Men’s basketball remains last in MAC following loss to Western Michigan

UB Men’s basketball (4-23, 2-12 MAC) lost to the Western Michigan Broncos (10-17, 7-7 MAC) by 91-72 on Saturday at a game in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

The loss means the Bulls remain in last place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The team is four games back of the Kent State Golden Flashes (13-14, 6-8 MAC) with four games left to play, meaning they will be officially eliminated from the MAC playoffs if they lose their next game.

The Broncos started out with the lead as the Bulls struggled to score on their first three possessions. Senior forward Jonnivius Smith was able to get the Bulls on the board with a layup, but the Broncos held their lead. 

After going back and forth, Western Michigan secured an 11-point lead over UB with an 8-0 run. By the end of the half, the Broncos were dominating from the three-point line with an 8-for-13 (61.5%) attempt. The Bulls — with a 2-of-8 (25.0%) from the three — were down 47-32 at the half. 

In the second half, Western Michigan increased their lead to 68-45 with 13:55 to go, but Buffalo didn’t give up hope. Fifth-year forward Sy Chatman, Smith and freshman guard Ryan Sabol all scored in the double digits, helping the Bulls come within 10 points of their opponent with a little over seven minutes left in the game. 

Despite UB’s efforts, the Broncos secured the victory against the Bulls with a final score of 91-72. 

The Bulls are back on the road for their final away game against Kent State (12-11, 6-8 MAC) on Tuesday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.

The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com