Seniors Amani Lyles and Tavari Johnson “are having fun” playing basketball with their University of Akron teammates.
Lyles and Johnson are Akron‘s two leading scorers through two games — an 85-71 win over James Madison on Nov. 3 and a 104-69 win over Princeton on Nov. 8.
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“We are playing really good,” Lyles said Nov. 8. “One of our main focuses is improving on the defensive end and I feel like we have done that very well these past two games. We are having fun. That is the most important part.”
James Madison was the Sun Belt Conference regular-season champion in 2025 and won the league’s tournament title in 2024 on its way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Princeton made a Sweet Sixteen trip in 2023 during the program’s 26th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers won Ivy League championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“We are having fun, we are playing together and we are playing really well, but it is really early in the season,” Johnson said. “We gotta stay consistent and keep this going for the rest of the year.”
Akron guard Shammah Scott heads to the hoop in the second half against Princeton’s CJ Happy (4) and Jake Sussberg, Nov. 8, 2025.
Akron men’s basketball returns to court after dominating Princeton
Akron returns to the court at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 to host Penn State Shenango, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II team.
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Akron coach John Groce is encouraging his players to “turn down good shots for great shots.”
Akron dominated Princeton with Johnson totaling 21 points and six assists, Lyles contributing 16 points, six rebounds and two steals and the Mahaffey brothers, Evan and Eric, scoring 14 points apiece.
“I think our defense can really carry us throughout the season,” said senior Evan Mahaffey, who also had five rebounds and four assists against Princeton. “It really started in the first game and carried over to this game. We just gotta keep doing that moving forward.”
Redshirt freshman Eric Mahaffey’s stat line against Princeton also included nine rebounds. Sophomore Sharron Young scored nine points, senior Shammah Scott had eight points and five assists, redshirt sophomore Zach Halligan added seven points and senior Bowen Hardman scored six points.
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“Our defense was good again,” Groce said. “We gotta continue to get it even better. … I thought we pressured the ball well. I thought we were really active and made them uncomfortable.”
The Zips separated from the Tigers with a 19-0 run in the first half to lead 32-13 with 7:28 on the clock.
“I didn’t even know it was a 19-0 run,” Johnson said. “We were just playing hard. Playing our offense and getting stops.”
Akron’s run started with a Lyles two-hand slam dunk and a Lyles 3-point play (layup and free throw). The run also included two 3-pointers by Johnson, one 3-pointer by Hardman, an Evan Mahaffey free throw and two-hand dunk and two free throws by Johnson.
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“When we are all playing like that, playing with that much energy and effort, you don’t even think about the scoreboard,” Evan Mahaffey said. “You know you are getting stops and you are playing with that momentum.”
Said Johnson: “We didn’t take our foot off the gas in the second half. We were up big going into half [47-27] and we came out and played like it was the start of the game, trying to extend the lead.”
Redshirt sophomore Marvin Musiime-Kamali contributed four points, and freshman Ognjen Stankovic had seven rebounds and three assists.
“We are deep,” Groce said. “All of our guys practice hard and are good players, so we have got confidence to put any of these guys in the game.”
Akron coach John Groce draws up a play during a timeout against Princeton in the second half, Nov. 8, 2025.
Conner Groce makes layup in first Akron men’s basketball game
John Groce gave minutes to 13 players against Princeton, including three who made their Akron debuts: his son, redshirt freshman, Conner Groce, redshirt junior Halil “Chabi” Barre and redshirt freshman Rich Brisco.
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The younger Groce played almost four minutes and made a layup with 2:27 to go in front of a crowd that included his mother, Allison, brother, Camden, and sister, Cate.
“It was emotional,” John Groce said. “I wish my father [Larry Groce] would have had a chance to see it, but the Lord had different plans and I trust him. It was the first time we have ever put him in, so it certainly got me a little bit. … We have got confidence in him and everybody else. He gives great effort. He is tough. He really works at it and is competitive. It was cool to get him in the game.
“My mom [Barbara] and step dad [Jerry Steele] were certainly watching via TV. My father was going through my mind when that was taking place.”
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron men’s basketball moves forward after dominant win over Princeton
