Nation! Re watched the first half before I fell asleep and just watched the 2nd half this morning. Lots of similarities in the rough stretches of the Buffalo and Kent game. Not working to get good shots, not focused on taking care of the ball, etc. Fortunately, the defense maintained its focus and the Zips could come out on top. Hank, Greg, X all with pretty poor decisions made in that stretch. But they weathered the storm again. Impressive. Freeman did most of his scoring damage at the foul line, but he was superb in helping run the offense. That was one of the great team wins of the Groce era. 1400 students came to that game. 1400! They oversold the arena. I was skeptical of the sell-out because there were plenty of reserved seats open, but that truly was a capacity crowd. Much bigger than the final crowd before COVID even. Zips Nation showed out. We got another big one Tuesday!

Will agree with that poster on one thing - it really did look like a big time college basketball atmosphere on national TV.

Their fans are proud of the team for not letting the very disrespectful fans of ours getting in their heads. Rowdies kept their cool, anyone got insight on that? More hurt feelings? Also called out the students going on the floor. I remember the loss at Kent in 2011, the fans carried the team off the floor, and Akron upset them in the title game a week later. The world's smallest violin is blaring for the poor Flushes!

Unpacking my thoughts: 1. Santiago out early with the hand injury changed the game. I've always liked him. He's been there a long time. A reminder of how fleeting success can be. 2. The ball just wasn't going in for Kent. I think some of those rim outs and clunkers killed their confidence early in the hostile environment. 3. Payton wasn't much of a factor. Geez, Zips must be pretty toughh. 4. Kent really stepped up their defense during that run they had. Maybe they were tired in the final few minutes. 5. Ugh...Zips have 5 more weeks...and two Toledo games. Regular season champs means nothing nor does second place in the MAC West (as our Ball State friends would tell us) 6. Oh...and Tribble...still the coach's favorite.

Freeman has an outside shot. Who knew?! More please.

This was after they said Kent has the #1 defense in the MAC. Then they said oh...wait... statistically Akron has the #1 defense.

They should check the replay. I'm sure somebody punched Santiago in the gut. 😂🤣

Ridiculous. 😠

Some might say that's too personal and crosses a line. Doesn't create a "positive environment." Others might say don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Put me in the latter group.

The modern day David Harvey.

Is there anyone that can say something nice about Icoach? What a jerk. I had the opportunity to talk to Jawon's dad at his first 2 spring games. They are great people. Jawon was really good and could of been better if he could of just gone more north and south. Too many times if there was someone barring down he would try to kick it outside. In high school, you can out run guys to the sidelines but in D1 everyone is fast to an extent. Jawon is still our last 1,000 yrd rusher in 2013. ....