???For a moment, the men's basketball team looked like it was back to its winning ways in Saturday's BracketBuster matchup versus Vermont.
???Mike Trimboli wouldn't let that happen.
???The guard led the Catamounts (22-7) with 24 points and seven assists as he and his squad dropped the Bulls (17-8) at Patrick Gym, 78-70. It was Vermont's 13th win in 14 games.
???"I'm happy we won the game, as we did a better job in the second half," said Vermont head coach Mike Lonergan. "Our crowd was terrific and kept us up and we escaped and won ugly in the end. We are happy to get that win and it was great to get exposure for our program."
???From the tip-off, the Bulls came out flying. Freshman forward Mitchell Watt provided the game's first points with a dunk that sparked Buffalo's first and only run. ???Buffalo connected on nine straight shots, giving it a 19-6 lead. Senior forward Greg Gamble added to the run, hitting a layup, and gave the Bulls a 22-15 lead halfway in the half.
???With 4:56 left in the first half, the tide turned for the Bulls. Catamount guard Joey Accaoui's 3-pointer gave Vermont its first lead of the game at 31-30. It was the beginning of the end when junior guard John Boyer's back-to-back 3-pointers helped the Bulls regain the lead.
???A 10-0 run by the Catamounts gave Vermont the lead, something it would not relinquish for the rest of the match. Junior guard Rodney Pierce's buzzer beating 3-pointer ended the half, 41-39.
???Bulls head coach Reggie Witherspoon didn't think that the sold-out crowd had too much of an impact on how Buffalo played.
???"I think if a team gets rattled, they are going to end up with a lot of turnovers," he said. "That didn't happen. I can't say we [were rattled], but they had a loud student section. It presented a challenge."
???Another factor in the game was the play of both Watt and freshman forward Titus Robinson. Robinson had 11 points and five rebounds, while Watt finished with seven points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
"I thought our young guys got some experience," Witherspoon said. "We gave them a chance to get on the floor and it comes with a price. This was the perfect opportunity to see what they could do."
???With 5:12 left in the game, Vermont continued to rack up points and gained a 67-51 lead. Buffalo then showed a sign of life and cut the deficit to 10 points with 3:24 left, 69-59.
???Junior guard Byron Mulkey then sparked what looked to be an attempt at a comeback for the Bulls. He earned a steal that led to a layup by senior guard Andy Robinson, which made the score 74-66. Pierce then hit a jumped, cutting the lead to only six points with 1:16 remaining.
???The lead dropped to five points after Titus Robinson hit a free throw with 53 seconds remaining, but it wouldn't matter for the Bulls. The Catamounts converted on their following free throws, giving the Bulls their third loss in a row.
???The Catamounts made 54 percent of their field goals, the most any opponent has made against the Bulls this season. Witherspoon attributes that to two things.
???"When that happens, it is usually because they are getting shots inside," Witherspoon said. "Also, there's a price you're paying playing freshmen against seniors."
???The Bulls return to MAC play on Thursday when they host Akron at Alumni Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
