Bulls handle Bearcats in historic night for Evans

With 2:32 remaining in the men’s basketball team’s game against Binghamton, sophomore guard Shannon Evans registered his 10th assist of the night on a 3-pointer by senior forward Will Regan that gave Buffalo a 29-point lead.

The assist not only marked Evans’ highest assist output of the season, it also cemented the first triple-double in Buffalo program history. It’s only the seventh triple-double by a Division I men’s player this season.

Evans’ historic night helped the Bulls (8-3) defeat Binghamton (1-14), 76-50, Tuesday night at the Binghamton University Events Center in Vestal, New York. Evans shot 3 of 7 from the field for 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added 10 assists. He was one of five Bulls – including four starters – to score in double-digits.

"We finished with five players in double figures, but we were aiming for seven," said head coach Bobby Hurley. “I think we felt great about our offense coming into the game, so this isn't that much of a surprise. We played well and we played as a team. I'm happy for [Evans] for breaking ground and getting the first triple-double in the school's history.”

Junior forward Justin Moss led the team with 16 points to go along with five rebounds. Evans, Regan and junior guard Rodell Wigginton all finished with 14 points.

Buffalo led the entire game, including starting the game with a 7-0 lead and 21-5 lead in the first seven minutes. The team shot 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc in a 40-point first half. Buffalo shot 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc for the game.

"Really, really pleased with our offense in the first half," Hurley said. "We got off to a really good start, shared the ball well and finished with 18 assists [in the half]. It's really hard to get up and play, just two days removed from playing one of the top teams in the country and what that takes out of you. But I'm proud of our team and the performance we had."

Binghamton shot 34.6 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Bearcats shot just 14 free throws and had 11 turnovers. The Bulls capitalized on the Bearcats’ mistakes, registering 17 points off turnovers. Freshman guard Lamonte Bearden led the Bulls with four steals.

Despite playing both No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 1 Kentucky this season, Buffalo has been a better record through 11 games than it did last season. The Bulls started last season 7-4.

The team will return home on Jan. 3 against Cornell (6-6). It is Buffalo’s last game before Mid-American Conference play begins. Hurley said he is not concerned with MAC play yet but is focused on the upcoming game Saturday and plans to use the extended time off to prepare.

"We'll get some good practices in during our time off," Hurley said. "I've already seen Cornell a handful of times when scouting other teams this year. The two things that stood out to me is their confidence and that they're better than their record. They're going to come into our arena with a ton of confidence, and we're going to be ready."

Tipoff against the Big Red is set for 3 p.m. at Alumni Arena. The game can be viewed on ESPN3.

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