Bulls stay atop East

There was doubt that the men's basketball team could defeat Miami (OH) without play from junior forward Calvin Betts.

???Andy Robinson and the Buffalo Bulls proved otherwise.

???The senior guard, stepping in for Betts as he attended his grandfather's funeral, led the Bulls (12-5, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) to a 76-64 victory against the RedHawks (10-7, 3-2 MAC). Saturday's win gives Buffalo sole possession of first place in the MAC East.

???"It was great for our guys to come in here shorthanded, in front of the biggest Miami crowd we have ever seen and to stay together long enough to fight through the adversity," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "The guys learned a bit more about themselves."

???While Betts returned home, Robinson filled his shoes and was the main factor in Buffalo's victory. Robinson scored a game high 16 points, in addition to four rebounds, two steals and two assists.

???Junior guard Rodney Pierce also contributed to the victory, adding 13 points, a blocked shot and seven rebounds for the squad. Freshman forward Titus Robinson added 11 points, one steal, one blocked shot, one rebound and two assists.

???In the first half, the RedHawks scored first as Miami's Michael Bramos scored a 3-pointer, but Buffalo flew to the net in response. The Bulls earned a 12-3 lead with only 15:56 remaining on the clock. They continued to hold large leads against the RedHawks, holding a 41-21 lead with 2:34 left and a 43-23 lead with only 1:57 left in the half. At the buzzer, the Bulls had an astounding 43-25 lead with a 23-13 advantage in rebounds.

???As the second half came to fruition, the RedHawks found an answer to Buffalo's play. While the Bulls initially had an 18-point lead in the first minute of the half, the RedHawks immediately came back in the game.

???Miami (OH)'s Antonio Ballard hit two three-pointers with 7:42 remaining to put the RedHawks behind by only one point, 56-55. That was the final scare for the Bulls as Buffalo began to establish a larger lead with 4:35 left in the contest. At the end of the game, the Bulls had a 32-30 advantage in rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field.

???"This was a great Saturday for basketball, and Buffalo would not allow us to have it," said Miami coach Charlie Coles. "They came out with just a bunch of energy and we didn't have any. It seemed like the faster they got, the slower we got. And, in the first half, the more they jumped, the less we jumped."

???Bramos led the RedHawks with 18 points, while Ballard had 15 points and Tyler Dierkers contributed with 14.

???Buffalo's victory against the RedHawks was only their fifth out of 22 matches. It was also their fourth straight victory for the Bulls. They have won seven of their last eight, with their only loss against Bowling Green.

???The Bulls are back on the road Tuesday night against Western Michigan. The Broncos are currently No. 1 in the MAC West, with a 4-1 conference record.

???Tipoff is at 7 p.m.