UB men’s basketball (14-9) lost to MAC rival Eastern Michigan (12-10) 66-62 at the EMU Convocation Center Tuesday.
With the loss, the Bulls continue their downward trend in the MAC standings. They are now in danger of losing home-court advantage in the first round of the conference tournament.
The Bulls struggled from deep in the first half, shooting just 14.3% from beyond the arc. The Eagles jumped out to an early 9-3 lead to start the game, and maintained control throughout the half, shooting 40.0% from three-point range.
The Bulls trailed in the half by as many as nine points, and entered the locker room down five.
In the second half, UB fought its way back and gained the lead with 15:38 remaining in regulation. The Bulls led by as many as five points in the second frame, but were unable to fend off the Eagles, led by redshirt junior forward Ty Groce, who finished with 14 points, four steals and three blocks.
Sophomore forward Josh Mballa led the Bulls’ attack with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Redshirt senior Gabe Grant was the team’s second-leading scorer with 10 points and four boards.
The Eagles had just one win in MAC play entering Tuesday’s game. The loss is just another reminder that the Bulls will have to be a lot more consistent to have a chance to make it to Cleveland.
Buffalo falls to 5-5 in conference play, and 14-9 overall.
The team returns to Alumni Arena Friday to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas. Tip off is at 9 p.m., with the game airing on ESPNU.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com.
