It was one of the most exciting, nerve-wracking, heart-stopping games of the season, but the Buffalo Bulls took down the Central Michigan Chippewas 99-93 last night. It wasn’t all pretty, but the Bulls escaped with a win. Overall I was most impressed with the resilience of this team. In the loss to Miami, the Bulls abandoned their game plan which led to them losing the game. This time, the Bulls stuck to what they wanted to do, and ended up coming out on top. Let’s take a look at some of the other good from the game.
The Good
CJ Massinburg
The kid’s been a stud since his first game at UB. Last night was just a conformation of the special player we have. Massinburg, had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Most importantly, he was able to deliver in the clutch. With the eventual game winning lay up and game clinching FTs, Massinburg never quit. It seemed like whenever we needed a big shot, Massinburg was delivering. So bravo CJ Buckets, take a bow.
Perimeter Defense
Everyone knows the story line when playing CMU. How will you stop Marcus Keene and Braylon Rayson. The Bulls did a wonderful job pressuring these two on the perimeter which led to poor shooting nights. Keene was 6/19 while Rayson was just 8/17. Yes they scored 27 and 28 respectively, but you have to look past those numbers to see the real story. The Bulls defense was led by Willie Conner, Dontay Caruthers, and yes, CJ Massinburg. Those three are the top defenders in the MAC, and are the reason the Bulls could win their third straight MAC Championship.
The Bad
Blowing the Lead
While it is never good to blow a lead, do think this should growth for the team. As stated earlier, this was the first time this season where I didn’t see the team panic. Yes they did allow CMU to tie it up, but they stuck to what they do best. They got to the rim. They briefly went in to panic three point mode, but were able to snap out of it. That shows me the type of growth and resilience I look for in a championship caliber team.
The Ugly
Blake Hamilton’s two point FGs
Sadly, Blake was just 1-13 from inside the arc. Which is never a good percentage. However, Blake was 3-5 from beyond the arc. It’s a weird stat to see someone shoot so well from beyond the arc but struggle from two. If you watched this game you would notice that Blake would often drive, get it poked a little, and put up an uneven shot. I loved how Hamilton got to the rim, I just hope that more fall in later games.
Overall I was happy with this game. But full admittance, this GBU is a little short because I was sick all day yesterday and don’t remember all the intricacies of the game. I’d love to hear from others what they thought about this game, and if I missed anything. Overall, I’m stoked with how well the Bulls have played recently. If they continue to play as well as they have, all I can say is, look out Cleveland.