Saturday's MAC Men's Basketball Results

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team rallied to defeat Kent State, 66-65, at Alumni Arena on Saturday night in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools.

It was a tight game throughout with 12 ties and 11 lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points until Kent State took a 55-47 lead with 11:21 remaining in the second half. Kent State’s Randal Holt drained a three-pointer to put the Golden Flashes ahead, 58-52, with 8:22 left.

However, following a Titus Robinson dunk and a Javon McCrea layup, Jarod Oldham stepped up and drained just his fourth three-pointer of the season, late in the shot clock, to give the Bulls their first lead of the second half, 60-59, with 5:14 left.

Kent State recovered to take a 62-60 lead with 4:00 left. Oldham found McCrea for layups on the Bulls’ next two possessions. His second layup gave the Bulls the lead for good, 64-62, with 1:45 left.

Buffalo (8-4, 1-0 MAC) played solid defense down the stretch and came up with key rebounds to hold off the Golden Flashes. The Bulls held Kent State to only four field goals in the final 11:21 of the game (4-of-19).

“It was typical Mid-American Conference basketball, where it was nip and tuck and you had to dig yourself out,” head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “I thought our man-to-man defense was a big difference in the game. We showed growth in that area.  I thought offensively, when we were able to make more passes and get in rhythm, I thought we got some pretty good looks at the basket.”

McCrea led all scorers with 25 points. He scored seven of UB’s last 10 points of the game. Titus Robinson was a huge spark off the bench with a season-high 14 points and added six rebounds. Mitchell Watt added 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

The Bulls dominated the glass, outrebounding Kent State, 42-30. Dave Barnett had seven rebounds to go along with seven points and three steals.

Kent State (10-4, 0-1) had three players score in double-figures, led by Justin Greene’s 16.

Buffalo will next hit the road for two straight games, starting at Ohio on Wednesday night.

Bowling Green 67, Ohio 57

Bowling Green, Ohio – Torian Oglesby’s NCAA record streak of 26 consecutive field goal attempts without a miss came to an end Saturday but his alley-oop throw-down with 1:42 left was the key play in Bowling Green’s 67-57 Mid-American Conference men’s basketball win over Ohio Saturday. The Falcons moved to 6-1 at home in the brand-new Stroh Center and shook off a sluggish non-conference campaign by defeating the winningest team in the MAC.

Ohio entered the game at 12-2 and had the most impressive non-conference resume in the league entering Saturday’s MAC opener. But the Falcons built a 13-point second-half lead and staved off a furious rally to move to 1-0 in conference play.

After Ohio used a 17-4 run to tie the game at 56-56 with just 1:59 to play, Jordon Crawford threw a lob and Oglesby elevated and caught the pass left-handed, bringing the ball down with a thunderous dunk and getting fouled on the play. Oglesby missed the free-throw, but even that turned out to be a positive as Scott Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound and Oglesby eventually scored with 1:24 left to give the Falcons a 60-56 lead.

Bowling Green closed out the final 84 seconds by going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and holding the Bobcats to just one free-throw the rest of the way.

The Falcons overcame 21 turnovers in the contest by shooting 52 percent from the floor and making 4-of-8 three-pointers. Bowling Green also held a 36-28 rebounding advantage, getting 10 boards from Thomas and nine from Oglesby.

Ohio built an early lead by scoring the first six points of the game but the Falcons answered with 10 straight. The Bobcats used a 9-0 run late to take a 27-21 lead but Dee Brown knocked down a three-pointer and Crawford made a pair of free-throws to cut the deficit to one at the break.

Bowling Green quickly took the lead in the second half but Ohio’s D.J. Cooper hit a long three with 12:37 left to cut the Falcons lead to four at 43-39. After Thomas completed a three-point play, Crawford took over with three consecutive lay-ups, two on the fast break, to give Bowling Green a 52-39 lead. That’s when Ohio went on its 17-4 run to tie the score before Oglesby’s alley-oop.

The Bowling Green defense held Ohio to 38 percent shooting and only 4-of-20 from three-point range. The 57 Bobcat points is the second-lowest offensive total of the year for Ohio, behind only the 54 points that Louisville gave up to the team.

