The Buffalo Bulls returned to Alumni Arena on Tuesday night and brought their new up-tempo offense with them.
Buffalo (2-1) defeated the South Florida Bulls (0-2) of the Big East Conference, 76-69, in a game that showcased Buffalo's speed and depth. Twelve Buffalo players saw action in the game and every player attempted at least one field goal.
"I think that what's important with depth is that when you've got a young team you're trying to develop, it's hard to develop if you're never on the floor," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "Sometimes it's troubling...But it's good from a standpoint that they're pretty young and they may not necessarily have the burden of having to go out and play a lot of long minutes. Just play as hard as you can and you have teammates that will help you."
Buffalo native Rodney Pierce, led the Bulls with 20 points. The sophomore guard, who sat out all of last season per NCAA transfer rules, shot 8-for-10 from the floor and led Buffalo with three steals. Pierce got the Bulls going early, scoring eight points on four of the team's first six field goals.
"We're kind of a team that runs," Witherspoon said. "We can kind of go on runs a little bit and we just have to keep our focus."
Junior guard Sean Smiley, who succumbed to season-ending injuries each of the last two years, played 21 minutes for the Bulls. Smiley scored 16 points, going 4-9 from beyond the arc. Eleven of those points came in the first half and energized Buffalo to an eight-point lead mid-way through the half. Witherspoon said it was good to see Smiley back on the court healthy.
Buffalo ended the first half on a 9-0 run and went into the locker room ahead, 44-36.
"I said to the guys at half time, 'We're just a couple notches away from controlling the game,'" Witherspoon said. "And I don't know if we ever really got complete control of it but we were knocking on that door. I think we were able to have a few good defensive possessions cause for a while we went about 4-5 minutes without a stop...So thankfully we've got enough guys that view themselves as regulars. And I think that helped us get through it."
The Bulls from south of the border came out strong in the second half, going on a 10-4 run to cut Buffalo's lead to only four.
Buffalo was able to regain the momentum, if only for a short time at the 16:06 mark, as a block by junior guard Andy Robinson set up Pierce for an easy lay-in. After another three pointer from Pierce, South Florida went on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 57 with 11:54 remaining, but was never able to capture the lead. Buffalo answered by going on an 11-2 run of their own. While the visiting Bulls were able to get within three points of that lead, the home squad never relinquished their advantage.
Buffalo was able to capitalize on 14 fast break points and scored 31 points off of turnovers. Buffalo added 11 steals, led by three from Pierce.
Guard Jesus Verdejo led South Florida with 8 points while center Kentrell Grandsberry contributed a game-high 10 rebounds. South Florida dominated the game in terms of second chance points, outscoring Buffalo 21-9 in that category. South Florida also forced 20 Buffalo turnovers.
"I thought it was a good team win," Witherspoon said. "We played with a level of assertiveness and aggressiveness that really helped us. We've still got a ways to go and we're a better free throw shooting team than we shot. We had some anxious turnovers. We got anxious a little bit but I think all in all it was a good team win. It's good start for us."
Buffalo shot just 50 percent from the line, going 6-14 in the second half. Junior guard Greg Gamble went 0-4 from the charity stripe and was at the line three times in the final minute with Buffalo up 72-67. Gamble, who led the team with four assists but played most of the second half with three fouls, missed on all three attempts.
Sophomore forward Max Bourdreau led Buffalo with eight rebounds and Pierce added seven of his own. Robinson and sophomore guard Byron Mulkey each chipped in seven points.
Buffalo next plays on the road against Big Four rival Niagara on Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Gallagher Center. The Bulls then travel take on another Big East opponent in Pittsburgh on Friday, Nov. 23.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
