Bowling Green, OH — UB men’s basketball (20-11, 11-7 MAC) defeated Bowling Green (21-10, 12-6 MAC) 88-84 Friday night at the Stroh Center during the last game of the regular season.
Two of the top-four-ranked teams in the MAC battled as the 4-seeded Bulls got the best of the 2-seeded Falcons on their senior night.
Bowling Green honored five seniors Friday night and placed all in the starting lineup. Junior Justin Turner got Bowling Green off to an 8-2 lead early, going 2 for 2 from beyond the arc. UB, on the other hand, started just 2 of 7 from the field.
The Bulls picked things up later in the half, going on a 10-0 run that spanned five minutes, imposing their will on the defensive end of the floor.
Junior guard Jayvon Graves led UB with 14 first-half points. Graves hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left in the half, giving UB a 7-point lead. The Bulls’ lead could have been larger if they converted on their free throw opportunities, as they shot 28.6% from the free-throw line in the first half.
The second half proved to be a close back-and-forth battle. UB took control of the contest with a 14-2 run, giving them a 77-65 lead at the 7:05 mark of the second half. Sophomore guard Ronaldo Segu sealed the victory for the Bulls, shooting a perfect 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in the last 25 seconds of the game
Graves and senior guard Davonta Jordan led the Bulls Friday night. Graves took control of the game with 11 points in the second half and a team-high 25 points on the night. Jordan finished the night shooting 8 of 13 from the field and scoring 16 points. Jordan also displayed his defensive intensity by earning 5 steals. Both experienced guards will be crucial in March if the Bulls want to contend for the school’s fifth MAC tournament title.
The Bulls enter the MAC tournament Monday at Alumni Arena against Miami (OH). Buffalo will be a 5 seed in the tournament following the Bowling Green win and Ball State’s win Friday night.
Alexander Brown is an assistant multimedia editor and can be reached at Alexander.Brown@ubspectrum.com.
