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Bulls Fall Short at Toledo, 76-63

Sean Smiley

Sean Smiley (Erie, PA/McDowell), who was a game-time decision with an ankle injury, played valiantly and scored 21 points, including a career-best tying five three-pointers.

Calvin Betts (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) notched his second double-double of the season with 12 points on six-of-eight shooting and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

The first half was the Smiley and Betts show as the two players combined to score 21 of UB’s 25 first-half points. Smiley scored 11 and Betts had 10. But the Bulls trailed, 32-25, at the break.

Toledo (6-12, 3-3 MAC) scored the first eight points of the second half to extend its lead to 40-25 with 16:23 on the clock. However, the Bulls battled back and over the next eight minutes managed to cut the lead to 51-50. Andy Robinson (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) played a big part in the comeback as he scored eight of his 14 points during the run, including back-to-back three-pointers.

Smiley connected on a pair of free throws to complete the comeback – knotting the game at 55 with 5:48 left.

With the Bulls trailing by three and 4:11 on the clock, Max Boudreau (Montreal, Quebec/Champlain St. Lambert) blocked his third shot of the game that ignited a break for UB. However, Boudreau was whistled for an illegal screen near midcourt and the UB bench was also called for a technical foul on the play. Toledo sank the technical free throws and was awarded the ball - extending its lead to five. The Rockets would eventually pull away for the win.

Boudreau finished with seven points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 25 minutes. The sophomore forward was part of a spirited effort from the bench that scored 45 of the team’s 63 points and grabbed 23 of UB’s 39 rebounds.

The biggest discrepancy in the game was free throw shooting. Toledo made 29-of-45 free throw attempts on the night while UB shot just 15 free throws and made seven. The Bulls didn’t shoot their first free throw of the game until there was 14:44 left in the second half.

It was Buffalo’s seventh straight loss and dropped the Bulls to 0-6 in MAC play.

“We have got to get off to better starts at the beginning of games and the beginning of halves,” head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “We still don’t have the necessary poise to play with good energy, play with good intensity and then not force things. We seem to get unforced turnovers because we don’t have enough poise.”

Buffalo will return home to host Western Michigan on Tuesday night at Alumni Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm.