MAC BASKETBALL McFadden's 19 aid Zips' win

ASSOCIATED PRESS
AKRON -- Derrick Tarver scored 27 points and Rick McFadden, a graduate of Struthers High, added 19 points in Akron's 84-76 win over Ohio on Tuesday night.
Tarver and McFadden combined for 15 points during a 17-5 second-half run that gave the Zips (8-6, 2-4 Mid American Conference) a 69-55 lead with 6:28 left. Akron led 42-38 at halftime.
The Bobcats (5-11, 2-4) cut the lead to 76-71 with 1:41 left on a layup by Sonny Troutman, but failed to get any closer. Troutman finished with eight points and seven assists.
Jaivon Harris scored 22 points for Ohio, and Jeff Halbert added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Akron shot slightly better than 50 percent from the floor, and made nine of 18 3-pointers. Ohio shot 46 percent from the floor and 31 percent from 3-point range.
Ball St. 71, N. Illinois 65
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Robert Owens scored 17 points and Ball State made 56 percent of its shots in the second half to defeat Northern Illinois.
Dennis Trammell finished with 16 on 6-of-9 shooting for the Cardinals (8-6, 5-1 Mid-America Conference), who have won five-straight conference games. Matt Collom scored all of his 12 points from the foul line as both teams struggled to make shots early.
The teams shot a combined 13-of-51 in the first half, but Ball State pulled to a 22-21 advantage at halftime.