CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Akron coach Keith Dambrot consistently points to "the Zeke factor" as a big key to winning games late, as 7-0 Zeke Marshall will almost certainly win his second straight Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award. His shot blocking and improved rebounding make it tough for teams to score -- or get extra possessions in the final minutes -- against Akron.

But the Zips' offense can take a bow as well. Inside Akron's nation-leading, 17-game winning streak, MAC games have been in the balance seven times down the stretch before the Zips pulled out victories.

•Akron-Ball State, 71-64 final: With 4:42 to play, Akron leads, 59-55. Akron outscored the Cardinals, 12-9, the rest of the way.

•Akron-Kent State, 71-67: With 2:28 to play, Kent leads, 63-60. Akron outscores KSU, 11-4, to win.

•Akron-Buffalo, 68-64: With 3:09 to play (after coming back from 20 points down), Akron leads, 61-59. The Zips outscore the Bulls, 7-5.

•Akron-Central Michigan, 68-56: With 5:17 to play, CMU is up, 50-49. The Zips outscore the Chippewas, 19-6.

•Akron-Miami, 54-50: With 4:45 to play, Miami leads, 43-42. The Zips outscore the RedHawks, 12-7.

•Akron-Eastern Michigan, 70-62: With 4:35 to play, Akron leads, 52-50. The Zips outscore the Eagles, 18-12.

•Akron-Bowling Green, 67-50: With 3:28 to play, Akron leads, 55-49. The Zips outscore the Falcons, 12-1.

After the BG game for Akron's 17th straight win, Dambrot said, "The last four minutes of most games, we've been really good, and we were good again today."

Just the opposite: Meanwhile, Kent State's defense has struggled down the stretch in five stinging losses. Its offense has struggled as well, spoiling otherwise gallant efforts. Five MAC games KSU has either led or been tied late, they couldn't close out with victories.

The Golden Flashes lost by four to the Zips after the game was tied with a minute to play. They lost their first matchup against Ohio University by one on a missed shot at the buzzer. They lost to Northern Illinois by two, giving up a late basket, then missed at the buzzer. They lost to Western Michigan by six after holding the lead with less than two minutes to play.

The latest came Saturday in the OU rematch, when Kent lost by three when it failed to convert an offensive possession in the final seconds of regulation to win, missed 2 of 4 free throws late in overtime while leading, failed to get a big defensive stop in OT to maintain the lead, then failed to make a last-second play on offense to win it.

BracketBusters Week: Perhaps no local team needs a breather from conference play more than Cleveland State (13-15, 5-9 Horizon League). But the Vikings still have a home league game to play against Wright State on Wednesday before traveling to Western Illinois (19-6). The surprising Leathernecks currently stand second in the Summit League, while CSU languishes in seventh in the HL.

Akron's BracketBusters matchup with North Dakota State (20-7, RPI 77) has lost what little luster it had as NDSU has gone south in recent weeks, losing four of its past eight games to sit third in the Summit League. The Bison are without 6-7 swingman and leading scorer Taylor Braun (15.2 points per game) due to a broken foot.

Friday's 7 p.m. contest at Rhodes Arena now takes on the appearance of a nationally televised trap game, as the Zips (21-4, RPI 48) will put their 17-game winning streak on the line. They have little to gain, even with a win, while a loss would be stinging to both their RPI and national prestige.

For Kent, the BracketBusters might be just what the Flashes need to set up a strong stretch run. Despite its late-game troubles, the Golden Flashes (14-12) still have a winning record and, based on their performances to date against the three top teams in the MAC, must be considered a conference tournament threat, particularly if they can earn a bye to the quarterfinals.

Kent will follow a BracketBusters road game Saturday at Loyola-Chicago (14-12) with its final four MAC games (two at home) to close out the season.

Did you know? Akron could lose its status as holder of the nation's longest winning streak without losing a game. Memphis (22-3) has a 16-game winning streak, one behind the Zips. The Tigers play three games between now and Feb. 27, while the Zips play once.