On Wednesday night, after the men's basketball team suffered its third-straight loss, senior forward Mitchell Watt called his team out.
"I don't think we've raised our desire up to a level that matches what time of year it is," Watt said.
On Saturday, he answered his own challenge.
Watt pieced together a memorable 28-point performance in his second to last game ever at Alumni Arena, willing the Bulls (17-9, 10-4 Mid-American Conference) to an 84-74 victory over visiting Miami (Ohio) (9-18, 5-9 MAC) and sling-shotting his team out of a three-game losing streak. The Bulls maintained pace in the frantic battle for second place in the conference.
"It's good to see us get a little bit of a spark back – a little energy back," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon.
Watt – who set the mark for most games played in a career in school history (123) – said on Wednesday night that he's working to leave his mark like the seniors did when he was a freshman. That night, he was disgusted with his team's performance (an 88-77 home loss to Ohio, one of two teams tied with Buffalo for second in the MAC).
"Each game has a little bit more meaning," Watt said. "This game had a lot of meaning to the guys because of our last performance. The fans that came out to that game spent their hard-earned money, and we didn't do them justice. We wanted to play hard and with enthusiasm [today]. It was a special win for [the seniors]."
Watt wasn't the only veteran to step up. Senior guard Zach Filzen – who has struggled mightily to find his stroke the past few games – knocked down several timely jumpers en route to 16 points.
"If I'm open I'm still going to shoot it – I don't care if I've missed 30 in a row," Filzen said. "I think I've earned that with the time I've put in. It's easy to get frustrated, but you've always got to think the next one is going in."
For the most part, the first half belonged to Miami, as the hot-shooting RedHawks shot 52.2 percent from the floor and connected on six consecutive 3-pointers. Buffalo fought back to knot it up at 33 at the half and then pulled away with 9:20 to go as Filzen, senior forward Dave Barnett, and then Filzen again, hit three straight 3-pointers to give Buffalo a 60-53 lead – one the Bulls would not relinquish.
Watt and Filzen led a team that looked desperate for a W. Though Buffalo sits in the upper-echelon of the conference standings, the squad needed this game first for confidence, and second to keep pace with Ohio (23-6, 10-4 MAC) and Kent State (19-8, 9-5 MAC). The Bulls lost both meetings with Ohio this year and split the series with Kent State.
"They had great energy, and you could tell they were a team that was fighting," said Miami associate head coach Jermaine Henderson, who coached in place of ill head coach Charlie Coles. "You could tell they were ready to get back on the winning side. Watt was outstanding."
Henderson said he thinks Watt is certainly in the discussion for MAC Player of the Year, and after Saturday's performance, it'd be hard for anyone to argue. Watt knocked down jumpers – shooting 11-for-16 from the floor – blocked three shots, distributed four dimes, and snared five boards, but perhaps his biggest accomplishment on the day was outshining Miami forward Julian Mavunga.
The two have gone head-to-head for four years, and this particular battle was exhilarating to watch. Mavunga racked up 20 points, but he turned the ball over six times and went 0-for-4 from 3-point land as Watt stayed glued to him all game.
Buffalo entered the game averaging 41 rebounds per game, good for third in the nation. The Bulls, however, had struggled in that category in their last two games, getting bullied by South Dakota State and Ohio. They got back on the right track in this one, out-rebounding Miami, 36 to 28. The Bulls gave up 21 offensive rebounds to Ohio, but limited Miami to just six while Buffalo corralled 12. The Bulls scored 17 second-chance points to Miami's one.
The Bulls finished the first half strong thanks in part to a rejuvenating influx of youth, as sophomore forward Cameron Downing and freshman forward Xavier Ford energetically helped the Bulls get back in it.
This win comes to a team that looked entirely exhausted and depressed after its loss to Ohio.
"We got away from what we normally do both on the defensive glass and offensively with our rhythm," Watt said. "We watched some film and really did some soul searching and came back with different enthusiasm from everybody."
That different enthusiasm was evident from the opening tip to the final horn, as Watt dove on the floor for a loose ball with just eight seconds left.
"I thought they played as well as a Buffalo team has played in the past couple years," Henderson said.
Buffalo will look to continue that strong play at conference-leading Akron (20-9, 12-2 MAC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Akron's only conference loss at Buffalo on Jan. 18, 82-70, right after the Bulls' loss to Miami (Ohio).
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