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University at Buffalo
3-7
Milwaukee
2-6
UB Heads to Milwaukee for Mid-Week Test
12/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MILWAUKEE, WI - The Buffalo men's basketball team will play its seventh road game of the year Wednesday evening, taking on the Milwaukee Panthers at 8 pm EST. The Bulls are looking to snap a brief two-game losing streak, but are coming off its highest-scoring output of the season in an 82-79 loss at St. Bonaventure on Saturday night.
The Bulls turned the ball over on their final three possessions to help the Bonnies escape with the three-point victory. Struggling to get perimeter scoring all season, the Bulls erupted to hit a season-high 13 three-pointers – the most in a game since 2010. Jarod Oldham netted 20 points, including five three-pointers – both career highs. Tony Watson drained four three-pointers and finished with 15 points and a career-high six assists. McCrea notched his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The junior forward scored his 1,000th career point in the game to become the fourth fastest player in school history to accomplish the feat.
The game featured eight ties and 16 lead changes. Watson hit a three-pointer at the buzzer of the first half to cap a 10-1 UB scoring run and knot the contest at 39 at the half. St. Bonaventure (4-2) led 53-48 with 14:04 left. A 7-1 UB scoring run, including five points by Oldham, put the Bulls ahead, 55-54, with 11:17 left. Another Oldham three, followed by a Javon McCrea layup gave the Bulls a 63-58 lead – their largest of the game.
After the lead see-sawed back and forth, the Bulls gained a 79-76 advantage on an Oldham free throw with 1:33 left. The Bulls regained possession of the ball with just over a minute remaining clinging to the three-point lead. However, St. Bonaventure forced turnovers on the Bulls' final three possessions and finished the game on a 6-0 scoring run to pull out the victory.
The Panthers have been similarly snakebitten this season, posting a 2-5 record through the early part of the season, despite averaging just 2.6 points per game less than the opposition. The team is a perfect 2-0 at home, but has gone winless away from the Klotsche Center. After upsetting Davidson at home, the team has lost four straight games by an average margin of 11.5 points per game.
The Bulls will need to be stout on the perimeter, as Milwaukee is averaging over 23 three point attempts per game and eight three pointers made per game.
A trio of junior college players have been the leaders of the team so far, headed up by senior Paris Gulley. The standout guard made a triumphant return to the lineup Saturday against Northern Iowa, scoring 24 points in his first game back from a broken hand. While he was out, his former JUCO teammate Jordan Aaron led the team in scoring with 16 points per game and putting up 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds along the way. Senior Demetrius Harris is also averaging double figures this season, with 10.3 points, and he is also the Panthers' leading rebounder (pulling down 5.4 per game).
Fans can tune in to WECK 1230 for Josh Whetzel's call of the game.
