Following a stretch during which the Bulls lost nine straight games including two double-overtime heartbreakers, the men's basketball team showed on Sunday night that they are learning what it takes to close out games.
With a victory over Eastern Michigan on Sunday evening, the Bulls (8-14, 2-8 Mid-American Conference) were able to win their second game in a row and earn a much needed conference victory.
"It was a hard fought game and I'm just glad our guys responded. And the progress that they've been making shows," said Bulls head coach Reggie Witherspoon.
Sophomore guard Byron Mulkey hit a jump shot with 47.8 seconds left that put the Bulls up 66-64. Following two more free throws from Mulkey with the clock winding down, Buffalo was able to capture a 68-64 win over the Eagles (8-14, 4-6 MAC).
"I was just taking what the defense gave me," Mulkey said. "When the ball was kicked to me I knew I was going to attack. [The defender] laid off so I was able to get some lift on my shot and it went in...I've made the shot plenty of times so my confidence was at a high level."
Mulkey finished the game with 12 points and four assists in 31 minutes of action for the relatively young Bulls.
Coming off the bench, sophomore guard Calvin Betts led the team with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Sunday's game marked the 11th straight that Betts has led the team in rebounding.
Junior guard Andy Robinson, with a game-high four steals, joined junior forward Greg Gamble as the only Bulls to log at least 30 minutes of playing time.
"You hate to go through some of the things we went through (with the losing), but at the same time, these guys are on the floor, and they're getting the chance to play," Witherspoon said. "And there are some other guys in the league that are sophomores that can't get on the floor because they have seniors in front of them. As far as our lineup, we're comfortable with it and learning from it."
Buffalo had their largest lead of the game when sophomore guard Rodney Pierce made a three point shot to give the Bulls a 45-35 advantage with 15:28 left in the second half. The Eagles eventually chipped away at that lead to take a 57-55 lead with 8:28 remaining. Following a pair of Bulls timeouts, sophomore guard Sean Smiley found himself at the free throw line with 6:04 to play. Smiley's shot hit the rim, but Betts took the rebound and scored to tie the game, 57-57. The Bulls would not trail for the rest of the game.
"For me, the difference is working hard and just wanting it more, who has the bigger heart," Betts said. "I don't think it's a size thing, just who wants it the most."
Witherspoon agreed with the 6-foot-3, 225-pound guard's assessment of himself.
"He's been giving us a lot of energy and a lot of effort and a lot of determination. Like he said, it's really about those things. Effort, determination, which he summed up in saying heart...I'd rather have a guy with those attributes than a much taller guy who doesn't have those things," Witherspoon said.
Smiley once again provided the Bulls with a spark from the bench, capitalizing on three of six shots from three-point territory. Smiley's pair of treys early in the first half allowed the Bulls to take an early seven-point lead that they would only relinquish once. When Eastern Michigan did take the lead back on a three-point shot by Zane Gay with 10:30 left in the half, Smiley, hit a three and put the Bulls up 19-17 on the next possession. Buffalo went into the half with a 34-26 lead.
Carlos Medlock scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Eastern Michigan. The All-MAC guard also added a six assists in a game-high 36 minutes of action. Medlock also tied the game at 64 on a pair of free throws with 1:44 left before Mulkey's jumper gave the Bulls their final lead of the game.
The Eagles had several chances in the closing seconds, but Medlock, Jarred Axon, and Tyler Jones all missed three-point shots that would have made it a one-possession game.
The Bulls next host Ball State (3-19, 2-8 MAC) on Wednesday. Tip-off from Alumni Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
