???Oh, how times have changed.
???The men's basketball team, once mediocre at best, is starting to open the eyes of those in the Mid-American Conference.
???After a hard-fought loss in last week's MAC opener against Bowling Green, the men's basketball team was able to vindicate themselves Tuesday with a road win over the Akron Zips.
???With close to 25 seconds left on the game clock, and the score held even at 61, the awareness of junior Rodney Pierce led him to Calvin Betts cutting backdoor for two points and the win, with the final score 63-61.
???The Bulls and head coach Reggie Witherspoon have orchestrated game-winning plays numerous times this season, so it was no surprise to see him call up the play to win the game.
???"We drew the play up," Witherspoon said. "There were some options, but that was the look we were looking for. We haven't run the play in a couple of games. We had some backdoor options earlier in the game and knew we could use it. We have some plays which are just reads and reactions, and it takes awhile. When you've got guys who have been playing for awhile, juniors and seniors on the floor, it helps with executing plays like that."
???This win marks the first time since the 2004-05 season that the Bulls (9-5, 1-1 MAC) were able to be victorious at Rhodes Arena. It was only the seventh loss for the Zips (8-7, 0-2 MAC) in their last 65 home games.
???This contest was no walk in the park by any means for the Bulls. With the defenses of both teams keeping the game tight, it was impossible for either team to get a comfortable lead on the other. This resulted in 15 ties and 10 lead changes, and neither team trailed the other by more than eight points at anytime throughout the game.
???With Buffalo leading into the half 35-33, the objective of both coaches in the locker room was to figure out how to generate some offense and get some points on the board. However, the winner of the game was ultimately determined by a shoot-out from the free-throw line.
???The final 12 minutes of the game consisted of both teams combining for three field goals and 23 points from the charity stripe. Akron converted 18 of 27 attempts from the line, but it was the Bulls' ability to convert 22 of 27 free throw shots that put Buffalo over the top.
???The strong shooting is a dramatic improvement for the Bulls, who lost last week against Bowling Green mainly because they only made 12 out of 22 free throw attempts.
???Leading the way for the Bulls was Betts with 14 points and a game high seven rebounds, followed by freshman Titus Robinson with 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 12 minutes of playing time. Pierce and senior Vadim Fedotov chipped in 10 points each.
???Chris McKnight led the Zips in scoring with 16 points off of the bench, while younger brother Brett McKnight added in 12 and Darryl Roberts contributed 11 points.
???Witherspoon praised his team for its hard work, and stated that if his team continues to do the little things, it will always be in games.
???"It was a hard-fought game. I thought Akron played extremely tough, especially given the youth on the team. They really played hard and got themselves back in the game and I thought our guys did the same. It is a difficult place to win and all the little things like shooting free throws, passing, catching, blocking out, and loose balls were a factor. Both teams were out of timeouts at the end and it was just really a hard-fought game."
???The men's team will return to Alumni Arena this Saturday against Ohio. Game time is 4 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
