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Bulls Can't Rally Past Ohio

Andy Robinson

Andy Robinson (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) scored 23 points to lead all scorers. He matched a season high with four three-pointers. Calvin Betts (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.

An energetic Bulls squad led 14-11 with 13:40 left in the first half. However, UB was outscored, 22-11, for the remainder of the first stanza and trailed, 33-25, at the break.

Ohio (12-6, 3-2 MAC) scored the first five points of the second half and held a 41-28 lead with 17:14 left. Sparked by a Robinson jumper, the Bulls mounted a 20-9 scoring run and a Max Boudreau (Montreal, Quebec/Champlain St. Lambert) leaning jumper cut the Ohio advantage to 50-48 with 9:12 left.

Betts nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to 52-51. Robinson hit a pair of free throws to again cut the deficit to one with 7:46 left. Although they had several opportunities, the Bulls couldn't score the go-ahead basket.

With Ohio leading, 61-53, Jawaan Alston (Uniontown, PA/Albert Gallatin) scored four straight points, including a steal and breakaway layup, to cut the lead to four with 3:40 remaining. However, that would be the last field goal the Bulls would score and they would get no closer as the Bobcats pulled away for the nine-point victory.

Buffalo (6-11, 0-5 MAC) was uncharacteristically outrebounded, 39-28. One telling stat from the game was second-chance points. Although both teams collected 10 offensive rebounds, Ohio was able to score 16 second-chance points, compared to just three for the Bulls.

Both teams shot the ball well from long distance as UB was 9-for-22 from beyond the arc and Ohio was 9-for-21. Byron Mulkey (Wheatfield, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) had a pair of threes for the Bulls and Betts, Rodney Pierce (Buffalo, NY/Hutch-Tech) and Sean Smiley (Erie, PA/McDowell) each added one.

The Bobcats were led by Bert Whittington who scored 22 points, including five three-pointers, and Tommy Freeman who added 13 points.

"I thought their experience around the basket really hurt us," head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "They were able to assert themselves enough around the basket that we had to pay so much attention to them that they got some shots from the perimeter and knocked them down."

Buffalo will head back out on the road and play at Toledo on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

A rebroadcast of tonight's game can be seen on Time Warner 13 on Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 4:30 pm and Saturday at 4:00 pm.