Young scores 18 as Akron takes down Ball State 81-73

Feb 5, 2026, 10:42 am

AKRON, Ohio -- — Sharron Young led Akron over Ball State on Tuesday night with 18 points off of the bench in an 81-73 victory.

Young added five assists for the Zips (17-5, 10-0 Mid-American Conference). Nate Johnson scored 16 points while going 7 of 14 (0 for 5 from 3-point range). Shammah Scott had 13 points and shot 5 for 10, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. It was the 10th victory in a row for the Zips.

The Cardinals (10-12, 4-6) were led in scoring by Jermahri Hill, who finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Payton Sparks added 15 points for Ball State. Mickey Pearson Jr. finished with 12 points.

Akron led Ball State at the half, 38-36, with Young (11 points) its high scorer before the break. Johnson's layup with 13:21 remaining in the second half gave Akron the lead for good at 54-52.

------

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.