NCAA Basketball Buffalo defeats Bowling Green

It wasn't a pretty win but it was a win, that should be more than enough for UB fans given the Bulls 0-3 start to the season. It was Buffalo's first win against a division one opponent since the Bulls won at home against Niagara on December eighth.

Javon McCrea scored his third straight double double while Jarryn Skeete scored a career high 16 points to lead Buffalo in their comeback victory over Bowling Green at Buffalo's Alumni Arena this Saturday evening.

Bowling Green opened up a ten point lead in the first three minutes of the game. Jordan Crawford scored eight of his eighteen points during that first three and a half minute run. While their overall shooting would cool down they stayed hot throughout the first half from beyond the arch.

Their six out of eight three point shooting led the Falcons to a 33-25 half time lead.

"Going into the game we talked about the ball finding rhythm. I thought tonight we did a better job of that, particularly in the second half. I thought the opening minute and a half, two minutes of the second half our guys demonstrated a lot of determination." -- Buffalo Coach Reggie Witherspoon

Auraum Nuiriankh and Javon McCrea took over early in the second. Within two minutes Auraum Nuiriankh hit a three-pointer and after a pair of McCrea free throws, hit a layup and was fouled. A Nuiriankh free throw knotted the game up.

From that point until the closing minutes the game would be characterized by Bowling green building a three or four possession lead before UB pulled back to withing a score.

Finally after a few minutes of back and fourth lead changes McCrea then gave Buffalo the lead for good when he took a feed from Nuiriankh and hit a layup to put the Bulls ahead, 65-63, with 31 seconds remaining.

Three Point Shot:

1) The good second half does not excuse the first half - UB has been terrible at threes pretty much the entire season. During the second half tonight they went a respectable 4-9 and choking on 3-12 in the first half. The Bulls seem most effective from three point land when they only take the perfect shots, anything more than 10 in a half spells trouble.

2) Bowling Greens big mistake, where was the zone - The zone typically kills UB's offense when they have an effective point guard and good shooting. This season they have had neither so why then did Bowling Green spend most of the game in a man to man?

3) It's an uphill battle but this season is still salvageable - Of course the definition of salvageable has changed from a good seed in Cleveland to a home game in the first round. Aside from Akron UB's next six games are winnable. That would take UB back into the hard MAC east finish at 6-5 in conference and 10-13 overall.

Post of the game thread:

It was a lonely game thread but Conrad put in a post worth remembering...

Our strategy can best be described as revolutionary,

As in The Revolutionary War….

SHOOT, stop, reload, take damage, ok ready again SHOOT

The Numbers: