While most students were off avoiding reality during winter break, the men's basketball team was hit with a harsh reality check – Mid-American Conference play.
The Bulls dropped their first two games in the MAC after a surprising start in non-conference play. Buffalo (9-6, 1-2 MAC) faced a 10-point deficit with about 10 minutes remaining against archrival Akron (10-7, 1-2 MAC) on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls stood toe-to-toe with the Zips and made enough plays down the stretch to win the 73-70 thriller at Alumni Arena.
The Bulls and Zips have played each other tough historically and Sunday's grueling battle proved to be no different. The tone was set early in the game by both teams on the defensive end of the floor, as each team only managed six points apiece in the opening six minutes of the game.
Akron took the lead at the 11:20 mark of the first half and wouldn't relinquish it again until late in the second.
With just under five minutes remaining in the game, junior forward Mitchell Watt gave the Bulls the lead at 65-64 with one of his three field goals in the game.
Junior forward Dave Barnett then took matters into his own hands with 1:22 remaining and the shot clock running down. The former walk-on drained a clutch 3-pointer from right in front of the Bulls bench to put them up for good at 71-69.
According to Barnett – who put up career highs in points (15), rebounds (7), and assists (4) –he never had a doubt that the rim rattling three-ball would drop.
"I knew it was going down," Barnett said. "I caught it with my shooting foot back, my elbow was straight, I released it with a good follow through, and I knew it was down."
Witherspoon thinks that the best is still to come in regard to Barnett.
"Today [Barnett] didn't play with worries, he just competed," Witherspoon said. "[When he can say] whatever happens, happens; then he'll start to grow and develop… then we'll really see him blossom."
It is customary for a basketball team to bring in defensive specialists late in games to help hold off an opponent. Against Akron, Witherspoon turned to true freshman guard Jarod Oldham and he delivered in a big way.
Akron had the ball with the clock under 20 seconds left and was looking to win on a last-second shot attempt. But Oldham threw a wrench in those plans when he stole a swing pass near center court and was fouled on a layup attempt that put him at the line.
Oldham sank both shots to put the dagger in the Zips. He relished the chance to shut down the opposition.
"Coach subbed me in on defense and I pride myself on [my] defense," Oldham said. "Staying composed and trying to get a stop is the biggest thing."
The Bulls entered the matchup with the Zips struggling through their first losing streak of the season. Since losing 90-82 against No. 9 nationally-ranked Brigham Young (17-1, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) on Dec. 30, the Bulls have lost 3-of-4 games. The team that was predicted as a MAC bottom feeder was an energetic nightmare for opposing teams in the first month and a half of the season.
In the previous three games the Bulls seemed to lack a sense of urgency and it was beginning to show in their on-court demeanor. Sunday's victory could serve as a rejuvenator for the team and head coach Reggie Witherspoon. He explained after the game to expect more of the same intensity from MAC games all season long.
"Every night is a dog fight," Witherspoon said. "You have to embrace it. You have to sign up for it and say ‘Hey listen, let's go with it.' It might be a little easier for us to do that now because we're such a young team. You just have to keep going."
Senior point guard Byron Mulkey was sort of lost in the shuffle because of the crazy finish, but he turned in an impressive performance nevertheless. The floor general scored a game-high 17 points, had five assists, and added three steals to his nation-leading total.
Mulkey's shooting really kept the Bulls in the game when it looked like Akron was going to start pulling away. He hit 5-of-6 from 3-point range, one of which came as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half from area-code distance.
Freshman forward Javon McCrea was fresh off a season high in points with 26 against Miami (Ohio) (7-10, 2-1 MAC), but he struggled from the field in this game. He went 1-of-7, dropping him to the number four spot on the national ranking for field goal percentage with a 66 percent clip for the season.
The staple of a good player is the ability to help the team win even when you struggle to score and McCrea did just that. The youngster only scored five points but grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists.
The Bulls are back at it on Wednesday night when they host first-place Kent State (11-6, 2-1 MAC), and the game is sure to be another slugfest. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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