The struggles that have plagued the men's basketball team from beyond the arc early in its Mid-American Conference schedule have all but disappeared.
The result: a four-game winning streak.
The Bulls (12-6, 5-2 MAC) utilized the three-ball early and often, as they were able to cruise to their fourth straight victory, a 74-59 road triumph over Northern Illinois (2-17, 1-6 MAC) at the Convocation Center in Dekalb, Ill.
The road win was the largest margin of victory away from home in conference play for the Bulls since the 2004-05 season, an 83-67 win over Central Michigan.
The Bulls were able to hit a season-high 11 treys on the game, and during one stretch in the first half they hit 6-of-8 from three. This is also the fourth straight game that they were able to hit nine or more.
Buffalo shot more from 3-point range (29) than from inside the arc (24), and it was something that impressed head coach Reggie Witherspoon.
"It is surprising and there were times where we could have shot more," Witherspoon said. "But it's not something that happens a lot, and yet I think most of them were pretty good looks."
Leading the way for the Bulls was their leading 3-point threat Zach Filzen. The senior guard hit four on the day, and finished with 12 points on 40 percent shooting. His final basket was a milestone, as it netted him exactly 1,000 points in his NCAA career, which included some time at Northern Arizona University.
"That's a great accomplishment," Witherspoon said. "Anytime you have someone that can reach that plateau, it's certainly encouraging not only for Zach, but also for his teammates."
Another bright spot on the Bulls was junior guard Tony Watson. He shot 50 percent from deep, and finished with nine points. He also added four rebounds, two steals, and tied the team lead in assists with three.
He has been shooting well during the Buffalo win streak, as he has shot over 55 percent from behind the arc. Watson has also hit at least two of those shots per game in the four-game win streak.
"Tony is capable to string together several 3-point shots in a game," Witherspoon said. "When he does that we are going to be a lot better, and it really stretches the floor out pretty well for us."
Sophomore forward Javon McCrea was nearly perfect from the field, as he finished with a game-high 14 points. He added 12 rebounds, which game him his fifth double-double on the season. Senior forward Mitchell Watt was the only other Bull in double figures, as he finished with 10 points and added four blocks, which gives him a total of 46 on the year.
Buffalo put the clamps on the Huskies from the beginning, as Northern Illinois shot an abysmal 28 percent. This is a season low for a Buffalo opponent, equaling a mark that was also attained on the road in an 84-55 drubbing of Dayton in November. Only one Huskies player was able to score in double-digits, as Northern Illinois forward Abel Nader scored 11 points, but he had to earn every point, shooting just 2-13 from the field.
"Defensively we did a pretty good job at keeping them out of the paint and defending our basket," Witherspoon said. "It seemed like they made a few more shots than that [28 percent shooting] because of the last four to five minutes of the game, but I think for the most part there were times when the shot clock went under five [seconds] and they shot contested shots that ended up being air balls, and that's what you want."
The Bulls now look to make it three straight against MAC West opposition, and the fifth in a row overall, as they return home to take on the Ball State Cardinals (12-7, 4-3 MAC) at Alumni Arena. Tipoff for the game on Wednesday is slated for 7 p.m.
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