Bulls bowl over Falcons

The men's basketball team is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
The Bulls (15-9, 8-5 Mid-American Conference) extended their current winning streak to four games on Wednesday night when they defeated the Bowling Green Falcons (13-12, 6-7 MAC), 64-51. Senior guard Rodney Pierce, who was honored before the game for topping 1,000 points in his career, led the way with 18 points and six assists.
The Bulls victory was an important one, as they came into Wednesday night's contest just one game ahead of Bowling Green in the MAC East standings. They are now tied at 8-5 with Miami (OH) and just two games behind division leaders Akron and Kent State, who both sit at 10-3 with three games to left in the MAC schedule.
Three-point shooting proved to be the difference in the game. The Bulls connected on 10-of-25 shots (40 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Falcons went just 1-9 (11 percent). The long range proficiency was especially important for Buffalo in breaking Bowling Green's 2-3 zone defense, a strategy that favors defending the areas around the basket over guarding the perimeter.
Bulls head coach Reggie Witherspoon had his players well prepared for Bowling Green's defensive strategy going into the game.
'There were a number of different ways that we wanted to attack [the zone],' Witherspoon said. 'They're very good at their zone and they've confused a lot of teams… We wanted to move the ball in an efficient enough manner [so] that they had to chase it.'
Pierce and fellow senior guard Sean Smiley were Buffalo's top zone-killers, as each hit four 3-pointers, including a string of crucial shots that saved the Bulls from a Bowling Green comeback early in the second half.
The Falcons went on a 14-2 run to open the second period, cutting Buffalo's 15-point halftime lead down to just three. However, Buffalo responded with 3-pointers from Pierce, Smiley and senior guard John Boyer on its next four possessions to increase the lead to 49-38 with 10:29 remaining.
'We started the second half in a funk,' Witherspoon said. 'I thought we responded well to them making a run at us.'
According to Pierce, the Bulls weathered the Bowling Green storm by increasing their intensity and getting back to their first-half strategy.
'Our mindset was just to stay locked in and do the things that we were doing in the first half,' Pierce said. 'We had to get our determination level back up to where it was. Once we did that, things turned out how they were supposed to turn out for us.'
Buffalo's first-half success was due in part to contributions from the bench. Senior forward Max Boudreau, junior forward Jawaan Alston, and senior forward Adekambi Laleye provided key minutes for the Bulls after starting sophomore forward Mitchell Watt picked up two quick fouls to open the game.
Despite recording only four minutes, Laleye provided solid bench play and what was arguably the highlight of the game: a huge dunk over a Bowling Green defender off of an assist from senior guard Calvin Betts with 7:03 remaining in the first half.
'[Laleye] was big because he just played four minutes, and usually when a guy only plays four minutes he spends three of those four minutes trying not to make a mistake, which means he's going to make mistakes,' Witherspoon said. '[Laleye] knew – because he was active vocally on the bench – where he should be … He was able to contribute in a short period of time [which] was huge for us because Max [Boudreau] got tired and Mitchell [Watt] had two fouls.'
As Buffalo moved up in the rankings, Bowling Green fell. The Falcons' loss dropped them to four games out of the division lead.
'You have to have a blue collar mentality when you come up here [to Buffalo],' said Falcons head coach Louis Orr. 'We were on our heels in the first half, and you can't come here and be on your heels – Buffalo is too aggressive at home.'
While Witherspoon is enjoying the late-season momentum that his team has gathered, he isn't taking the success for granted.
'We've learned from the past that nothing we've already done qualifies us to be at less than our best in what we have in front of us,' Witherspoon said. 'We still have to use every opportunity to get better.'
The players aren't satisfied, either.
'I think we have another notch we can take it to,' Pierce said.
Buffalo takes a break from the MAC East grind this Saturday as it participates in ESPNU BracketBusters weekend. The Bulls will face off against the St. Peter's Peacocks (15-11). Tip-off is 2:00 p.m. at the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City, N.J.

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