A strong performance by its “Big 3” helped propel UB men’s basketball (16-8, 10-4 MAC) to an 87-73 victory Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena against Western Michigan (6-21, 2-14 MAC). UB’s victory extended its win streak to six games.
Senior forward Jeenathan Williams led all scorers with 24 points, two steals, three rebounds and four assists. Senior forward Josh Mballa finished just shy of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Senior guard Ronaldo Segu contributed 16 points and six assists while sophomore center David Skogman added 11 points, five rebounds and two steals in the winning effort.
Western Michigan came out of the gate aggressive, going on a 13-0 run with 12:15 left in the first to take a 10-point advantage. The Broncos clutched a 29-13 lead with 6:55 left in the half as the Bulls struggled to find the net.
A 7-0 run capped by a layup from Williams kept the game within reach for the Bulls, who trailed 38-33 at halftime.
Buffalo’s offense woke up during the second half, as it opened with an 18-3 run to clutch a 10-point lead of its own with 14:25 left on the clock.
UB grasped its largest lead of the day with 5:59 remaining after a layup from Mballa extended its advantage to 77-57. A 5-0 run by the Bulls silenced the Broncos to finish the game.
Buffalo dropped 50 points in the paint and turned 14 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. The Bulls also capitalized on the Broncos’ miscues, scoring 26 points off of 14 turnovers.
UB will travel to Oxford, OH to face Miami (OH) at Millett Hall on Tuesday night. Tip off is at 7 p.m.
Kayla Sterner is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com
Kayla Sterner is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. She is studying communications with the hopes of being a sideline reporter. In her spare time, she can be found in the gym, watching football or vibing to Mac Miller. Kayla is on Twitter @kaylasterner.
