Sports - The Spectrum

Athletic Director Mark Alnutt takes a selfie with UB’s mascot Victor E. Bull at a basketball game. Alnutt hopes to continue the success of UB Athletics he inherited when taking the job.

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Mark Alnutt Q&A

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | May 9, 2019

Q: How has your first year been while being away from your family back in Memphis?

Tyree Jackson drops back to throw at the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship Game. Jackson’s pro day was modeled after Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

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Down I-90

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | May 5, 2019

Tyree Jackson knew he wanted to be an NFL quarterback. That’s why he direct messaged quarterback coach Jordan Palmer on Instagram last July to take the next step in his football career.

Alysaa Cuevas, Lace Smith, Ally Power, Alissa Karjel and Catrell Robertson stand with members of the UB softball coaching staff and administrators following the end of their doubleheader on Saturday.

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Softball celebrates its seniors

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | May 5, 2019

Saturday marked the end of softball’s season and the end of the careers of five seniors: Ally Power, Alissa Karjel, Catrell Robertson, Lace Smith and Alyssa Cuevas. Buffalo finished its first season with Mike Ruechel as head coach with a record of 10-32-1 overall and 6-10-1 in Mid-American Conference play.

UB student receives "back-splash" from a muddy volleyball. Many students left Oozefest with muddy faces from similar experiences.

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'Wild wild mess'

By LEAH HIGGINS | May 5, 2019

Spring is back in Buffalo and the UB community celebrated the change of season with the time-honored tradition of Oozefest.

Jeremy Harris lays it in during the MAC Championship in Cleveland, OH. Harris will participate in the Pro Basketball Combine on May 21-22.

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Sports briefs

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | May 2, 2019

Senior forward Jeremy Harris will take part in the Pro Basketball Combine, May 21-22 at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. Harris is the second UB player to participate after Wes Clark performed in it last year.

Steven Butcher’s name on the UB Athletics Hall of Fame Wall. Butcher will have his sentencing trial on June 12, after pleading guilty to $45 million in insurance fraud.

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UB considering removing Steven Butcher from Athletics Hall of Fame following fraud scheme

By THOMAS ZAFONTE | May 2, 2019

Steven Butcher, a UB Athletics Hall of Fame inductee ‘07, has a sentencing trial set on June 12 after pleading guilty to $45 million of insurance fraud in New Jersey. Butcher, the all-time leading scorer in UB men’s soccer history, may not be in the hall of fame for much longer.

UB football alum Chuck Harris, Cameron Lewis, Anthony Johnson and Tyree Jackson sit on the sidelines during the annual spring football game. All four signed with an NFL team this weekend.

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Buffalo Bills draft recap

By Sports Desk | Apr. 29, 2019

Round 1 Pick 9 - DT Ed Oliver (Houston) “I don’t think I found my home, I think my home found me,” Oliver said.

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Bulls to the NFL

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 29, 2019

Buffalo had no players drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. Still, five players have already signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Captains of the UB football team including Tyree Jackson (3) and Cameron Lewis (39) walk onto the field at the MAC Championship game. Jackson and Lewis both became members of the Bills this weekend.

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One Buffalo: Bills sign two former Bulls

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 29, 2019

Just minutes after the end of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills signed UB’s quarterback Tyree Jackson as an undrafted free agent. The quarterback who played his college ball just 20 minutes away from One Bills Drive, will now have a chance to compete for the No.-2 quarterback job behind Josh Allen.

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Bulls in the big leagues

By Sports Desk | Apr. 25, 2019

There’s more UB athletics alum than Khalil Mack. We’ve had members of the NFL Hall of Fame, UFC fighters, players who became coaches and soccer players all graduate from UB. UB has been able to turn out a number of professional athletes, despite not being a Division-I program for the majority of its history.

Tony Watson instructs kids at the Pro Training Basketball facility in North Tonawanda. Watson spent four years as a member of UB’s basketball team and three years playing overseas before returning to Buffalo.

