After two games of the 2011-12 season, the men's basketball team is just beginning to learn what it's capable of doing on the court.
Head coach Reggie Witherspoon thinks that despite two victories, his young players are still figuring out how to play "assertive" basketball.
The Bulls (2-0) beat Cornell (1-2), 68-59 on Wednesday night, despite 20 turnovers and an inability to control the game down the stretch, according to Witherspoon.
"We have to learn – I think – how to take control of a game and do it with sustained concentration," Witherspoon said. "You can see our immaturity at times."
Buffalo trailed only once in the opening minutes, but the Big Red was within striking distance throughout the second half.
With just under seven minutes remaining, Cornell tied the game at 46 after an offensive putback by forward Eitan Chemerinski. The Cornell big man finished with a team-high 14 points and was the only Cornell player in double digits.
Sophomore forward Javon McCrea – not to be outdone – scored eight of the Bulls' next nine points to help secure the victory.
"It got kind of close [in the second half] and at that moment I felt we didn't want to lose this game, not at home and not against Cornell – not against anybody, but especially not against Cornell," McCrea said. "I just didn't want to lose so I guess we just took initiative and got the win."
McCrea scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, and grabbed 10 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season.
The Cornell zone defense seemed to stifle McCrea in the first half, but the sensational sophomore thought it was more about what he was doing wrong than what the Big Red was doing right.
"I wasn't really frustrated. I just think the things I was doing weren't really working," McCrea said. "I guess when I was dribbling into the paint, they kind of sagged in so [I thought]: ‘If I kick it out maybe they won't do that next time.' I guess it worked."
The Bulls shot a good percentage from the field (46), but it was their 82 percent shooting from the line that really helped put the game away.
Sophomore point guard Jarod Oldham had arguably the best game of his short Bulls career against Cornell. He finished with eight points, nine assists, and seven rebounds and really took over in the final minutes.
Although Oldham put up strong numbers, Witherspoon is patiently waiting for him to stop relying only on his gifts and start looking to stay composed for the entire game.
Witherspoon thinks that both Oldham and McCrea try too hard to entertain at times rather than play within the pace of the game.
"Their adrenaline is running through their ears, especially when we get ahead," Witherspoon said. "So we're trying to get them to take what the defense gives us." Senior forward Mitchell Watt carried the Bulls in the first half and continues to frustrate opposing defenses. In the opening minutes, Cornell didn't have an answer for the 6-foot-10-inch big man, as he entertained the 1,731 in attendance with a couple rim-rattling dunks.
In the first half alone, he scored more than half of the Bulls' points, and grabbed four of his nine rebounds.
The Cornell defense was shaky throughout the game, but it consistently forced turnovers throughout the first half, leading to 13 Bulls turnovers.
The Big Red came out playing man-to-man defense and the Bulls gashed them early with backdoor cuts and excellent team passing.
Senior forward Dave Barnett's contributions may not have shown up on the stat sheet, but his presence was felt in the game. He played stifling defense in his 24 minutes and went flying across the hardwood on two occasions, diving after loose balls.
Witherspoon is happy with the defensive effort overall against Cornell and feels that as his team gels on the court and settles into individual roles, the sky is the limit.
"We have guys that are in different roles than they were last year and [things] are new," Witherspoon said. "So we've got to find a way to keep plugging away at [getting more consistent]."
Buffalo heads out on the road for the first time this season when it takes on Princeton (0-2) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
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