Crawford ended with a game-high 16 points and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Brown had 13 points, five rebounds and two steals, while A’uston Calhoun added 12 points. Thomas had his second double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, his second straight double-digit rebounding game. Oglesby’s only two field goals came on the four-point possession that put the Falcons ahead for good and he ended with five points and nine boards.

Ohio falls to 12-3 overall and 0-1 in MAC play with the loss. Bowling Green improves to 7-7 and 1-0 and will host Akron Wednesday night at 7 p.m. That contest is a Buck Night and tickets are only $1. The Zips opened MAC play with a 65-60 win over Miami Saturday night.
Ball State 78, Western Michigan 69

MUNCIE, Ind. - Four Cardinals scored in double figures to lead the Ball State men's basketball team to a 78-69 victory over Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference opener for both squads Saturday afternoon at Worthen Arena.

The Cardinals never trailed in the contest, which saw BSU lead by as many at 16 points mid-way through the second half. The victory improves the Cardinals to 9-4 on the season and runs their home winning streak to 11 straight games, dating back to last season.

"Today was what we expected from MAC play -- a gritty, tough contest," head coach Billy Taylor said. "I was proud of our guys for getting a lead early on and maintaining it throughout the game. We were able to withstand the Western Michigan run and showed a lot of poise down the stretch."

Senior forward Jarrod Jones (Michigan City, Ind./Michigan City) led all players with 20 points for his seventh game with 20-or-more points this season. Classmate Randy Davis (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) followed Jones in scoring with 16 points to help BSU improve open league play with a win for the second straight season.

 "I was most proud of the play of our seniors, Jarrod and Randy," Taylor said. "They have led us all year in practice and on the floor during games. They did a terrific job today playing like seniors and helping us secure a great home victory."

Also scoring in double-figures for the Cardinals were sophomore forward Chris Bond (Gary, Ind./Bowman Academy) and sophomore guard Jesse Berry (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson) with 11 points each. Bond led the Cardinals in rebounding with a game-high nine boards.

Western Michigan, which fell to 6-9 (0-1 MAC), was led in scoring by Demetrius Ward's 16 points, while Matt Stainbrook added 14.

Ball State and Western Michigan battled back-and-forth from the tip-off in the hotly contested affair. The Cardinals threw the first blow of the game with an 8-0 run to take a 17-8 lead and for WMU into an early timeout. Berry and Davis gave the Cardinals the early spark with an early three-pointer each during the spurt.

Western Michigan slowed the Cardinals' momentum with an 8-2 run to narrow the gap to 23-22 and force Ball State into a timeout with 5:55 left in the half. Shayne Whittington and Austin Richie scored on back-to-back fast break baskets as the Cardinals committed consecutive turnovers.

Ball State slowed the run as Bond converted an old-fashioned three-point play. The Cardinals followed that up with an 8-2 run to take a 34-25 lead as sophomore Tyrae Robinson (Gary, Ind./Bowman) hit five free throws and Berry nailed another three-pointer. The teams traded points in the rough-and-tumbling final minute of play that saw three technical fouls called before Ball State took a 36-29 lead into the locker room.

The Cardinals connected on 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the field and 40 percent (4-of-10) from three-point land. Jones and Berry led the team with eight points each in the first half while Bond chipped in seven points. Ball State also out-rebounded the Broncos by a 19-18 margin with Jones leading the way with six boards.

Western Michigan connected on 39.3 percent (11-of-28) from the field and just 12.5 percent (1-of-8) from long range. The Broncos were led by Demetrius Ward who scored seven points while Flenard Whitfield added four points in his return to action after missing the past six games. WMU leading scorer Matt Stainbrook was held scoreless as he posted two fouls in just five minutes of action in the first half.

The teams battled back-and-forth for most of the second half with the Cardinals maintaining a double-digit lead. Freshman forward Aaron Adeoye (Marion, Ill./Marion) converted two different three-point plays in the second half to keep the Cardinals' momentum going.

