After defeating Old Dominion (0-2, 0-0 SBC) this past Monday with a last-second buzzer beater, UB men’s basketball (2-0, 0-0 MAC) beat the Fredonia State Blue Devils (0-0, 0-0 SUNYAC) 87-78 in the second match of last Friday’s basketball doubleheader. The result earned Buffalo their first 2-0 start to a season since 2018.
The game saw numerous Bulls perform admirably, with senior guard Tyson Dunn – who scored the winning shot against Old Dominion – becoming just the third player in UB program history to record a triple-double. He also recorded 14 assists, tying him for the fifth most in a single game. Sophomore guard Anquan Boldin Jr., the son of former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin, set a career-high in points with 22 and had four assists. Sophomore guard Ryan Sabol also recorded a career-high in points at 28 and went 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
“We needed them,” Head Coach George Halcovage III said, “I am really proud of those guys for steadying us tonight.”
The game got off to a rocky start for Buffalo as they fell behind 18-6 in the first five minutes of the opening half. Struggling to find any momentum offensively, the deficit grew to 18 points and a double-technical foul saw both teams face an ejection before the 10 minute mark. Sabol would then shift the tides to Buffalo’s favor after drilling a shot from behind the arc. Buffalo’s defense tightened, sparking a solid scoring run that put the game within reach, with UB trailing 41-37 at halftime.
After UB managed to tie the game at 41, the second half saw a competitive back-and-forth between both teams. There were a total of five lead changes and five ties, until a three-pointer from Dunn, followed by a three-point play, proved to be a catalyst for another Buffalo scoring run, securing the win.
The Bulls will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0, 0-0 ACC) next in an away matchup this Monday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Rodrigo Feijão is the senior sports editor and can be reached at rodrigo.feijao@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Aryan Sawant and Christo Abraham
