Akron charged into Columbus ready to pull off the upset. They gave a depleted Buckeyes team all they could handle, but missed opportunities late was enough to shift momentum Ohio State's way.
Akron came into this contest energized despite a devastating end to their season. All season long the Zips looked like the best team in the Mid-American Conference. These Zips were less than 5 seconds away from being rewarded for their spectacular regular season, with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Buffalo and their late-game heroics had other plans for who should take the automatic-bid from the MAC.