Graves’ Career Night Leads Buffalo To Double Overtime Win At Kent State

Friday, February 21

Kent, OH

7:00 pm

18-9,9-5MAC

104

Kent State

17-10,7-7MAC

OT 1

OT 2

Buffalo

104

Kent St.

Graves’ Career Night Leads Buffalo To Double Overtime Win At Kent State

2/21/2020 11:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

KENT, OH – Junior Jayvon Graves scored a career high 33 points, including 30 in the second half and overtime as the University at Buffalo men's basketball team won its fourth straight game, defeating Kent State, 104-98, in double overtime. The Bulls improve to 18-9 on the season and 9-5 in MAC play.

Friday night marked Buffalo's first overtime win since the second game of the 2018-19 season when the Bulls defeated then 13^th ranked West Virginia. Prior to tonight, the Bulls had not played a double overtime game since Jan. 8, 2011 against Bowling Green and it was UB's first double OT victory since Dec. 11, 2004 against Niagara. It was also the first time Buffalo has won a 2OT game on the road since Dec. 1, 1998 at Manhattan.

The Bulls had to fight from behind all night as the Golden Flashes shot 55.2% from the floor in the first half, leading by as many as 11 points. Like UB did on Tuesday night, it was a strong end to the opening half that paved the way for the rest of the game.

Kent State led 36-25 with just 1:54 left when the Bulls scored five straight, including a three from freshman Savion Gallion to pull within six. The Golden Flashes went back up by nine on a three with six seconds remaining, but senior Antwain Johnson beat the buzzer as his heave from just inside half court put the Bulls into the break down just 39-33.

Back-to-back threes from Graves tied the game up at 48-48 just four minutes into the second half, but the Golden Flashes responded by scoring the next eight to go back ahead. Kent State would go up by as many as nine with 13:17 remaining, but another triple from Graves ignited an 8-0 run, pulling UB back within one.

UB finally regained the lead for the first time since early in the first half on a pair of free throws from Johnson, but neither team was able to pull ahead by more than a possession. With Kent State leading 77-74, UB went on an 8-0 run getting five straight points from Graves. UB continued to lead by three with 47 seconds left, but a three-pointer from Anthony Roberts tied the game back up with 26 seconds remaining and UB was unable to convert on the last second chance, sending the game into overtime.

Kent State went back ahead by three midway through the first overtime, when Johnson answered with a three-pointer, tying the game back up. A bucket from sophomore Josh Mballa gave Buffalo a two-point lead, but the Golden Flashes tied it up with 32 seconds left. Both teams had a chance, but neither converted, sending the game into a second extra period.

Kent State took a 97-95 lead with 2:28 left in the second overtime, but that's when the Bulls got two of their biggest shots of the night. Back-to-back three pointers from Graves and senior Davonta Jordan put the Bulls ahead 101-97 with 1:23 left. The four-point lead was UB's largest since the 16:00 mark of the first half. The Golden Flashes never got any closer than three from there as Graves closed it out on a pair of free throws.

"We knew this game was going to be a battle as every game with Kent State always is," said head coach Jim Whitesell. "I wasn't particularly pleased with the way we started the game, but I thought we did a good job closing the gap at the end of the first half. I thought Jayvon was just outstanding tonight and put the team on his back and we came away with an extremely hard-fought win. We talk all the time about climbing the ladder each game and tonight we went up another rung."

Graves finished with 33 points on the night as he went 11-of-22 from the floor and 7-of-10 from three-point range. He scored 23 points in the second half alone and seven more in the second overtime after having just three points at the break and zero in the first extra session. The 33 points now put the junior at 997 for his career.

Jordan, who got the Bulls going by scoring eight of the first 10 points, finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Jordan went 4-of-8 from three point range.

Johnson had 18 points, 10 of those coming in the first half, while Mballa finished the night with 13 points and 14 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. The sophomore had 11 points and 11 rebounds after halftime.

Jeenathan Williams finished with eight points, while Gabe Grant had five points and four rebounds and Gallion added five points and an assist. Sophomore Ronaldo Segu added two points.

As a team, the Bulls finished 15-of-31 from three point range, their highest total since they had 16 in a win over Niagara. The shooting from behind the arc proved to be the difference in the game as Kent State shot just 6-of-22 from three-point range.

UB also outrebounded its opponent for the 10^th straight game as the Bulls held a 42-36 advantage on the glass.

Kent State was led on Friday night by a career performance from Antonio Williams, who finished with 34 points.

Buffalo will take its four-game winning streak back on the road Tuesday night when the Bulls head to Athens to face Ohio. Tip off is set for 7pm.