Getty The Eastern Michigan Eagles will take on the Akron Zips Saturday. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
The MAC Conference kicks off in Ypsilanti, Michigan Saturday afternoon when the Eastern Michigan Eagles host the Akron Zips.
The game (Noon ET start time) won’t be on TV anywhere, but you can watch it live on ESPN+:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can then watch Akron vs Eastern Michigan live on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
Akron vs Eastern Michigan Preview
Mid-American Conference play kicks off with what should be a good one in Ypsilanti. The Zips are tops in the MAC East with a 10-3 record, while the Eagles, who are also 10-3, are tops in the MAC West. Akron have a bit less room for error, however, as Kent State is nipping on their heels in the East, also with a 10-3 record.
The Zips are fifth in the conference in scoring, putting up 77 points a game, while the Eagles are 11th in the conference with 67.9 points per contest. Akron have won six of their last seven games, and they are led by junior forward Loren Cristian Jackson, who is averaging 15.6 points per game.
Jackson is one of four Akron starters averaging in double figures. Guards Tyler Cheese (14.1 points) and Channel Banks (13 points) have been solid all season, while senior forward Xeyrius Williams is averaging nearly a double-double, scoring 13.7 points per contest while leading the team in rebounds with 9.9 a game.
As for Eastern Michigan, they are 11th in the MAC Conference in scoring, and they are shooting 42% from the floor and 31% from three-point range. Led by junior forward Ty Groce, who is scoring 12.2 points a game, the Eagles have just one other player averaging in double figures. Guard Noah Morgan is scoring 10.2 points per game, and Eastern Michigan will need its bench to play a bit better if they want to win this one.
Both teams enter this game on one-game winning streaks. Eastern Michigan most recently defeated Concordia, 88-53, and Akron beat Massachusetts, 85-79 on December 30. The Zips have managed to string some wins together a few times this season, winning three in a row in mid-November, while going on a five-game tear from the end of November through December 21, when they lost to Liberty.
Eastern Michigan started the season 6-0, and they were 9-1 in their first ten games. The Eagles have lost two of their last three, however, so they’d like to win this one to avoid slipping further.
The Eagles are 6-0 at home this season, while the Eagles are 2-3 on the road.