Bulls Host Western Michigan for First Home Game of the New Year

BUFFALO, N.Y. – After defeating Central Michigan (5-8, 0-1 MAC), 76-64, on the road on Tuesday evening, the University at Buffalo men's basketball team (2-11, 1-0 MAC) will host the Western Michigan Broncos (4-9, 1-0 MAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Paul Peck and Turner Battle on the call. Josh Whetzel and Bob Gaughan can be heard on the Varsity Network App and on 1520 Buffalo/1280 Rochester AM over the airwaves.

LAST TIME OUT
Behind a 26-point performance from Sy Chatman, the Bulls came out victorious on the road against the Central Michigan Chippewas, 76-64. In the wire-to-wire win, Chatman wasn't the only Bull to score in double figures. Isaiah Adams scored 13 and Ryan Sabol buried 15. Jonnivius Smith recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

ABOUT THE SERIES
The Bulls lead the all-time series against the Broncos, 20-13 (.606). Buffalo has won the last 10 meetings against Western Michigan. In those victories, the Bulls have won by an average margin of 13.50 points. The last time the Broncos won in Buffalo was on Feb. 1, 2010, by a score of 85-70. Last season, Buffalo won 85-76 at Western Michigan on Feb. 4.

THE BULL-ETIN BOARD
• With a win, the Bulls will have started 2-0 in MAC play in back-to-back seasons for just the second time. They did so in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 season. It would be just the seventh time they Bulls would start 2-0 in MAC play all-time.

• With three blocks at Central Michigan, it marked Sy Chatman's sixth game of the season with multiple blocks, a team high.

• Sy Chatman has scored in double figures in every game for the Bulls this season. His 18.4 ppg is good for fourth in the MAC. Chatman has also added 7.3 rebounds per game which is fifth in the MAC.

• Jonnivius Smith leads the team with 9.2 rpg, which ranks 37th in the NCAA and second in the MAC just behind Akron's Enrique Freeman (13.2).

• Sy Chatman has been dominant over the last six games. He has scored 20+ in five of the last six, including the last four games. Over the course of those games, he's averaged 22.2 ppg including three double-doubles. The last Bull to have 20+ points in five of six games was Rodney Pierce in 2009-10 when he did it in eight straight.

• Freshman Ryan Sabol leads the team with 25 made three-pointers on the season. He has made at least one three in 12 of the 13 games of the season. In the MAC opener, Sabol was 5-for-8 from three-point range which marked a career-high of made threes. The last Bull to make five threes in a game was Curtis Jones against Western Michigan on Feb. 4, 2023.

• Only Sy Chatman has started every game for the Bulls. Ryan Sabol, Anquan Boldin Jr. and Shawn Fulcher are the only other Bulls to play in every game.

• Shawn Fulcher leads the team with 1.62 steals per game, good for third in the MAC.

• Sy Chatman and Jonnivius Smith are the only duo in the MAC to each have at least four double-doubles.

• On Tuesday against the Chippewas, Sy Chatman finished 12-of-13 (.923) from the free throw line. Ronaldo Segu was the last Bull to make 10 free throws, going 10-of-11 against Bowling Green on Jan. 5, 2022.

UP NEXT
The Bulls will host the Miami (OH) RedHawks on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. before a two-game road trip. The road trip will be the start of seven of nine games on the road.

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Bulls Host Western Michigan for First Home Game of the New Year

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Adams

Anquan Boldin Jr.

Sy Chatman

Shawn Fulcher

Curtis Jones

Ryan Sabol

Jonnivius Smith

University at Buffalo Athletics