After a basket by Jones put the Cardinals in front by 16 points at 65-49 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game, Western Michigan responded with seven straight points and posted a 14-4 run to narrow the gap to 69-63 with 3:47 left. Mike Douglas started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play while Hayden Hoerdemann brought the Broncos within six points as he nailed a deep three-pointer off of a scramble.

Ball State needed a crucial basket down the stretch and it went inside to Jones who was double-teamed. He was able to find Bond alone underneath for a big bucket to put the Cardinals in front 71-63 and thwart the WMU run. The Cardinals closed out the victory from the free throw line as they hit seven of their last eight from the line, including four from Davis.

Ball State finished the game shooting 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field and 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from long range. The Cardinals also hit 79.3 percent (23-of-29) from the charity stripe, including 15-of-17 (88.2%) in the second half. Jones connected on 7-of-15 from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line while Davis was 4-of-7 from the field and also hit all six of his free throws.

Ball State forced Western Michigan into 14 turnovers in the victory and out-scored the Broncos 15-4 on the fast break. Western Michigan ended the afternoon shooting 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the field and just 25 percent (5-of-20) from long range. Ward led the Broncos with 16 points and seven assists while Stainbrook added 14 points, all in the second half.

Ball State returns to action Tuesday night as it hits the road for the first time in MAC play as the Cardinals travel to Toledo. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Savage Hall.

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois men’s basketball team led by three at the half, but were unable hold on as they fell to Eastern Michigan, 47-40, on Saturday afternoon in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Senior forward Tim Toler (Indianapolis, Ind./Avon/Danville Area CC) led the Huskies with 11 points; freshman guard Zach Miller (Chicago, Ill./Glenbard East) chipped in nine points and a game-high four assists. 

“I thought we rebounded well in the first half,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “We got down 11 and we fought back to take the lead with about 1:30 to go (in the first half). I thought we had better offensive flow in the first half. In the second half we just couldn’t get a basket to go. It was one of those games that comes down to the last couple of possessions. With two minutes to go it was a one-point game, we had our chances; we just didn’t make enough shots.”

Eastern Michigan jumped out to a 17-6 lead early in the contest before a 14-2 run put the Huskies on top, 20-19. 

Junior guard Tony Nixon (South Holland, Ill./Seton Academy) converted on a drive to the basket to ignite the run. Freshman guard Marquavese Ford (Saginaw, Mich./Saginaw) added a jumper from the elbow, Miller drained a trifecta and freshman forward Keith Gray (Chicago, Ill./Brooks Academy) and Toler each added a basket and converted from the charity stripe to give NIU its first lead of the afternoon. 

A pair of free throws by the Eagles ended a six-and-a-half minutes scoreless stretch for EMU, giving the Eagles a 21-20 lead with 4:46 left in the half. 

Ford just beat the shot clock buzzer with a three-pointer as NIU regained the lead, 23-21, before Eastern Michigan sandwiched a pair of free throws around a Miller triple as the Huskies took a 26-23 lead into the intermission.

EMU ended the half on a 20-4 run and did not allow a field goal in the final 11:20 of the opening stanza. 

Toler led all scorers with eight points in the first half; Darrell Lampley led Eastern Michigan with seven. The Huskies shot 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes while the Eagles shot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from the field. 

The Eagles opened the second half with an 11-3 burst, taking a 34-29 lead with 14:51 left. 

Nixon stopped the run with a triple for the Huskies and freshman wing Abdel Nader (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) swung the lead back to NIU with a three, 35-34, with 13:22 remaining. 

Eastern Michigan scored six-straight to take a four-point lead until a three-pointer from the top of the key by Miller cut the Eagle lead to just one, 39-38, with 6:30 to play. 

After the two teams traded a pair of free throws, Eastern Michigan made four more from the line to lead 45-40 with 38 seconds remaining. NIU had a chance to cut into the lead, but the Huskies came up empty and the Eagles made two more free throws to create the final seven-point margin. 

