mac roundup \ Saturday’s games

Pittsburgh 71, Kent State 59

PITTSBURGH — Jermaine Dixon needed only 32 seconds to show Pittsburgh what it has missed while playing without its only returning starter from last season. Maybe, too, what he is capable of doing once he gets into better shape and the Big East Conference games arrive. Brad Wanamaker scored 18 points to help Pittsburgh quickly open up a 10-point lead, and the Panthers overcame a poor shooting game by its leading scorer with the help of five quick points by Dixon late in the game. The Panthers won a school-record 44th consecutive home game against a non-conference opponent and their 27th in a row at the Petersen Events Center. Wanamaker made all three of his 3-point attempts as Pitt (8-2) shook off a 10-point game by Ashton Gibbs, who came in averaging 17 before being held to three points in the first 33 minutes. Gibbs scored 48 points in his previous two games — 25 in a 74-64 loss to Indiana on Tuesday and 23 against New Hampshire — only to miss six of his first seven shots.

Akron 62, Malone 30

AKRON — Brett McKnight scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Akron coasted. The Zips (5-3) led 14-2 with 14:10 left in the first half and never looked back. They led 31-17 at the half and built their lead to 20 points, 41-21, less than 5 minutes into the second half. The Pioneers (2-7), an NAIA Division II team, were playing an NCAA Division I team for the first time since Dec. 9, 1989, when they beat Cleveland State 94-87. This time, they struggled to score, shooting 20.4 percent (11-for-54), including 16 percent (4-for-16) from 3-point range. Only two Malone players scored more than four points, led by Eric Coblentz with 12, and only five scored at all. Freshman Zeke Marshall grabbed 11 rebounds for Akron and blocked two shots, giving him 14 blocks in the Zips’ last four games.

Ohio 86, Delaware 70

NEWARK, Del. — Armon Bassett scored 27 points and DeVaughn Washington had 21 points, leading Ohio. Tommy Freeman added 12 points for the Bobcats (5-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Bassett finished 8-for-12 from the floor and was 9 of 10 from the foul line, while Washington shot 8-for-10 from the field. Alphonso Dawson’s layup put the Blue Hens (2-7) up 2-0 just over 1 minute into the game — it would be their last lead. A Freeman 3-pointer sparked a 12-2 Bobcats run and they never trailed again. The Bobcats led by nine at halftime and outscored Delaware 49-42 in the second. The Blue Hens turned the ball over 18 times, and Ohio finished with 10 steals. The Bobcats were 6 of 14 from 3-point range, while Delaware went just 4 of 19. Dawson paced the Blue Hens with 20 points.

Tennessee Tech 86, Ball State 81, OT

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Kevin Murphy scored 18 points to help lead Tennessee. Jud Dillard added 15 for the Golden Eagles (4-6), while Frank Davis and Elijah Muhammad chipped in with 13 points apiece. Trailing by three points at the end of regulation, Ball State had the ball with a chance to tie. Randy Davis’ 3-point attempt was off target, but Jauwan Scaife grabbed the offensive rebound and nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. In the extra period, though, Tennessee Tech gained control, and five straight points from Zach Bailey gave the Golden Eagles a 79-74 lead with 1:25 remaining. The Cardinals (3-4) were led by Jarrod Jones, who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Davis and Scaife chipped in 13 points apiece.

Bowling Green 58, Canisius 54

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dee Brown scored 16 points, including five free throws in the final 28 seconds, to help Bowling Green. The Falcons (5-3) have won four in a row and two straight road games after breaking a nine-game road losing streak on Dec. 5 at Fordham.

Associated Press