With the Bulls (4-27, 2-16 MAC) trailing 47-39 early in the second half, sophomore guard Shawn Fulcher hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 5 points. Senior forward Sy Chatman followed that with a converted free throw, but Northern Illinois (11-20, 5-13 MAC) then scored 12 straight points, putting the game out of reach for UB.
The Bulls lost 68-78 to the Northern Illinois Huskies on Friday night in their final game of the season at Alumni Arena. The loss was UB’s 27th of the season, setting a new program-record for most losses in a single season. UB lost 26 games in the 1991-92 season as part of the East Coast Conference, winning two games.
It was a bad game defensively for the Bulls, as they allowed Northern Illinois’ junior guard David Coit to score a career-high 37 points. They were dominated on the glass, losing the rebound battle 28-46, allowing 13 offensive rebounds. Outside of freshman guard Ryan Sabol, who scored a career-high 22 points, UB’s starters combined to shoot just 28.6% from the field.
Behind Sabol, who made six of his eight three-point attempts, senior center Jonnivius Smith scored 10 points and collected seven rebounds in only 16 minutes. Fulcer put in an all-around effort, rackinging up 8 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
The two teams traded baskets in the opening baskets, before Sabol hit a three-pointer to give UB a 25-22 lead. Sabol’s three-pointer sparked a “kill shot” for the Bulls, a run of 10-0 or more, to give the Bulls a 32-22 advantage. The Huskies stormed back with a run of their own, taking a one-point lead into halftime.
The second half wasn’t as smooth for the Bulls. At the end of Northern Illinois’ 12-0 run, Chatman picked up two back-to-back technical fouls as he was ejected from the game, finishing with 5 points. UB cut the lead to 6 points on a three-pointer from Smith, but faltered down the stretch as they went on to lose.
The Bulls conclude their season with a 4-27 record, and a 2-16 record in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. Their record was the worst in the conference, and the loss marked an official end to UB’s first season under the leadership of first-year head coach George Halcovage.
Henry Daley is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at henry.daley@ubspectrum.com
Henry Daley is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. His work has featured on other platforms such as Medium and Last Word on Sports. Outside of the newspaper, he enjoys running and watching sports (when he’s not writing about them).
