In what has been a whirlwind beginning to the college basketball season, both Ohio State and Michigan State lost exhibition games to Division II squads Wednesday night while Bulls came dangerously close to being the first team of the year to lose a regular season game to a Division II squad.
The Bulls found every way to keep the Division II Ohio Valley Scots in the game as they struggled towards their 89-82 victory. The win advanced Buffalo to the final of the Storrs Regional of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer classic.
Junior forward Greg Gamble led the Bulls with a career-high 25 points while shooting eight for 12 from the field. Gamble was one of the few players that were able to perform at a high level for head coach Reggie Witherspoon.
"Greg performed very well tonight. He never got down, even though we weren't playing well. He always communicated positive things to his teammates," Witherspoon said. "They heard his heart beating throughout the game, and it kind of gave them a jumpstart."
Senior forward Andrew Atman came off the bench to provide a spark for the Bulls. Atman scored a career-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, also a career-high. Atman went three for three from the three-point line, two of which put the Bulls in the lead.
Witherspoon thought Atman played well, but believed that parts of his inside game needed work.
"We hope Andrew can continue to contribute three-pointers. He did a good job on the arch and he played decent overall," Witherspoon said. "With that said, they were able to give him problems on the post."
Overall, the post play was a problem for the Bulls, as they were out-rebounded by the much smaller Scots 35-32. The Scots had 12 offensive rebounds, which were converted into easy points.
"We didn't out-rebound them, and that hurts," Witherspoon said. "Early on we pressured, but that got them into a transition mindset and they started scoring fast buckets. Even when they missed shots, we were out of position, and they grabbed a few offensive rebounds and put them back in."
Witherspoon said that prior to the season the Bulls would run a much quicker-paced game than they had in previous seasons. Against the Scots, the Bulls got out to run whenever they could, pressuring the Scots early and often. The Bulls committed 26 turnovers, but forced 31 on defense. Witherspoon thought that the pressure worked, but there were a few kinks that need to be worked out.
"We pressured well, but there were times where we fouled too much," he said. "We still have a few breakdowns on defense and we have to correct those."
Last season, the Bulls struggled with turning over the ball to the opposing team, and this game was no different. They struggled to handle the ball, committing 26 turnovers. Sophomore guard Rodney Pierce led the team with five turnovers in limited action.
One positive for the Bulls was their performance from the free throw line. They shot 30 for 39 from the line, with many coming late in the game while the outcome was still in doubt. Last year, the Bulls struggled from the line, shooting only 69 percent from the charity stripe.
"We used to really struggle at the line, but we did a much better job tonight," Witherspoon said. "It was one of the few things we did well tonight."
The Bulls showed their depth against the Scots, using 13 of their players throughout the game. Two players got their first Division I playing time. Freshman forward Jawaan Alston went three for four from the floor scoring seven points. Junior forward Brian Addison contributed two points and two rebounds.
"It's really early, this is the earliest UB has ever played, and quite frankly, this is too early for any team to play," he said. "They presented problems with their quickness, and they played four guards most of the time."
With the win, the Bulls advanced to play the UConn Huskies, who were able to knock off the Morgan State Bears 65-62.
