After destroying the Sycamores of Indiana State last week by nearly 30 points, the men's basketball team (2-1 overall, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) will return to action tonight at Alumni Arena where they'll face the Colgate University Red Raiders (2-2 overall, 0-0 Patriot League).
UB will look to continue its winning ways and win its third game in a row after dropping the 2004-2005 season opener to UConn on Nov. 20.
"I think we're still a work in process, we have a lot of improving to do, but we certainly played better in the last game then we did in the previous two," said UB head coach Reggie Witherspoon.
The Bulls are led by senior point guard Turner Battle, who on the year is averaging 15 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per contest. UB's Mark Bortz brings a powerful spark off the bench, averaging 14 points and 7 boards per game.
In the young season, Witherspoon has shown he's not afraid to call upon his bench, which can realistically go five or six men deep.
"Our players' ability to pick up on what we're doing and (ability to be) attentive to the details we work on everyday, that dictates our ability in terms of the depth and range of our rotation," Witherspoon said. "Certainly this is a non-conference time and we want to be able to develop as much as we can come conference play."
Four seniors, three of whom are averaging double figures in scoring, lead UB's well-balanced inside-outside offensive attack. A mixture of energetic youth and a long bench have helped the Bulls to a scoring average of 82.3 points per game, the highest in the MAC.
The 92 points scored by UB against Indiana State was the most since the 2001-02 season when the Bulls poured in 100 points against Chicago State.
UB's ability to rack up points is not their only means of success. On the season the Bulls have forced nearly twice as many turnovers as they have committed. UB's 14.3 steals per contest tops the MAC.
The Colgate Raiders will take a two-game win streak of their own into Wednesday's contest after defeating Cornell and Juniata last week at home. The Raiders will look to pick up their season's first road victory.
Senior big man Andrew Zidar leads Colgate's offensive attack, averaging 14 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. The Raiders also rely heavily on a pair of guards, sophomore Jon Simon and junior Alvin Reed, who contribute 12.5 and 10.5 points per game respectfully.
"Colgate will push the pace, they don't mind getting up and down the floor, and they won't hesitate to shoot an open three. They also have played some zone," said Witherspoon.
This is the 56th meeting between the two schools, with Colgate leading the overall series 39-16. Last year, Buffalo easily defeated Colgate on the road 72-49, snapping a six-game losing streak.
The Bulls have won seven straight games at home, the second-longest streak in the MAC behind Western Michigan's 20 victories in a row.
"We've played three games so far and no one has played zone against us, so we won't be shocked to see Colgate attempt some sort of zone defense," added Witherspoon.
Tonight's showdown between the Bulls and the Red Raiders is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
