"With starters benched, freshmen snap skid"

A starting lineup of four freshmen proved to be just what the doctor ordered, as the Bulls halted a four-game losing streak on Saturday against the conference doormat, Central Michigan.

Head coach Reggie Witherspoon's prescription for the 73-59 victory was flawless, although it didn't involve X's and O's or an inspired speech. Instead, this recipe for success called for familiar faces Rod Middleton and Calvin Cage, both senior guards and fixtures in the Bulls starting lineup, to start the game on the bench.

Buffalo (16-8, 6-7 Mid-American Conference) avenged a disturbing home loss from earlier in the season, which gave the Chippewas their only conference victory on the year.

Buffalo's newly renovated starting five was comprised of the freshman-foursome of guards Andy Robinson and Eric Moore and forwards Christian Schmidt and Greg Gamble. The only veteran that made it into Saturday's starting lineup was junior center Yassin Idbihi.

"We didn't change because we were losing," Witherspoon said. "We wanted to better our play. We've got to play harder. If we do that, we'll get better."

Three minutes into the game, Cage, Middleton, senior forward Mario Jordan and junior guard Darwin Young checked in and provided the spark Buffalo needed.

With 16:15 remaining in the first half, the Bulls trailed by five to Central Michigan (3-18 overall, 1-12 MAC). With a 10-0 run, Buffalo was able to turn the five-point deficit into a five-point lead and the Bulls never looked back.

Following 10 successful free throws and a barrage of seven three-pointers, the Bulls entered halftime with a 39-26 lead.

During the second frame, both teams traded buckets, until a CMU run midway through the second half cut the Bulls' margin to seven. That was the closest the Chippewas came for the rest of the game.

Shortly after draining two three-point baskets, freshman guard Sean Smiley came up with a momentum-changing steal. Smiley then sent an outlet pass to Cage, and although Cage was unable to convert the layup, Smiley was there for the rebound and the put-back.

Emulating the usual starting five, Smiley came into the game as an off-the-bench contributor that wound up with 10 points, including two threes, making him one of five Bulls' players in double figures.

"That really helped us," Witherspoon said. "Sean Smiley came in and provided us with a lift."

Leading Buffalo's balanced scoring attack was Cage with 17 points, including 4-for-10 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Jordan scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Middleton added 12 points and five boards, and Idbihi recorded 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, giving him his second straight double-double, and fifth of the season.

Coming into the game the Bulls had been struggling with turnovers, as they averaged 24.6 over the last five road contests, and although they pulled out the win, Saturday was no different. Buffalo was able to overcome its 21 giveaways with its dominance in rebounding and three-point shooting.

As a team, the Bulls drained 10 shots from three-point land, shooting a blistering 50 percent from behind the arc. Buffalo's 37 rebounds, including 15 offensive boards, were also a decisive factor in the victory, as Central Michigan only pulled down 28 boards.

The Bulls' bench outscored the Chippewas' bench by a margin of 61-4. That stat is a bit misleading, though, since typical starters Middleton and Cage and key contributor Jordan all started the game on the pine.

Junior forward Sefton Barrett and sophomore guard Giordan Watson paced the Chippewas in scoring. Barrett finished with a game-high 24 points, and Watson chipped in 15 points along with six assists.

Although the new starting lineup yielded a much-needed win, Witherspoon said there are no guarantees that his team is back on the winning side of the ball.

"We'll take a look at it. We'll look at what happens in practice on Monday," Witherspoon said. "Let's play hard and see where that leaves us."

The Bulls will look to give themselves a shot at a winning streak in a Wednesday night showdown with Kent State at Alumni Arena. The Golden Flashes (16-7, 10-2 MAC) are currently in second place in the MAC behind Akron. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.