Sports - The Spectrum

OPINION

The Carolina Panthers will win Super Bowl 50

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Feb. 7, 2016

I believe that the Carolina Panthers will defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. But with this matchup between a rising star in Cam Newton and a potential swan song for one of the greatest of this generation in Peyton Manning, nothing is ever certain. But I would like to think the Carolina Panthers won the Super Bowl and Cam Newton already dabbed at the 50-yard line as Roger Goodell hands him the game MVP trophy.

OPINION

The UB Bulls are being built brick by brick

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Feb. 7, 2016

While Lance Leipold was the head coach last year as the recruits came in to Buffalo, there was a perception that those players - a few of them - were holdovers from a class built by the previous regime. So, I wanted to see what Leipold and his staff would do, some of the players and states that would target. And in the end, there were some trends that I liked from this class and last year’s group of players.

Freshman guard CJ Massinburg attempts to finish over an Eastern Michigan guard during a game last week. Massinburg finished with a game-high 36 points in Buffalo's loss to Ohio Friday night.

SPORTS

UB Bulls defeat Eastern Michigan 80-70 after slow start

By MICHAEL AKELSON | Feb. 7, 2016

After being down as much as 15 points, the UB Bulls rallied to defeat Eastern Michigan 80-70 to start their three-game homestand off with a win.

The women's soccer team rushes to celebrate with sophomore goalkeeper Laura Dougall (1) after the Bulls defeated Central Michigan to advance to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals last season. The Bulls announced their 2016 recruiting class Thursday.

SPORTS

UB women’s soccer announces recruiting class

By Jordan Grossman | Feb. 4, 2016

On Thursday, head coach Shawn Burke announced his four-player class, three of whom are from New York and one from Ontario, for the 2016 season. The Bulls added Kara Daly, a forward from nearby Orchard Park, Mairead Martin of Mahopac, New York, Adrianna Van Cuyck, a midfielder from Walworth, New York and Gurjeena Jandu, a defender from Mississauga, Ontario.

Women's basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack celebrates after Buffalo's upset over Ohio on Wednesday night. She also celebrated her 200th career victory as a head coach.

SPORTS

UB women’s basketball pulls off big upset of Ohio

By Romulo Romero | Feb. 4, 2016

Buffalo played a sound defensive game, defeating the Bobcats (17-4, 9-1 MAC) 51-43 at Alumni Arena Wednesday night. The game was also a joyous occasion for head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, as the win was her 200th career victory as a head coach.

Lance Leipold announced his 15-player recruiting class, consisting of seven offensive players, seven defensive players and a punter, at Alumni Arena on National Signing Day Wednesday.

SPORTS

Linebackers and length focal points of UB football’s 2016 recruiting class

By Jordan Grossman | Feb. 4, 2016

Lance Leipold announced his 15-player recruiting class, consisting of seven offensive players, seven defensive players and a punter, at Alumni Arena on National Signing Day Wednesday.

Sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden drives for a layup in a victory over Ball State at Alumni Arena. Bearden had a team-high 23 points in a 90-78 victory over Northern Illinois Tuesday night.

SPORTS

UB Bulls win third in a row, take down Northern Illinois 90-78

By Jordan Grossman | Feb. 3, 2016

The Bulls (13-9, 6-3 Mid-American Conference) shut down one of the top teams in the MAC with a 90-78 victory over Northern Illinois (16-6, 5-4 MAC) on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center in Dekalb, Illinois. Buffalo handed the Huskies their first loss at home this season and held them to 38.6 percent shooting from the field.

OPINION

Go-to guide on how to bet on Super Bowl 50

By Jordan Grossman | Feb. 2, 2016

There was an estimated $119 million placed two years ago in Las Vegas sportsbooks, and slightly declined last year to $116 million. The number is expected to stay around that range this Sunday for Super Bowl 50, with another $4 billion in bets coming from illegal bets like Super Bowl boxes and illegal bookmakers all across the country.

Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack looks on, calling a play for the Bulls. The Bulls have endured a five-game losing streak, but Legette-Jack still believes her team can turn it around.

SPORTS

UB women's basketball has room for improvement

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Feb. 2, 2016

Legette-Jack is trying to right the Bulls (10-9, 2-6 Mid-American Conference) after a five-game losing streak, including Saturday’s heartbreaking loss to Northern Illinois (9-11, 2-7 MAC).

