22-9
(7) Akron
21-14
Bulls Overpower Akron to Advance to MAC Championship Game
3/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND, OH – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York men's basketball team fought past a game Akron squad, 68-59, in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Friday night to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Bulls will play in the title game for the third time in school history when they tip off against top-seeded Central Michigan at 7:30 pm.
Xavier Ford led all scorers with 17 points and added 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He stepped up for MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss who was limited with an injury. Moss finished with five points and had four rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
Ford was one of four Bulls to score in double-figures. Shannon Evans scored 14 points, Rodell Wigginton had 11 points and eight rebounds and Lamonte Beardon had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Bulls struggled mightily from the field all night, but made up for it by crashing the glass. Shooting just 36 percent from the field, including just 2-for-13 from beyond the arc, the Bulls outrebounded the Zips, 47-35. The Bulls grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points, compared to just four for Akron.
The Zips jumped out to a 20-13 lead before a 13-0 UB scoring run, capped by a Beardon jumper, put the Bulls ahead, 28-23. UB would keep the lead for the remained of the half, holding a 33-32 advantage at the break.
The Bulls opened the second half on a 10-2 scoring run to take control of the game, 43-34, with 15:26 left. However, that's when the UB offense stalled. The Bulls scored just two points over the next eight minutes and Akron clawed back to take a 46-45 lead with 7:43 left.
The lead would see-saw until Will Regan knocked down a three-pointer from the elbow to break a 49-all tie and give the Bulls the lead for good, 52-49, with 5:12 left. Wigginton scored the game's next four points to extend the UB lead to 56-49 with 3:02 on the clock and the Bulls never looked back.
Defensively, the Bulls held the Zips, who were playing their fourth game in five nights, to just 37 percent shooting from the field, including 7-of-30 from beyond the arc. The Bulls collected eight steals in the game and converted 14 Akron turnovers into 18 points.
"It was a really hard-fought game and a very difficult game to score," head coach Bobby Hurley said. "Both teams played at a high level defensively and with great energy and physicality. I thought we did a great job of guarding the three-point line for most of the night. I thought Xavier Ford's energy and ability to get to the offensive glass was big for us."
The Bulls will face Central Michigan at 7:30 pm on Saturday night for the MAC Tournament Championship and a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The game can be seen on ESPN2.
