TAMPA, Fla. — After becoming the first team to win three straight MAC Championships last weekend, the Akron Zips men's basketball team was looking to make team history once again in the NCAA Tournament, eyeing their first tournament win. Taking on Texas Tech in the Round of 64, the Zips were unable to accomplish that goal, falling to the Red Raiders 91-71.
Friday's game in Tampa, Florida, started slow offensively for the Zips. In the first five minutes of play, the Zips went 1-for-8 from the field, their first shot a three-pointer from senior Amani Lyles. Akron's early struggles came in the short game as the Zips took most of their shots in the form of layups, a task they were finding hard to finish.
A sluggish start for both the Zips and the Red Raiders picked up as Akron turned to its star sixth man, Shammah Scott. The Shaker Heights native pushed Akron into Friday's matchup with his game-winning three against Toledo to win the MAC Tournament and earn the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and when he took the court against Texas Tech, he quickly got the offense running. Scott put up nine points in his first eight minutes of play, making four of his first six shots.
Texas Tech went five-for-seven from three to start, a red-hot 71% early from behind the arc. Akron's struggles in the paint didn't make staying close with the Red Raiders any easier, but heading into the half, the Zips trailed just five points following a strong 10-3 run to close out the first.
Coming out of the locker room, the Zips fought to stay in the game. A back-and-forth scoring effort from both sides kept the Red Raiders in the lead but Akron within a few possessions.
However, the stick-around nature of Akron began to wane as the game wrapped. Texas Tech has eight straight possessions of scoring, taking a 16-point lead with three minutes to play. Akron was unable to overcome the push from Texas Tech, eliminated in the first round of the tournament with their 91-71 loss.
Senior Amani Lyles led the Zips with 26 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Off the bench, Shammah Scott tried to will a win with 20 points, shooting 8-for-13, 3-for-5 from three.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Petty led things for the Red Raiders with 24 points, while Christian Anderson scored 18 with five assists, four rebounds, and four steals.
Akron ends the 2025-26 campaign 29-6 with the MAC Championship to boast despite being able to reach the goal of their first NCAA Tournament win.
