Drugs and violence can derail even the most talented of people. Falling in with the wrong crowd and succumbing to peer pressure is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. The Niagara Falls gang world was standing between Brian Archie and UB, but it turns out he is too fast for both his opponents on the track and on the street. Archie is a jumper/sprinter for the track and field team at UB.
CLEVELAND?There's been two different versions of the men's basketball team this season ? the one that wins in Alumni Arena, and the one that loses away from it. In the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals on Thursday night, the eighth- seeded Bulls (18-13, 8-8 MAC) held true to form, falling 73-62 to top-seeded Kent State (22-10, 12-4 MAC) at Quicken Loans Arena. The Bulls' loss in the rubber match with the Golden Flashes, who win the season series 2-1, eliminates them from the postseason.
Wednesday afternoon, a very promising season came to an end as the opponent's 3-point shooting once again subdued the women's basketball team. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio was the site where guard Shonda Long of Central Michigan (20-9,11-5 Mid-American Conference) tied a MAC Tournament single-game record with seven 3-pointers against the Bulls (16-15, 8-8 MAC). Long exploded for 40 points in the Quarterfinals to push the Chippewas past the Bulls by the score of 90-69. With the season ending, so too did the careers of four seniors.
Most people only need one conversation to land a job. For some, potential employment requires a bit more. On Thursday morning, members of the football team worked out for NFL scouts at the program's annual Pro Day.
When the men's basketball team has needed junior Zach Filzen and senior Byron Mulkey most this season, the two guards have delivered. They did it again on Tuesday night. The Bulls (18-12, 9-8 Mid-American Conference) advanced past the first round of the MAC Tournament by defeating Central Michigan (10-21, 7-10 MAC), 64-50. The Bulls improved to 13-3 at home and 5-0 all-time in MAC Tournament games at Alumni Arena. "They were methodically physical and tough tonight," said Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler.
The softball team found itself washed out by more than its opponents when it traveled to Huntington, W.Va. Through the rain, the Bulls (2-10) lost both of their games over the weekend in the Marshall Invitational. In Saturday morning's contest against Presbyterian College (8-2-2), the Bulls were shut out 2-0 by the Blue Hose's defense, led by pitcher Leslie Hensley, who allowed only three hits. The game quickly became a defensive struggle, as Buffalo's own rising star, freshman pitcher Tori Speckman, struck out a career-high nine batters. Speckman took the game one pitch at a time, a fundamental strategy that head coach Jennifer Teague stresses to the pitching staff. "I'm very pleased with the innings she's getting right now and how much maturity she's gaining as a college freshman," Teague said.
After opening the season with four consecutive loses to New Mexico State, the baseball team hit the road again in search of its first win as it faced off against Delaware State in a three-game weekend series. Fueled by an offensive outburst in game one, the Bulls (2-5) rode a wave of momentum to a series win, taking two out of three from the Hornets (3-7). The Bulls discovered their offensive groove in game one.
The women's basketball team will head to the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals thanks to a memorable performance from its seniors on Saturday night. The Bulls (16-14, 8-8 MAC) evened their home record at 7-7 in the final game at Alumni Arena this season with an important win over Ball State (9-21, 4-12 MAC). Buffalo cashed in on 22 Cardinals turnovers for 22 points in an 82-73 victory over Ball State. Four Bulls players scored in double figures in the win.
The wrestling team set out to do something that no other wrestling team has ever done at UB; win a Mid-American Conference championship. The Bulls (9-8, 2-3 MAC) may have fallen short of their ultimate goal at the 2011 MAC Wrestling Championships, but four wrestlers left Northern Illinois with individual accolades. Sophomores Andrew Schutt and Mark Lewandowski, and juniors Desi Green and John-Martin Cannon won MAC Championships in their respective weight classes.
For the first time in school history, the men's swimming and diving team is the Mid-American Conference champion. The Bulls (6-2, 1-1 MAC) won the 2011 MAC Swimming and Diving Championships, breaking countless records and finishing the three-day meet with 763.5 points.
It's been 40 days since the men's basketball team won a game on the road. With the Mid-American Conference Tournament less than a week away, the team is going to have to find a way to make things happen away from Alumni Arena. On Saturday afternoon, the team played arguably its worst game of the season. The Bulls (17-12, 8-8 MAC) wrapped up their regular season schedule in disappointing fashion, falling to Bowling Green (13-18, 8-8 MAC) 73-63 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. The Falcons dominated the Bulls in every facet of the game in the last contest ever to be played at Anderson Arena.
Remember Rob Golabek's name. He might become the first track and field Olympian to come out of UB. Sadly, with all the attention on football and basketball, most students have probably never heard of him before.
Even though Wednesday was Senior Night at Alumni Arena, it was the play of a junior that helped the men's basketball team escape with a win. The Bulls (17-11, 8-7 Mid-American Conference) snapped their four-game conference-losing streak with a 59-49 win against Miami (Ohio) (15-15, 10-5 MAC). Both teams struggled shooting in the game, but the Bulls were able to play better defense down the stretch to dispose of the RedHawks. Junior forward Mitchell Watt added more content to his season-long highlight reel over the course of the game.
The women's basketball team surrendered 16 3-pointers on Wednesday night and suffered its worst loss in the final game of the regular season. The Bulls (15-14, 8-8 Mid-American Conference) took a beating from Bowling Green (25-4, 13-3 MAC) despite 32 points from senior forward Kourtney Brown.
Parity has made the Mid-American Conference more competitive than ever before, and the men's basketball team is learning that lesson this season. From the outside looking in, it may seem that the team is faltering down the stretch of a long and grueling MAC schedule, but according to head coach Reggie Witherspoon, the team is starting to receive the message he's been delivering all season long. The Bulls (16-11, 7-7 MAC) have dropped their last two games and have extended their conference-losing streak to four games after Saturday night's 69-60 loss to Akron (19-10, 9-5). With only two games remaining and a home game in the opening round of the MAC Tournament up for grabs, Buffalo is going to have to be perfect the rest of the way. Miami (Ohio) (15-14, 10-4 MAC) will visit Alumni Arena on Wednesday night.
2010-11 Record: 15-14 (10-4 Mid-American Conference) 2009-10 Record: 14-18 (9-7 MAC)
The men's tennis team hasn't had an easy season thus far. However, a home meet proved to be exactly what it needed. Last Sunday, the Bulls (3-2) went up against Youngstown State (2-3) and overwhelmed their opponents.
The baseball team was burned by more than the sun during its season opener in New Mexico over the weekend. The Bulls (0-4) traveled to New Mexico State (8-0) to compete in two doubleheaders, and lost all four games, 20-12, 15-3, 23-11, and 19-13.
The women's basketball team took an opportunity to honor its seniors and beat down a conference rival all in the same night. Saying that this game was exciting would be an understatement, as Buffalo (15-13, 8-7 Mid-American Conference) overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Ohio (7-21, 3-12 MAC) by the score of 70-65. The Bulls' secret weapon, senior forward Bridgette Kendricks, showed why she is just that as she came out scoring Buffalo's first five points and collecting the team's first four rebounds.
The men's and women's track team brought its pens to Ohio this weekend and rewrote the record books. Juniors Becky O'Brien and Rob Golabek, along with senior Russell Cameron, all claimed titles in this weekend's Mid-American Conference Championships in Bowling Green, Ohio. O'Brien stunned the competition in shot put with two far-reaching throws.
Solutions by The State News
