BUFFALO, NY – Despite trailing for over 35 minutes on Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Bulls overcame multiple double-digit deficits to defeat Eastern Michigan, 80-70, in front of 3,417 fans at Alumni Arena.
The victory was UB's fourth straight and its sixth in its last seven games. The Bulls are now 14-9 on the season and 7-3 in Mid-American Conference play.
The visiting Eagles (11-12, 3-7 MAC) got off to a fast start as they . . .
The victory was UB's fourth straight and its sixth in its last seven games. The Bulls are now 14-9 on the season and 7-3 in Mid-American Conference play.
The visiting Eagles (11-12, 3-7 MAC) got off to a fast start as they . . .
. . . opened the game on an 18-3 run over the first six and a half minutes of action, but the 15-point lead would be their largest of the game.
Eastern Michigan continued to lead by as many as 13 with 5:50 left in the first half when the Bulls went on an 8-2 run to pull within 31-24. Still trailing by seven with 2:50 left, the Bulls scored the next six points, all from the free throw line, to pull within one before Eastern Michigan hit a long three at the buzzer to take a 36-32 lead into the break.
UB had a number of opportunities early in the second half where it cut the Eastern Michigan lead to just a single possession, but EMU went back up by double figures with 11:43 left as a layup from Ty Toney made it 54-44.
The Bulls continued to trail by nine with 8:51 left when a 14-5 run by UB tied the game up at 64-64 with 4:14 remaining following a second chance layup from senior Rodell Wigginton. Freshman CJ Massinburg then forced a turnover on the next EMU possession and was fouled going to lane. He hit two free throws with 3:57 left to give the Bulls their first lead of the day.
The Bulls continued to hold a two-point advantage with 2:00 left when sophomore Lamonte Bearden hit a pair of free throws to spark a mini 6-0 run.
Wigginton came up huge again as he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on the put-back and then junior Blake Hamilton capped the run off with a layup. UB held EMU scoreless over the final two minutes of the game and ended on an 8-0 run.
"Well that was an interesting game, at least it was exciting for the fans," said head coach Nate Oats. "We had a lead for all of 3:57 after that awful start, but I thought our guys competed out there and they outworked Eastern Michigan over the last eight minutes or so of that game. Rodell was our best player today and he was a big reason why we won."
Hamilton finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, the fifth time this year he has just missed a double-double with nine boards. Hamilton also added four assists, which tied a team high with Bearden, who also had 14 points, two steals and five rebounds.
Wigginton finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, including four of those on the offensive end. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Massinburg also finished with 12 points, a block and two steals.
Freshman Nick Perkins added nine points, while junior Willie Conner had eight. Senior Jarryn Skeete finished with four points, but led all players with three steals in the game.
The Eagles were led by freshman James Thompson IV, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds. EMU's leading scorer Raven Lee, who was coming off a 46-point game, was held to just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and recorded five turnovers.
After being outrebounded for much of the early portion of the game, the Bulls managed to end with an even rebounding margin at 42-42.
NEXT:
Toledo at Buffalo (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET)
Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET)
Eastern Michigan continued to lead by as many as 13 with 5:50 left in the first half when the Bulls went on an 8-2 run to pull within 31-24. Still trailing by seven with 2:50 left, the Bulls scored the next six points, all from the free throw line, to pull within one before Eastern Michigan hit a long three at the buzzer to take a 36-32 lead into the break.
UB had a number of opportunities early in the second half where it cut the Eastern Michigan lead to just a single possession, but EMU went back up by double figures with 11:43 left as a layup from Ty Toney made it 54-44.
The Bulls continued to trail by nine with 8:51 left when a 14-5 run by UB tied the game up at 64-64 with 4:14 remaining following a second chance layup from senior Rodell Wigginton. Freshman CJ Massinburg then forced a turnover on the next EMU possession and was fouled going to lane. He hit two free throws with 3:57 left to give the Bulls their first lead of the day.
The Bulls continued to hold a two-point advantage with 2:00 left when sophomore Lamonte Bearden hit a pair of free throws to spark a mini 6-0 run.
Wigginton came up huge again as he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on the put-back and then junior Blake Hamilton capped the run off with a layup. UB held EMU scoreless over the final two minutes of the game and ended on an 8-0 run.
"Well that was an interesting game, at least it was exciting for the fans," said head coach Nate Oats. "We had a lead for all of 3:57 after that awful start, but I thought our guys competed out there and they outworked Eastern Michigan over the last eight minutes or so of that game. Rodell was our best player today and he was a big reason why we won."
Hamilton finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, the fifth time this year he has just missed a double-double with nine boards. Hamilton also added four assists, which tied a team high with Bearden, who also had 14 points, two steals and five rebounds.
Wigginton finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, including four of those on the offensive end. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Massinburg also finished with 12 points, a block and two steals.
Freshman Nick Perkins added nine points, while junior Willie Conner had eight. Senior Jarryn Skeete finished with four points, but led all players with three steals in the game.
The Eagles were led by freshman James Thompson IV, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds. EMU's leading scorer Raven Lee, who was coming off a 46-point game, was held to just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and recorded five turnovers.
After being outrebounded for much of the early portion of the game, the Bulls managed to end with an even rebounding margin at 42-42.
NEXT:
Toledo at Buffalo (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET)
Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET)
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