For their second game in a row, the Bulls pushed their match into overtime with last-second sharp shooting. Last time they used the newfound energy to bowl over the Falcons; this time, however, it wasn't enough for a win.
At least their opponents didn't have to shower twice this time.
In front of a boisterous Buffalo crowd, the Bulls (11-15, 3-9 Mid-American Conference) ran out of gas in overtime as they fell to the Detroit Titans (10-15, 5-9 Horizon League) 92-84 in overtime.
Regulation ended in dramatic fashion when sophomore guard Eric Moore tied the game at 77 on a three-point bucket with 1:04 remaining.
Detroit had their chances to end the game, but misfired numerous times on their final possession, missing four shots and grabbing three offensive rebounds in the final 28 seconds of regulation. Detroit guard Brandon Cotton rebounded his own missed shot, only to see his put back lay-up fall just short, extending the game an five extra minutes.
In overtime, the Bulls came out flat, missing their first seven attempts from the field and were outscored 13-3 before senior guard Darwin Young put in the Bulls first overtime basket from the field with 13 seconds reaming.
"We took some quick shots," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "Adrenaline started to make our decisions for us. Some of that is inexperience, but we have to get better at that."
Throughout regulation the lead changed 14 times, including eight ties. Neither team ever held more than an eight-point lead until overtime. Buffalo held a six-point lead with 6:30 remaining in regulation until an 11-4 Detroit run put the Titans ahead for good.
Buffalo's bench kept the game close in the first half, eventually leaving the Bulls with a 40-38 lead at halftime. Of the 40 points scored by the Bulls, 29 came from players not in the starting lineup.
"We had to have some really good effort from some people off the bench just to be in a position to do what we did," Witherspoon said.
Seldom seen junior forward Andrew Atman had a career night, scoring eight points and five rebounds in just nine minutes of first half action. The seven-footer finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in only 15 minutes of action.
"I wasn't shocked at Andrew's play," Witherspoon said. "He's strung together some really good practices. That's why we went to him. Just him being in the program a while allowed him to carry those practices to the game. Hopefully he continues that."
In addition to Atman, sophomore forward Vadim Fedotov came off the bench to put in eight first half point. Moore finished the first half with 13 points and 19 in the game, thanks in part to making five of his 10 three point attempts. Overall, 11 Bulls saw action in the game.
"It's a rotation thing, seeing who's affective," Witherspoon said. "When a guy is playing well he is going to play more. I've never placed a huge value on who starts."
Following his record night on Tuesday, in which he scored 28 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, senior forward Yassin Idbihi struggled throughout the game. Despite eight rebounds, Idbihi shot only 3-13 from the field, including two three-point attempts in overtime that only hit the backboard.
Cotton, a MacDonald's All-American coming out of high school, finished the game with 22 points. Center Ryvon Covile dominated the paint for the Titans, pulling down 12 rebounds and leading the team with 23 points.
"We knew cotton would be difficult to keep down," Witherspoon said. "He was able to dominate us off the dribble. He was effective at shooting the ball as well. He showed why he's a MacDonald's All-American."
Overall in the game, Detroit out-rebounded the number one rebounded team in the entire MAC 42-32.
"They really dominated us on the glass," Witherspoon said. "I don't know if anyone has beat us on the glass like they did. We weren't tough enough in the trenches. Rebounding is effort; you can always get out-rebounded. They outfought us on the glass."
Following this loss the Bulls are now 2-8 in their last 10 games and are embarking on back-to-back road games against conference rivals Kent State and Miami (Ohio). Buffalo will play Wednesday night against the Golden Flashes of Kent State and Saturday afternoon against Miami.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
