Bulls Host Lions on Monday Evening

Monday, December 22

Buffalo, N.Y.

6:30 p.m.

University at Buffalo

Penn State Behrend

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Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics

12/21/2025 7:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Zach Monell

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo men's basketball program (10-2, 1-0 MAC) is back home as will host the Penn State Behrend Lions (7-3, 4-0 AMCC) on Monday evening. The Bulls and Lions will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. from Alumni Arena as Paul Peck and Pete Lonergan will be on the ESPN+ call. Josh Whetzel and Bob Gaughan will be on the radio call on Buffalo 1520/Rochester 1280 and on the Varsity Network App.

LAST TIME OUT
The Bulls are coming a dominant 88-71 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday to open Mid-American Conference play. With the win, Buffalo improved to 10-2 overall on the season and 4-1 in true road games on the year.

In the win, Buffalo had five players reach double figure points. Daniel Freitag led the Bulls with his sixth 20-point performance as he added a game-high six assists. Ryan Sabol scored 19 points including five three-pointers. This marked his 12th career game with five three-pointers in a single game. Tim Oboh recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Ezra McKenna knocked down three threes as he finished with 15 points. Angelo Brizzi rounded out the Bulls with 10 points. The Bulls recorded just four turnovers in the win. This tied the program record for fewest turnovers in a single game with the 2018-19 team that did so against Miami (OH).

Buffalo's win over Western Michigan went down as the program 's 1,300th win since becoming a sponsored sport in 1915-16.

ABOUT THE LIONS
• Penn State Behrend Head Coach Dave Niland has spent his entire head coaching career with the Lions. He is in his 31st season with Penn State Behrend and holds a 587-253 (.699) overall record. Niland has produced 30 winning seasons in the last 31 years to rank 20th among NCAA Division III programs for winningest teams of the decade. The Lions also have earned an NCAA or ECAC postseason bid in 26 of the past 29 years. Niland is the all-time leader in men's basketball coaching victories with 580 entering this season.

• The Lions are led by Jacob Dunkle who is averaging 18.1 ppg and 7.8 apg.

THE BULL-ETIN BOARD
• Since their Division I Modern Era in 1991, the Bulls are 26-0 against non-Division I programs. Earlier this season, they defeated the RIT Tigers, 80-64.

• On Thursday afternoon, Daniel Freitag was named to the CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Award Watchlist. Previous Bulls to have made the list are Javon McCrea (2014), Justin Moss (2015), CJ Massinburg (2018, 2019) and Nick Perkins (2019). This award goes to the top Division I basketball player.

• Buffalo has made 236 free throws this season, the second-best mark in the MAC behind Kent State's 242. Of their 940 points this season, 25.1% have come from the free throw line, that is a conference best as Bowling Green (21.6%), Kent State (21.4%) and Northern Illinois (21.3%) are the only other schools above 20%.

• The Bulls sit at No. 9 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll from Monday evening.

• The check in at No. 15 in the Field of 68 Mid-Major Top-25 poll from Thursday evening.

• UB has recorded 12 20-point performances this season through 12 games. Last year they finished with just 16 such games.

• Daniel Freitag is just one of six players in Division I basketball to average 20.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 3.0 apg this season.

• Angelo Brizzi leads the team with 2.08 steals per game, good for 61st in the national and second in the MAC.

• Noah Batchelor leads the Bulls with the best +/- on the team at +99.

• Daniel Freitag leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring with 20.5 ppg.

• Daniel Freitag (246) and Ryan Sabol (189) have accounted for 46.3% of Buffalo's 940 points on the season.

• Daniel Freitag has made the second-most free throws in the NCAA with 85.

• Ryan Sabol recorded his 12^th game of his career with five or more three-pointers in a single game against Western Michigan when he went 5-for-12. He has 31 games with at least three three-pointers in his time in the blue and white.

• The Bulls sit at No. 9 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll on the evening of Monday, Dec. 15th. Teams in the poll on Buffalo's schedule are No. 3 Miami (OH), No. 8 Akron, No. 14 Kent State, RV UMass (38), Vermont (2), Bowling Green (1).

• The Bulls have recorded 8+ steals in seven of the 12 games this season. This has led to an average of 7.8 steals per game which is third in the MAC and 126th in the NCAA. The Bulls score an average of 14.7 points off of turnovers this season.

• In the Blue Ribbon MAC Preseason Forecast, sophomore transfer Daniel Freitag was named MAC Newcomer of the Year.

• Through 12 games, the Bulls have had 12 20-point performances by four different players. To open the season, Ryan Sabol scored 32 points against Southern Miss. and then scored 20 at DePaul. Against Green Bay, both Derrick Talton Jr. and Daniel Freitag scored 21 and 20, respectfully. Against RIT and Vermont, Freitag has scored a combined 60 points. He buried a career-high 33 points against the Catamounts. Angelo Brizzi scored a career-high 25 points against Bucknell. At Canisius, Sabol and Freitag scored 24 and 21, respectfully. Sabol then scored 21 points against St. Bonaventure. Freitag had his second 30-point performance at East Carolina where he recorded a 31-point, 11-rebound double-double. At Western Michigan, Freitag scored 20 points.

• Junior guard Ryan Sabol is Halcovage's longest tenured player. Sabol has played in every collegiate game during his time with the Bulls, including 69 starts.

• Ryan Sabol has scored 189 points this season, the second most on the team. He's currently tied for 36^th in program history in scoring with Lamonte Bearden (2014-16). After his 19-point performance at Western Michigan, Sabol passed Will Regan (2012-15, 882) and Brian Houston (1988-90, 866).

For all the latest on UB men's basketball, follow @UBuffaloMBB on Twitter/X, @ubuffalo_mbb on Instagram and like the UB Men's Basketball Facebook page.

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