Northern Illinois held Eastern Michigan to just 36.1 percent (13-of-36) shooting in the contest but shot just 29.2 percent (14-of-48) on the other end of the floor. The Eagles went 19-of-24 from the charity stripe in the contest while the Huskies were just 5-of-7.

Lampley finished with a game-high 16 points for Eastern Michigan.  

Northern Illinois will return to the road for the first time since Dec. 10, 2011, when it travels to Western Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for their first MAC road game of the season. The Huskies and Broncos will tipoff at 6 p.m. CT.

OXFORD, Ohio -- In a thrilling back-and-forth game, the Miami men's basketball team fell to the Akron Zips by a score of 65-60 Saturday night at Millett Hall. Julian Mavunga posted his ninth double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

After sophomore forward Jon Harris scored the first points of the game, Akron rattled off six straight points to give the Zips a 6-2 lead four minutes into the half. With 12:09 left in the period, Miami tied the game up at eight on a pair of free throws by freshman guard Brian Sullivan.

With 8:00 left in the first half, the RedHawks still found themselves down 15-13 even after a three-point play by Mavunga. A big reason for Akron's lead was its ability to convert Miami turnovers into points; while the Zips had only forced four turnovers up to this point, they converted all four into scoring plays.

Brian Sullivan, fresh off of an explosive scoring game against Vanderbilt, nailed a 3-pointer at the 5:29 mark of the half to give Miami the lead, 19-18. The score gave Sullivan 12 points, his fifth double-digit scoring night of the season. The Sullivan trey was the start of an 11-2 Miami scoring run, which gave the RedHawks a 27-20 lead with 1:34 left in the opening half.

Akron laid one in during the closing seconds of the half, yet Miami entered halftime with the lead. 29-25. Brian Sullivanled all scorers in the first half with those 12 points, and Harris and Mavunga led all players with five rebounds apiece. Brian Walsh led Akron in both scoring and rebounding, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds.

Mavunga opened up the second half of scoring with a 3-pointer, but Akron's Chauncey Gilliam answered right back with a trey of his own, keeping the Miami lead at four, 32-28. Mavunga's basket put him in double figures in scoring, a mark he has reached in every game so far this season.

Nine minutes into the half, both squads had played to a standstill with each scoring 14 points up to that point in the half, making the score 43-39 in favor of the RedHawks. Of Miami's 14 points, Mavunga had registered eight of them. After a Mavunga free throw, Akron's Quincy Diggs scored back-to-back layups to bring the Zips within one, 44-43 with 9:57 left in the game. A minute later, Akron took the lead on a layup by Demetrius Treadwell, 47-46.

The Diggs' layups were the beginnings of a 10-2 scoring run by the Zips that led to a 49-46 Akron advantage. A layup by sophomore guard Quinten Rollinsat the 8:10 mark of the half made the score 49-48.

That score held for nearly three minutes until an Akron layup at the 5:20 mark of the half increased the Zips' lead to three, 51-48. A pair of Mavunga free throws brought the RedHawks back to within one, 51-50. With 3:27 left in the game, Mavunga grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and took it coast-to-coast for a layup to give Miami the lead, 54-53. Akron, however, promptly scored five unanswered points to take a 58-54 lead with 2:36 remaining in the game.

Harris nailed a runner in the lane with 1:40 left in the game to tie the game at 58-58. A pair of free throws with 1:01 left in the game by Akron's Diggs gave the Zips the lead yet again, 60-58. A RedHawk turnover gave Akron the ball back with 32 seconds left. A quick foul to stop the clock sent the Zips to the charity stripe, where Alex Abreu nailed both of his freebies to make the score 62-58.

The Akron lead held for the remaining seconds, and the Zips walked away with a 65-60 victory.

Mavunga led all scorers with 23 points and 14 rebounds. It was his ninth double-double of the season and 23rd of his career. Brian Sullivanwas the only other RedHawk in double figures in scoring, finishing with 14 points. Diggs led Akron in scoring with 13 points, while Treadwell led the Zips in rebounds with five.

Miami will look to rebound Wednesday when it travels to Kent State. The game starts at 7 pm, and the RedHawks will be looking for their first MAC victory of the season.