We must protect this house

When the men's basketball team hosted North Carolina in Reggie Witherspoon's first game as head coach, Alumni Arena was at full capacity.

In attendance that night was future standout point guard Byron Mulkey, who would make that same arena his stage from 2006-11.

Mulkey grew up in the area and remembers that night as being a particularly energizing night, and when he took the floor for the first time, he recalled that energy.

"Finally being on the other end of it, where I am the one coming on the court and about to perform, it was kind of me coming full circle," Mulkey said. "It was kind of surreal."

Home-field advantage is a term tossed around a lot, especially in college sports, in which analysts continually preach how difficult it is to win games on the road. Buffalo has had its share of teams that have taken advantage of the rowdy home atmosphere.

Over the past decade, the men's basketball team has been one of the most successful and popular teams on campus. It has made it past the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament in 10 straight seasons and has had a winning record at home every season since 2003-04.

In 2010-11, Mulkey's final season on campus, the Bulls posted a 13-3 home record, one game short of a school record for home wins.

As a player, Mulkey showed his appreciation to the crowd - particularly the student section. Before every game, when the Bulls would come onto the floor after their shootaround, Mulkey would go right to the student section.

Mulkey's gratitude for fan support stems from his roots as a walk-on player. He viewed the cheers and fan intensity as a confirmation and appreciation of his and every player's hard work.

Mulkey said crowd energy plays a big role in the players' attitudes on the floor. Whether the crowd is reacting to a good play or a bad call, the players feel more energized when the crowd is into the game.

During Mulkey's final season, the Bulls played Akron in their third game of conference play. They had started the MAC season 0-2 and had fallen behind in the game.

"We stayed within striking range and then finally, toward the end of the second half, the crowd started feeling it and giving those extra cheers and paying notice to the actual work we were putting in," Mulkey said. "And knowing we were right there, I think that put us over the edge in terms of finishing the deal when it came to the end of the game."

Across the street, on the grass soccer field, the women's soccer team won either soccer program's only MAC Championship in 2000.

Devon Russell, a defender, knows all about UB's advantage at home. Her team went 7-2-1 at home.

Russell appreciated not having to take a long bus ride, sleep in a hotel or eat out. She enjoyed seeing family and friends come support the team and the Bulls' field was one of the best in the conference that season.

"We played on one of the largest and nicest-kept grass fields in the conference," Russell said in an email. "We would use its size to our advantage."

But one of her favorite things didn't directly affect play on the field.

"Our team took great pride in putting together our warm-up music," Russell said. "Each class got to pick a few songs. It was nice to have some familiarity when trying to get energized to play."

Although the Bulls couldn't pull out a MAC Championship in the tournament, the vocal crowd and other amenities that came with home games contributed to UB's conference championship in soccer.

In addition to winning the MAC regular season crown in 2000, both soccer teams hosted the MAC soccer tournament that year.

The Bulls' immense fan turnout throughout the season continued into the postseason. Russell said the consistent support "made our team feel proud of our school."

Even when teams are struggling, the community rallies around teams and makes UB a hard place for visiting teams to play.

Sophomore forward Will Regan is also from Buffalo and, like Mulkey, spent time in Alumni Arena before he played for the Bulls. He watched the 2004-05 team go to the MAC Championship game and recalls regarding those players as role models and even idolizing them.

As a player, Regan keeps in mind how important a brief moment of attention from a player is to a little kid. When Regan comes onto the floor, he makes sure to give out as many high-fives as possible to the kids who line the fence by the door, and he acknowledges them if given the chance.

Regan has also felt the energy boost that Mulkey appreciated at home.

During Regan's first home game against Princeton, he recalled hitting a three-point shot and then drawing an offensive foul on the following defensive possession. The crowd got really loud after the Bulls got the ball back right after pulling the game within three, which spurred Regan to play with more enthusiasm.

Every Bull is incredibly thankful for the fan support they receive and it does not go unnoticed, according to Mulkey. Athletes want to make sure they show their appreciation by performing well, and a strong fan showing makes it a test for the opposing team.

For Mulkey, fan support was a huge part of his time at Buffalo, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

"There were obviously a lot of ups and downs, but the support, it remained," he said.

Mulkey insists players work hard to show the fans their appreciation for their support, and that support validates the hard work done behind the scenes.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com