On Tuesday night, under the lights of Alumni Arena, the men's basketball team (15-11, 5-8 MAC) walked on the court with one goal: to defend the home court. With the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament close at hand, every point, steal and possession against the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-16, 4-9 MAC) could potentially carry the weight of the postseason.
The Bulls came out on the court with extremely high energy and strong plays. Graduate guard Angelo Brizzi and junior guard Ryan Sabol put the Bulls on their backs, combining an astonishing
49 points, but a late-game turnaround by Northern Illinois stole the victory as the Bulls fell just short, 72-70.
It was clear from the start of the game that the Bulls' offense would need the major use of their guards. Brizzi made a huge impact on the game, dropping a team-high of 25 points. His aggressive plays and ability to get around the Huskies’ defense kept them on their toes all night. Sabol was right behind him with 24 points. Sabol’s sharpshooting — which has already put him in the conversation for top single-season three-point totals in program history — allowed Buffalo to stay within reach in the high-stakes MAC matchup.
The Bulls had come in hot with a 35-29 lead by halftime. The energy and excitement were building as Brizzi and Sabol continued to hit big shots, while the Huskies held strong in the paint. The Bulls seemed to have total control of the game at this point, navigating the first half with strength and efficiency.
After halftime, the game continued to change completely as the Huskies had an intense comeback. Even though Brizzi and Sabol kept pace by hitting big shots later in the game, the Bulls still couldn't overcome the defense and a late Huskies' layup. The Bulls had one final chance to score at the buzzer but the shot fell short, ending in a heartbreaking loss of 72-70.
Although this loss is disappointing, the performance from Brizzi and Sabol was a major positive to this game.
The Bulls will continue to rely on those same scoring abilities and presence when they travel to play UMass this Saturday, Feb. 21. They’ll be looking to come back even stronger and build momentum before the conference tournament begins.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
