On Saturday afternoon, the men's basketball team hosted the Youngstown State Penguins of the Horizon League in the ESPNU O'Reilly BracketBuster game. Buffalo came out strong and ended their three-game losing streak by winning 95-82.
Buffalo (9-17, 2-11 Mid-American Conference) began the game on a 7-0 run. Sophomore guard Byron Mulkey started off with a three-pointer and junior forward Brian Addison followed up with a dunk on the next possession.
"We've been talking a lot after the last couple of games about our mindset and trying to be aggressive and put some pressure on our opponents, instead of absorbing all the pressure ourselves, and hoping things go well," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. "It was nice to see us do that tonight and get off to a 7-0 start."
Youngstown State (9-19, 5-12 Horizon League) would battle back and grab the lead 18-16 at the 13:37 mark on a jumper by Byron Davis.
The game was relatively close for the remainder of the half as the two teams exchanged the lead a number of times, with the largest lead for either team being four points.
As time expired in the first half, Davis drove to the hoop and hit a lay-up to get the Penguins within two. The teams went to the locker room with the Bulls ahead, 41-39.
Buffalo started the second half on a 6-1 run to extend their lead to seven points on two Mulkey free throws.
The Penguins would respond with a 7-2 run, capped off by a Vytas Sulskis three-pointer to cut the Bulls lead down to two points.
This is when Buffalo pulled away, going on a 10-0 run to go up 59-47 with over half the period left. Mulkey hit a three-pointer and then freshman forward Jawaan Alston hit a jumper. That was followed by a free throw from junior guard Andy Robinson, a lay-up by sophomore forward Max Boudreau, and a spinning lay-up by Robinson.
Even though they attempted a comeback, Youngstown State would not get any closer than seven points during the remainder of the game.
One big difference that affected the final outcome of the game was the free throw shooting. The Bulls made 90 percent of their shots from the line, hitting hit 28 of 31, while the Penguins were 57 percent, draining only 13 of 23.
"There are times where we shoot free throws really well and these guys are good shooters," Witherspoon said. "We have good free throw shooters on our team. We just have to concentrate and believe and trust ourselves, and that certainly helps you score 95 too."
The Bulls' starters accounted for 68 of the team's 95 points. Alston and Addison contributed 16 combined points and were a big reason why Buffalo was successful.
"I think the guys that started certainly played really well," Witherspoon said. "I think it really helped that Bryan and Jawaan played well and it was probably the best start for both players. I am hopeful that they can play that hard and not think so much. It's difficult to play hard and be thinking too much, and they were very aggressive."
Robinson led the Bulls with 26 points, shooting 50 percent from the floor. Mulkey finished with a season-high 18 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Sophomore forward Calvin Betts contributed with 16 points, and added five rebounds and three steals. This was the sixth straight game that Betts finished with at least 10 points.
Addison had a career-high night, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and an assist. Alston also contributed with a career-high eight points, five rebounds, and three assists. Boudreau chipped in with six points and seven rebounds.
"It's great when they are playing well because obviously the other team can't focus on one of our aspects, whether it's our big guys kicking it out and us hitting outside shots, or running out on us and then we hit them and they finish. When we are working on all cylinders, it's hard to be stopped," Mulkey said.
The Penguins were led by Davis and Barber. Davis finished with 29 and seven rebounds, while Barber had 22 points and six rebounds.
This victory stopped the Bulls three-game losing streak, and Witherspoon believes the players were trying harder in practice than in the games.
"Coaches and players all agree that we are going harder at each other in practice than we go after our opponents in the game," Witherspoon said. "Once we agree on that, it's good for our guys to get a victory. If you go out and don't get a victory, with younger teams, they think that might not be it, but that was it whether we won or lost today."
The Bulls will have a week off until they travel to Ohio to face Akron on Saturday, March 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
