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Bulls Drop Double-Overtime Thriller to Kent State, 111-107

Calvin Cage

Kent State (18-7, 12-2 MAC) took a 14-point lead with 3:29 left in the first stanza. However, the Bulls closed the first half on a 13-1 scoring run to cut the Kent State advantage to 42-40 at the half.

A three-pointer by Middleton gave the Bulls a 53-49 lead with 13:11 remaining. The Golden Flashes rallied to take a 54-53 lead with 12:06 left. A 14-2 run, capped by a Cage three-pointer, put the Bulls ahead, 69-57, with 7:33 remaining. UB extended its lead to 13 points with 5:31 left in regulation before Kent State mounted its comeback. Over a two and a half minute span, Kent State went on an 11-2 run to cut the lead to four points. Kevin Warzynski hit three-pointers on three of the Golden Flashes' four possessions to lead the charge.

Jay Youngblood drained a three-pointer to cut the UB advantage to 79-77 with 1:15 remaining. On the Bulls' ensuing possession, Omni Smith came up with a steal, scored a lay-up and was fouled. The free throw gave Kent State an 80-79 lead with 57 seconds remaining. Trailing 81-79, Middleton hit a jumper in the lane with five seconds remaining to tie the contest and send it to overtime.

In the first overtime, Warzynski hit a pair of free throws to give Kent State a 92-88 lead with 37 seconds left in the period. Cage hit a jumper on the Bulls' next possession to cut the lead to 92-90. After Warzynski went 1-for-2 at the free throw line, Cage drove the lane, scored and got fouled. His free throw, with eight seconds remaining, tied the game again and forced a second overtime.

Buffalo shooters went cold in the second overtime and Kent State was able to build a nine-point lead. The Golden Flashes converted their free throws down the stretch to hold on for the four-point victory.

Roderick Middleton

Buffalo (16-9, 6-8 MAC) had four players score in double figures led by the career highs of Cage and Middleton. Both players drained five three-pointers. Cage's 37 points tied him for the sixth-best effort in school history.Yassin Idbihi (Tangier, Morocco/Schloss Hagerhof) added 12 points and seven rebounds. Darwin Young (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) tallied career highs of 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Bulls.

Kent State had six players score in double-figures, led by Warzynski with 23 points. Youngblood notched 22 points and Smith added 19 points for the Golden Flashes.

Both teams shot the ball well as the Bulls shot 52.1 percent from the field and Kent State shot 51.5 percent. Buffalo outrebounded Kent State, 44-33.

"We lost our concentration," head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "We didn't run the floor well enough defensively, we didn't execute on the ball screen at all and we were not strong enough with the basketball to win."

Buffalo will next play at Iona in an ESPN Bracket Buster game on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is slated for 12:00 pm.