???The best team in the Mid-American Conference keeps on winning-but not by much.
???Tuesday night, the men's basketball team escaped from a close game at Alumni Arena, extending their winning streak to seven games. The Bulls (15-5, 7-1 MAC) defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas, 56-55, in what most would call quite a bizarre contest.
???"It's rare that you have that much of a wake-up call and that many things to work on and you get a win," Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "We got a good conference record and we're thankful for that, but it's not because we're a whole lot better than the other teams in the conference."
???The Chippewas nailed 70 percent of their shots from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game, while Buffalo's shots were cold as the Bulls shot a dismal 38 percent.
???After excellent plays from reserve players like junior guard Andy Robinson, the Bulls began to strike back. Buffalo's bench players outscored Central Michigan's reserve players 22-0 in the first half, which put Buffalo in the lead, 31-26.
???Just as the Bulls looked like they were going to put the Chippewas away for good, guard Robbie Harman looked determined to spoil their plans. Harman led Central Michigan's second half surge as the Chippewas went on a 17-1 run to put his squad in the lead, 43-38. During the run, Harman drilled two 3-pointers that immediately silenced Buffalo fans.
???"It was one of those games where we did a lot of things wrong," Robinson said. "We missed a lot of free throws, missed a lot of layups ... and we just lost a lot of focus."
???Buffalo wouldn't let a career night from Harman stop their winning streak. The Bulls responded with tough defensive intensity for the first time that night. Junior guard John Boyer hit a 3-pointer with five minutes left to put the Bulls within five points. Junior guard Rodney Pierce added to the run, completing a three-point play that put the Bulls within two.
???Robinson capped the run with a 3-pointer that was waved off after a foul was called away from the play. The foul put Central Michigan back in the game.
???Chippewas guard Jordan Bitzer connected on both free throws, putting Central Michigan up by one point with two minutes left. Buffalo answered back when Robinson found junior forward Calvin Betts on a backdoor cut for a layup, putting the Bulls up by one point.
???"With any team you play, the end of the game, if it's a really close game, they're going to over-pressure, they're going to start trying to deny and try to get steals," Betts said. "You got to know with experience that that backdoor's going to be there. And we noticed that."
???On the ensuing possession, the Bulls seemed to have earned the game-winning steal until Robinson missed a game-sealing dunk with 12 seconds to play. Senior forward Greg Gamble captured the rebound and was put on the free throw line only to miss both free throws, giving Central Michigan another chance to climb back on top.
???To add to the bizarre ending, a foul from Pierce gave the Chippewas one last breath of life with five seconds remaining. Central Michigan center Marcus Van missed a layup that would have ended Buffalo's winning streak, ending the game and keeping Buffalo's dream season alive.
???"That was definitely one of the more bizarre games that we've had," Witherspoon said.
???To Central Michigan head coach Ernie Ziegler, the Bulls are the best in the conference and should represent the MAC during March Madness.
???"[The Bulls] are so tough and so physical," Ziegler said. "In my opinion, they are the best team in our conference and I think they are putting themselves in the position to earn themselves an NCAA bid."
???After the gritty win, the Bulls look to Saturday as they host Northern Illinois at Alumni Arena. Tip off is 2 p.m.
