After opening their season with three games away from Alumni Arena, the men's basketball team returned to their friendly confines for two games over break.
The Bulls fell behind by double digits in both games and made resilient comebacks to make each contest winnable. They were unable to finish the comeback against Big Four rival Niagara, losing 65-61, but completed the turnaround against reigning Atlantic-10 champion Temple, winning 83-73.
Against the Purple Eagles (5-1), Buffalo (3-2) struggled in the first half, shooting only 25 percent from 3-point range and trailing 42-31 at half.
"We had our chances to win and we didn't take advantage of those chances," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "Everything from missed layups to dunks to free throws and on top of that, turnovers. That was the game."
The Bulls' defense seemed a step slower than Niagara during the first 20 minutes. They were forced to commit fouls against the aggressive Purple Eagles, who went 11 for 13 from the free throw line early on.
Buffalo came out a different team in the second-half. After falling down by 13, the Bulls scored eight unanswered points to cut the lead to 44-39 with 18:07 left.
Although Niagara rebounded, gaining leads of 50-41 and 60-53, Buffalo continued to battle back, preventing the Purple Eagles to run away with the game.
The Bulls would eventually cut the lead to one with less than a minute left. They got the ball with a chance to take the lead, but junior guard Calvin Betts' layup attempt was rejected by Niagara center Benson Egemonye.
Buffalo still had a chance after two Niagara free throws, but junior guard Rodney Pierce's three-point attempt hit back iron and sealed the Bulls' fate.
Despite a much stronger defensive effort in the second half, the Bulls were unable to capitalize. They only made nine baskets in the second half and shot just 55.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Freshman forward Mitchell Watt had his first standout performance as a Bull. He scored 13 points and took down six rebounds in his first start. Pierce led the Bulls with 16 points and added seven rebounds. Senior guard Greg Gamble also finished in double-digits, scoring 11 points to go along with his eight rebounds and six assists.
Buffalo looked to recover against Temple (3-2) on Saturday. The Owls, led by NBA prospect Dionte Christmas, got off to a hot start and jumped out to an early 34-20 lead. Christmas had 16 points at halftime.
"We knew Christmas was good," Witherspoon said. "I was told the front of [Temple's] media guide says 'Five Months of Christmas' and it looked like all five months came in the first half."
Despite Christmas' explosive start, the Bulls finished the half with some momentum. Senior guard Andy Robinson sank a layup to cut the lead to 39-33 at halftime.
Temple came out in the second half and regained momentum, building up a 12-point lead with 13:01 left.
Unlike the Niagara game, Buffalo was able to take advantage of a strong defensive effort. The Bulls went on a 14-0 run, capped off by a Robinson dunk that brought the crowd to its feet and gave the Bulls a 58-56 lead.
The Owls would get the lead one more time at 62-60 with 6:41 left, but the Bulls had control of the game down the stretch. They scored on their final 13 possessions and finished the game with a 23-11 run.
Buffalo shot lights out during the second half, something they failed to do against Niagara. They shot 61.5 percent from the floor, making 16 of 26 shots.
The Bulls also made their free throws down the stretch. They shot 16 of 21 in the second half, giving the Owls no chance to come back.
"We were better at the free throw line, we have been working at it, but we have been capable of being a good free throw shooting team," Witherspoon said. "... We've had practices where as a team we shot 80 percent which is difficult to do."
Buffalo's execution must be flawless if they want to win their next game. The Connecticut Huskies (7-0), ranked second in the country by the Associated Press, travel to Alumni Arena and hope to keep their unbeaten record alive.
Witherspoon knows they provide a challenge that will be hard to overcome.
"As unstoppable as Christmas was in the first half that's as unstoppable as UConn has been as well. They are ranked No. 2 in the country for a reason," he said.
Tip-off against UConn is 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
