Good teams always find a way to win.
If a powerhouse defense is having an off day, offensive shooters will step up and help a team achieve victory. If the high-scoring offense is struggling, the defense will get physical with the opposition.
This was the story for the men's basketball team on Saturday.
In front of 3,947 fans and a national audience on ESPN2, the Buffalo Bulls (14-5, 6-1 Mid-American Conference) defeated the Toledo Rockets (4-17, 2-5 MAC), 56-43. The Bulls held the Rockets to the lowest point total by a MAC opponent since joining the conference in 1998. Buffalo's previous record was set when they held Northern Illinois to 47 points on Feb. 20, 1999.
"It was a big hurdle for us to clear to come into a game and shoot 30 percent and win by double-digits," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "We didn't get down and our effort and energy was sustained no matter what the result was of a possession."
The game started off somewhat sluggishly for both teams. Senior guard Greg Gamble began the game with a steal that set up freshman forward Mitchell Watt's breakaway that led to the game's first two points. From that point forward, the defense stole the show as junior guards Rodney Pierce and Calvin Betts had trouble getting the ball through the net.
"They are the team to beat in the MAC," said Rockets head coach Gene Cross.
While the Bulls only shot 30 percent for the game, Buffalo's defense kept the Rockets to only 39.5 percent shooting, in addition to causing 18 turnovers and getting 10 steals. Gamble was a major factor, contributing 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists and a career-high five steals to the victory
"It's something we do on a daily basis, how we play defense," Gamble said. "I think [the game] was a prime example of it. We took the mentality that if we don't score, our opponent is going to score, and we answered that."
Heading to the end of the first half, sophomore forward Jawaan Alston sparked a run for the Bulls as he came from the bench to score six points in addition to a career-high seven rebounds, giving the Bulls a 29-24 lead at the end of the half.
As the second half began, Buffalo kept Alston's spark alive, going on a 16-4 scoring run. It was capped by a Betts 3-pointer, which gave Buffalo a 45-28 lead with 12:47 left in the game.
Momentum then shifted to Toledo, who held the Bulls to no scoring for almost seven minutes. While the Rockets were eight points away from tying the game with 5:23 left, the defense stepped up for the Bulls yet again, stopping Toledo from making a comeback.
"We hang our hat on that, and that's something we're proud of," said senior forward Vadim Fedotov, who had 11 points in the game. "We want to make sure people know when they come play us, that we're going to give it our best shot on defense. Setting a record is a great achievement, but now it's time to set the next one."
Following Buffalo's defensive stop, the Bulls scored six straight points to give the team a 14-point lead, ending Toledo's comeback hopes.
While Cross might think that the Bulls are the team to beat, Witherspoon was very humble about his team's success.
"It means we have to beat Central [Michigan] on Tuesday," Witherspoon said. "If there's other people that believe that, it means they're going to come in here and give us their best shot. We have to prove that we don't have a glass jaw."
Tuesday's game against the Chippewas will take place in Alumni Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
