AKRON, Ohio (Interstat) — Akron used a decisive first-half run and superior shooting to defeat rival Kent State 69-52 in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The Zips built a 38-29 halftime lead and maintained control throughout, fueled by a 11-for-34 performance from 3-point range. The Golden Flashes struggled offensively, shooting just 28.4% from the floor and a dismal 1 of 23 from beyond the arc. Tavari Johnson led Akron with 16 points. Delrecco Gillespie scored a game-high 17 points for Kent State. Attendance was 4,847. Akron improved to 16-4, while Kent State fell to 16-6.