All the Bulls wanted was a chance, and they almost took advantage of it.
Buffalo did not have the same talent as the powerful Connecticut Huskies, but with scrappy play and a refusal to back down to a more experienced, more physical team, the Bulls willed their way into a back-and-forth contest with the Huskies. It was a match that came down the final exciting minute, the Bulls coming up on the losing end, 68-64
Unfortunately, it was an unselfish lack of execution by junior guard Rodney Pierce that cost Buffalo (3-3) a chance to extend the contest.
Down 66-64 with 18.9 seconds left, Pierce drove the lane with the clock winding down. Instead of pulling up for a jumper, Pierce tried to deliver a pass to junior forward Max Boudreau in the clustered lane. The ball was deflected and landed in the hands of UConn guard Kemba Walker, who took the ball, made two free throws and sealed the Bulls' fate while capping off No. 2 Connecticut's (8-0) escape.
"I was trying to penetrate and either go for a layup or kick it to one of my teammates," Pierce said. "I saw Thabeet step up and tried to make a bounce pass Boudreau for a layup."
Head coach Reggie Witherspoon knew the last play could have been huge, but does not blame it for the loss.
"We had a lot of other situations that arouse during the course of the game that could have helped put us into a better position," he said.
The costly turnover may haunt Pierce, but it will nonetheless erase a brilliant performance by the Hutch Tech alum. He finished with a career-high 28 points and five rebounds.
The performance got quite a reaction for legendary Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, who was not short of compliments when it came to describing Pierce's performance.
"He's certainly a terrific player and a good shooter. He could certainly play in the Big East," he said.
Buffalo certainly gave Calhoun nightmares as the underdog Bulls opened up with efficient play and did not stop until the clock reached zero. The lead changed 15 times over the course of the game with neither team gaining a lead larger than eight.
Even when UConn had momentum and gained a seven-point lead with 4:18 remaining in the contest, Buffalo battled back and prevented the Huskies from feeling safe.
"I really give Reggie [Witherspoon] credit by staying with his starters even when they started falling four or five down, they kept moving," Calhoun said. "... It's one of those few games where I go home happy that we're 8-0 but really feeling bad for the Buffalo kids. They played well enough to do something special in their minds."
Pierce and the Bulls got off to a hot start to set the tone for the ensuing battle. Pierce scored the first three baskets to get Buffalo off to a 6-0 lead. The Rider transfer went on to score on his first seven shots, the last one coming in the form of a running banker that gave Buffalo a 26-25 lead in the first half.
He would also score the final basket of the half, tying the game at 32 with three seconds left and sending the 4,899 fans to a standing ovation.
Neither team held a lead larger than three points during the first ten minutes of the second half. UConn forward Jeff Adrien, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, scored a layup with 9:56 left to give UConn a 52-51 lead. It was the last lead change of the game.
The lead swelled up to as much as seven points with time winding down, but Buffalo went on a mini 4-0 run, capped off by a Boudreau jumper that cut the lead to 63-60 with 2:33 left. Boudreau was the only other Bull that hit double-figures, scoring 10 points off the bench.
After an Adrien dunk and a free throw by center Hasheem Thabeet, who dominated the post with 21 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, the Bulls faced a 66-60 deficit. Four straight Rodney Pierce free throws after a couple Buffalo stops put the score at 66-64 with 43 seconds left.
Buffalo would confuse the Huskies by instilling a full-court trap after the final Pierce free throw. Huskie freshman Kemba Walker was caught in the corner and eventually traveled, giving Buffalo the ball back with 37 seconds remaining.
On the following possession, Pierce missed a layup but grabbed an offensive board, setting up what has become the play that broke the hearts of Buffalo players, coaches and fans.
"I thought the effort was good, we just have to position ourselves to learn from this." Witherspoon said.
The Bulls continue their homestand Saturday afternoon against Florida International as part of a double-header. The women's basketball team kicks off the doubleheader with a game against Hofstra at 1 p.m., with the men expected to tip-off around 3 p.m.
