Bulls Fall on the Road Against the Nittany Lions

Sunday, December 1

University Park, Pa.

2 p.m.

4-4,0-0MAC

Penn State

7-1,0-0Big Ten

Buffalo

Penn St.

Bulls Fall on the Road Against the Nittany Lions

12/1/2024 5:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Zach Monell

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The University at Buffalo men's basketball team (4-4, 0-0 MAC) fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 0-0 B1G) on Sunday afternoon, 87-64.

Ryan Sabol led the team with 19 points as he knocked down 5 three-pointers on the day. He has now made a three in 14 consecutive games and has made at least 3 three-pointers in seven straight games. Sabol added 3 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal for the Bulls. Brayden Jackson scored 11 points off the bench as he was 5-for-7 from the floor. Frederiks Meinarts led the Bulls with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.

In the tough road environment, the Bulls held their own to start the game. Anquan Boldin Jr. put the Bulls on the board with a monstrous slam dunk that silenced the crowd and made it a 4-2 Penn State lead. Tyson Dunn tied the game with a jumper at 4, but that was as close as the game was the rest of the way. The Nittany Lions used a 7-0 run to take a 15-6 lead. Buffalo stayed within striking distance until Penn State reached their first double digit lead of the game at 36-24 with 1:01 left in the first half.

Out of the locker room, Sabol drilled a three to make it a 38-31 Penn State lead. The 7-point deficit was as close as they second half would get as the teams traded baskets. The Bulls cleaned up their turnovers in the second half as they only had 5 to the 10 they had in the first half.

The Bulls finished with 3 blocks against the Nittany Lions. In seven of their eight games this season, they finished with at least 3 blocks. Buffalo tallied 6 steals, their most in three games.

"There were a lot of positives tonight," stated Head Coach George Halcovage III. "I felt like we played a great first half of basketball in a tough road environment against a really good, experienced team here. A well-coached team, to be down 10 at half and have the game within range. Later in the second half, I think at the seven-minute mark, we were right there, and a couple possessions didn't go our way. They go on a little run, got hot at home and opened up the game at the end. We just have to learn how to put together a full 40-minute effort. I think defensively, we were great in the first half, and then the second half, we just had moments and lapses where, we did not play as the aggressor, and against the team that that prides themselves on being tough and aggressive, you got to do those things to win the game.

"He's [Ryan Sabol] got a great ability to score the ball. He's shooting the ball very confidently from three, taking the right ones and I think that's why he's shooting such a good percentage this year. Credit to our team, moving the ball, sharing the ball, and he's open and knocking them down confidently in his spots, that's what players that turn into Big Ten players do. He's growing into a guy that we could count on night in, night out to really lead us. He's obviously gotten better defensively. He had the assignment of [Zach] Hicks tonight for them, a great shooter on their end did a really good job on him through the 36-minutes he played.

"Brayden Jackson is a big-time athlete, a guy who is growing every day and gaining confidence every day for us. Brayden is going to be a big-time player. He really has the ability to score the ball around the rim. In this game we had guys that were playing well and keeping us in it. Then at the end we had some foul trouble, and he was ready to go in when his number was called, went in and did a great job. We're going to need him to continue to do that for us."

The Bulls are back in action on Tuesday for their lone home game in the month of December against Pitt-Bradford (5-0, 0-0 AMCC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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