3 Things: Takeaways from Tuesday night’s MACtion

All 12 MAC teams were in action Tuesday night, and the full slate did not disappoint. Several games came down to the final seconds, while Bowling Green also played. Here are three takeaways from the night that was in the MAC.

Western Michigan can flat out shoot

The Broncos’ seemingly could not miss Tuesday night in their 90-74 win over Toledo. They shot 70 percent from the field, 70 percent from three and 81.3 percent from the free throw line. Of the eight different players to attempt a field goal, none shot less than 50 percent from the field. It is incredibly rare to see an entire team get hot on the same night with no weak links, but that is exactly what happened in the Broncos’ first MAC win of the season.

Central Michigan needs more from its role players

The Chippewas may have come up short in their 89-85 loss to Akron, but it was not due to lack of effort from Marcus Keene and Braylon Rayson. Keene, the nation’s leading scorer, tallied 33 points, and Rayson added 27 of his own. The rest of the team contributed a measly 15 points combined. Keene and Rayson sat out for a combined three minutes, while Matty Smith and Kevin McKay, the only two other guards in the rotation, played a total of four minutes. CMU is now the only MAC team without a conference win, and that may not change until somebody other than Keene or Rayson can step up and contribute.

Akron and Ohio stay perfect in MAC play

Kenny Kaminski’s game-winning jump shot with one second left sunk Buffalo and gave the Bobcats a 74-72 win. Ohio’s balanced attack won the day as four of its five starters posted double-figure scoring numbers. Akron’s win over CMU was its sixth in a row, making it over a month since the Zips last tasted defeat. Toledo’s loss to WMU means there are only two teams left unbeaten in conference play. Akron and Ohio play next Tuesday, Jan. 17 in Akron, presumably for sole control of first place in the MAC.

Tuesday night’s scores:

Akron 89 Central Michigan 85
Eastern Michigan 81 Bowling Green 53
Ball State 85 Miami (OH) 74
Northern Illinois 74 Kent State 70 (OT)
Ohio 74 Buffalo 72
Western Michigan 90 Toledo 74