OPINION

Loss of Bortenschlager doesn’t hurt UB Bulls’ recruiting class – but losing Williams does

By Jordan Grossman | Feb. 2, 2016

But what seems like a detrimental blow to a program is actually not that crushing to the offensive side of the ball.

The football team walks off the field after its 24-21 loss to Nevada in September.

SPORTS

UB recruit Max Bortenschlager de-commits to go to Maryland

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 31, 2016

UB commit Max Bortenschlager officially changed his commitment yesterday, as he opted to commit to the University of Maryland. Bortenschlager tweeted yesterday that he was “excited and thankful to say” that he was an officially committing to the University of Maryland.

Junior forward Blake Hamilton looks to make a pass into the paint. Hamilton led the Bulls 17 points as the Bulls defeated Toledo 73-68, their second straight Mid-American Conference win.

SPORTS

Quick hits: Your recap for the weekend in UB Athletics

By Sports Desk | Jan. 31, 2016

Recapping the week in UB Athletics

Head coach John Stutzman leads a practice from before the 2015-16 season.

SPORTS

Wrestling team looking ahead after first MAC win in three seasons

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 31, 2016

On Jan. 22, the Bulls (8-7, 1-4 Mid-American Conference) defeated the No. 21 team in the country, Old Dominion (4-8, 0-3 MAC), 19-17. While it was the team’s eighth victory of the 2015-16 season, it was a win that provided Buffalo with its first conference victory in more than three years and its first win over a ranked opponent since a victory over No. 12 Nebraska in 2010.

Freshman guard CJ Massinburg drives into the rim during a matchup against Miami Ohio last weel. Massinburg has been a key contributor to the Bulls' recent stretch of success.

SPORTS

UB Bulls eke out victory over Toledo

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 31, 2016

On Saturday, the Bulls (12-9, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) defeated Toledo (12-9, 3-5 MAC) 73-68 in a tightly contested game at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.

Junior guard Joanna Smith drives to the basket. Smith finished with a career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds.

SPORTS

UB women’s basketball continues losing streak despite Smith’s career day

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 30, 2016

It was the three-point shot that kept the Buffalo women’s basketball team in the matchup for the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds of the game. And in that one remaining second, the very shot that almost ended the Bulls’ losing streak turned out to be the team’s demise.

SPORTS

UB basketball preview: men look to start winning streak, women look to end losing streak

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 29, 2016

Both the men and women look to starting winning streaks on the road this weekend.

OPINION

Second half success: UB men's and women’s basketball have tools, talent for conference runs

By QUENTIN HAYNES | Jan. 28, 2016

The Buffalo men’s basketball team is sitting at 11-9 overall and 4-3 in Mid-American Conference play. The women’s team is 10-8 overall, 2-5 in MAC play and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Clearly, both teams will need to make adjustments to make it to Cleveland, come March and have any amount of success there.

SPORTS

UFC fighter Chris Weidman and UFC executives lobby for New York to legalize professional MMA

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 28, 2016

Weidman, a native of Long Island, has had a lifelong dream to hear his walk-up music as he jogs down the ramp and into the octagon at the world’s most famous arena located in the heart of New York City. But that opportunity has yet to come due to ban on of mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York State.

The Bulls' coaches wore green shoes for lymphoma awareness in their game against Ball State Tuesday night. Head coach Nate Oats' wife Crystal was diagnosed with lymphoma several months ago.

SPORTS

UB men’s basketball coaches wear lime-green sneakers for Coaches vs. Cancer week

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 28, 2016

The coaches of the Buffalo men’s basketball team, in collaboration with Coaches vs. Cancer week, donned lime-green Nike sneakers on Tuesday night against Ball State and will wear them in their game on Saturday night as well. The color lime-green was chosen in honor of head coach Nate Oats’ wife, Crystal, who is currently battling non-Hodgkin’s double-hit lymphoma.

Warde Manuel (pictured) served as athletic director for UB prior to Danny White's tenure. Various media outlets reported Wednesday that Manuel has accepted the AD position at the University of Michigan.

SPORTS

Former UB Athletic Director Warde Manuel to become Michigan’s AD

By Jordan Grossman | Jan. 28, 2016

Various media outlets reported Wednesday that Warde Manuel, who served as Buffalo’s AD before White, accepted the same position at the University of Michigan – ending his nearly four-year tenure at the University of Connecticut.