1-010-3; MAC
Miami (OH)
0-15-9; MAC
Bulls Lead Wire-To-Wire In MAC-Opening Win At Miami (OH)
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OXFORD, OH – The University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, men's basketball team opened the night on a 14-2 run and never looked back as the Bulls won their Mid-American Conference opener Wednesday night, 79-72, over the host Miami (OH) RedHawks. The win improves the Bulls to 10-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. The win was also UB's sixth on the road this year.
Junior Justin Moss scored seven points during the opening 14-2 run, which was capped off on a jumper from senior Xavier Ford just four and a half minutes into the game. Miami (OH) pulled within five at 26-21 with 5:01 left in the first half, but the Bulls answered with a 16-3 run over the next four minutes as the Bulls got back-to-back three pointers from Shannon Evans, giving UB its largest lead of the game at 42-24 with 1:14 left. UB took a 42-26 lead into the break.
In the second half, the host RedHawks made a run and pulled within one possession of the Bulls, but UB was able to answer each Miami run over the final 20 minutes of play. The Bulls lead 49-32 with 16:57 left when Miami went on an 18-5 run to pull within four with 13:17 left.
Miami pulled within three at 56-53 when Moss answered with a big three-point play to put the Bulls back up six. UB regained a nine-point advantage with 5:51 left, but the RedHawks got as close as two with 2:37 left. The Bulls then got what may have turned out to be the play of the game as senior Will Regan drained a three-pointer and was fouled, completing a four-point play.
Miami pulled back within three, but UB hit it's free throws down the stretch and held on for the seven-point win.
"I thought we got off to a great start tonight, but we didn't do a good job sustaining it," said head coach Bobby Hurley. "Justin gave us a big night down low and X provided that spark again off the bench. Late in the game we got that clutch play from Will and those are the things it takes to win on the road in this conference."
Moss finished with his seventh double-double of the season as he had 23 points and 12 rebounds. He had 12 points and nine boards at the half. Ford finished with a new career high 17 points as he went 7-of-9 from the field, including hitting his first career three pointer. Ford added six rebounds and a block.
Evans finished with 15 points and five assists, while Regan just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Junior Rodell Wigginton had six points as he started for the fourth straight game.
The Bulls held a massive advantage at the free throw line as they went 25-of-32 from the charity stripe, opposed to Miami, who shot just 8-of-19 from the line.
Miami fell to 5-9 on the year and 0-1 in MAC play. The RedHawks had four players in double figures led by 21 points from Will Sullivan.
UB will remain on the road Saturday afternoon when they head to Kalamazoo, MI and face Western Michigan at 1:00 pm.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