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From YouTube to Tonawanda

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 25, 2019

Tony Watson put up shots at Alumni Arena on Tuesday, but this time not as a student or a member of the men’s basketball team. Watson returned to his alma mater to help train the UB men’s basketball program.

UB announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to a new five-year deal with head women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack that will run through 2024.

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Felisha Legette-Jack signs new five-year deal

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 24, 2019

UB agreed to a new five-year deal with head women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack that will run through 2024, according to a Wednesday announcement.

Senior pitcher Ally Power winds up to throw. Power went five innings, surrendering two runs and striking out four as the Bulls lost game one of their doubleheader.

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Softball drops doubleheader

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 18, 2019

The Bulls lost the battle of Main Street on Wednesday, dropping each game of their doubleheader against Canisius. Canisius (8-25) derailed Buffalo (9-26-1, 6-4-1 Mid-American Conference) from its recent success at the game. The Bulls went into the matchup winning four of their last five games, scoring at least five runs in each win.

Members of the UB football team talk to students about registering to the Be The Match national bone marrow donation program. Linebacker Matt Otwinowski will be donating next week.

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Drive to win

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 17, 2019

Junior linebacker Matt Otwinowski will undergo surgery next week, but not for an injury. Otwinowski is donating bone marrow. On Tuesday, he and other members of the football team tried to recruit more donors in the Student Union.

Sophomore quarterback Kyle Vantrease throws a pass over the middle. The sophomore is the only quarterback on UB’s roster to start a game for Buffalo.

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Football finishes spring season

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 14, 2019

Four months after Tyree Jackson declared for the NFL draft, the Bulls are nowhere close to finding their starting quarterback for next season. The Bulls hosted their spring football game on Friday to give fans a taste of what’s in store for next season. Buffalo was without a number of players due to injury or transferring out of the program, and the Bulls were lacking the star power and big plays they were known for last season.

Sixteen-year old Peyton Longo holds up his National Letter of Intent after signing on as a member of the Bulls. Longo suffers from a form of muscular dystrophy and has joined the team through Team IMPACT.

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UB football adds one more recruit

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 14, 2019

It’s rare that a recruit can have so much impact before ever touching the field. Sixteen-year-old Peyton Longo from Cheektowaga has done just that and officially signed on as a member of the Bulls last Friday.

The main bar area at (716) Food and Sport. The bar features a 38-foot-long main TV along with an additional 70 others.

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Best sports bars in Buffalo

By NIKKO LAZZARA and REBEKAH MCCULLOUGH | Apr. 11, 2019

(716) Food and Sport is inside of the recently built Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo. This is essentially the ultimate sports bar. It’s hard to miss the 38-foot main TV along with the 70 other TVs around the bar and restaurant.

Cierra Dillard looks in awe as she is selected with the 20th pick of the WNBA draft. Dillard becomes the first player in UB women’s basketball history to be drafted into the league.

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Cierra Dillard drafted 20th overall in WNBA draft

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 11, 2019

ROCHESTER –– About a mile away from where it all began, Cierra Dillard’s childhood dream came true. Dillard became the first women’s basketball player from Buffalo to ever be drafted into the Women’s National Basketball Association, becoming the 20th pick and joining the Minnesota Lynx.

New men’s basketball coach Jim Whitesell holds up a jersey with Athletic Director Mark Alnutt. Whitesell replaces Nate Oats as head coach after he left for Alabama.

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Keeping it blue collar

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 11, 2019

UB basketball’s next head coach Jim Whitesell prominently displayed his 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship ring at his introductory press conference Monday morning. It was a sign of his dedication to the program and the success he expects to continue.

New volleyball head coach Scott Smith talks with the Bulls during a game this past season. Smith wants to continue building the program after spending the last four as an assistant coach.

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Scott Smith wants to continue foundation set for volleyball

By NATHANIEL MENDELSON | Apr. 7, 2019

Volleyball head coach Scott Smith wasn’t coaching from the sidelines. Smith was on the court serving and playing directly against players that he recruited and is now in charge of.