Tourney-tough Bulls fight off CMU upset bid
By EVAN MEYER
CLEVELAND-The Buffalo Bulls advanced to the championship game of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Men’s Tournament with a hard fought 85-81 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas Friday evening at Quicken Loans Arena.
Buffalo (30-2) came back from an eight point deficit early in the second half to make the title game for the fourth time in the last five years and will come into the game with an 11-game winning streak.
“I’ll give our guys credit, though. They figured out how to win a game.” Bulls head coach Nate Oats said. “We couldn’t make a shot, we broke from three. I told them in the second half, ‘Look, this may not be our game to hit. We’re just going to have to figure out a different way. Were going to have to go get some offensive boards, turn them over, get some transition buckets.”
Senior CJ Massinburg led UB with 21 points including Buffalo’s last nine points over the final 2:23 to finally get the win
Junior Davonta Jordan had 16 points, while senior Nick Perkins provided 10.
Central Michigan (23-11) saw its tourney run of success come to an end. The Chippewas had bounced back for tournament wins over Western Michigan and Kent State after finishing the regular season dropping their final two games.
“We knew we were going to have to play great game to have an opportunity to beat them but it didn't happen.” CMU head coach Keno Davis said. “
All five Chippewas starters reached double figures. Junior Rob Montgomery led the quintet with 17 points, while junior Shawn Roundtree and senior Larry Austin each added 16. Kevin McKay (14) and David DiLeo (10) combined for another two dozen.
Both teams had the lead in the first half before the Chippewas opened a five-point lead at halftime 42-37 thanks to shooting 51.7 percent from the field (18-of-35) and turning the ball over just four times.
The visitors from Mount Pleasant forged as much as an eight point advantage, 41-43, when senior Di Leo connected on a layup with 14:27 remaining.
Buffalo scored the next six points to make it 61-59 with 12:21 remaining when Javon McCrea connected on two free throws.
From that point on, the game was close -- with the lead changing hands four times in the second period.
Massinburg, the 2018-19 MAC Player of the Year, then turned the lights out on NIU as he scored the last nine points for the Bulls going 7-of-8 from the free throw line and sinking a floating layup with 37.9 seconds remaining to secure Buffalo’s 11th straight victory.
When asked about Massinburg’s performance, Oats said, “I thought CJ was huge. He doesn’t miss many free throws, especially late in the game. When the game is on the line, I can’t remember the last time he missed a free throw. … So he goes to the line, hits them, and then our defense stepped up there late when we needed it.”
UB finished the contest shooting 47 percent (31-of-66) while only going 6-of-32 from beyond the arc. Buffalo dominated CMU on the glass 47-30. In addition, it converted eight CMU turnovers into 15 points and had 18 offensive rebounds -- leading to 18 points.
CMU also shot the ball 46.5 percent from the floor (32-of-56) and was 10-of-26 from three-point range. In the end, however, UB used its experience, and Massinburg, to advance to Saturday’s
CLEVELAND-The Buffalo Bulls advanced to the championship game of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Men’s Tournament with a hard fought 85-81 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas Friday evening at Quicken Loans Arena.
Buffalo (30-2) came back from an eight point deficit early in the second half to make the title game for the fourth time in the last five years and will come into the game with an 11-game winning streak.
“I’ll give our guys credit, though. They figured out how to win a game.” Bulls head coach Nate Oats said. “We couldn’t make a shot, we broke from three. I told them in the second half, ‘Look, this may not be our game to hit. We’re just going to have to figure out a different way. Were going to have to go get some offensive boards, turn them over, get some transition buckets.”
Senior CJ Massinburg led UB with 21 points including Buffalo’s last nine points over the final 2:23 to finally get the win
Junior Davonta Jordan had 16 points, while senior Nick Perkins provided 10.
Central Michigan (23-11) saw its tourney run of success come to an end. The Chippewas had bounced back for tournament wins over Western Michigan and Kent State after finishing the regular season dropping their final two games.
“We knew we were going to have to play great game to have an opportunity to beat them but it didn't happen.” CMU head coach Keno Davis said. “
All five Chippewas starters reached double figures. Junior Rob Montgomery led the quintet with 17 points, while junior Shawn Roundtree and senior Larry Austin each added 16. Kevin McKay (14) and David DiLeo (10) combined for another two dozen.
Both teams had the lead in the first half before the Chippewas opened a five-point lead at halftime 42-37 thanks to shooting 51.7 percent from the field (18-of-35) and turning the ball over just four times.
The visitors from Mount Pleasant forged as much as an eight point advantage, 41-43, when senior Di Leo connected on a layup with 14:27 remaining.
Buffalo scored the next six points to make it 61-59 with 12:21 remaining when Javon McCrea connected on two free throws.
From that point on, the game was close -- with the lead changing hands four times in the second period.
Massinburg, the 2018-19 MAC Player of the Year, then turned the lights out on NIU as he scored the last nine points for the Bulls going 7-of-8 from the free throw line and sinking a floating layup with 37.9 seconds remaining to secure Buffalo’s 11th straight victory.
When asked about Massinburg’s performance, Oats said, “I thought CJ was huge. He doesn’t miss many free throws, especially late in the game. When the game is on the line, I can’t remember the last time he missed a free throw. … So he goes to the line, hits them, and then our defense stepped up there late when we needed it.”
UB finished the contest shooting 47 percent (31-of-66) while only going 6-of-32 from beyond the arc. Buffalo dominated CMU on the glass 47-30. In addition, it converted eight CMU turnovers into 15 points and had 18 offensive rebounds -- leading to 18 points.
CMU also shot the ball 46.5 percent from the floor (32-of-56) and was 10-of-26 from three-point range. In the end, however, UB used its experience, and Massinburg, to advance to Saturday’s
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