AKRON, Ohio – The Ball State men's basketball team was within striking distance with five minutes to play at Akron but the host Zips pulled out an 81-73 win on Tuesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Cardinals (10-12, 4-6 Mid-American Conference) trailed 68-66 at the 5:45 mark of the second half following a layup from , but Akron (17-5, 10-0 MAC) scored eight straight points to open up a 10-point edge and would lead by at least eight the rest of the way.
Neither team led by more than four points through the game's first 28 minutes, as the Zips took a 38-36 lead into the halftime break.