Men’s basketball couldn’t secure a win this week in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) - Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Challenge. Buffalo (7-16, 2-8 MAC) competed in an inter-conference contest earlier this week when they traveled to face Toledo (15-8, 8-2 MAC) last Tuesday, ultimately coming up short. The Bulls failed to find a winning formula on Saturday against Georgia State (10-15, 5-7 SBC) as well, losing 80-75.
Head Coach George Halcovage III lamented the poor shooting from behind the arc as well as early turnovers as the reason Buffalo didn’t get the start offensively that they would have liked. “We fought and battled to the end,” he said. “We just didn’t have enough shots go in… Five for 33 from the three-point line… Uncharacteristic night.”
The game began at a sluggish pace for both teams in terms of shooting. It took nearly 8 minutes for the total points scored by each squad to eclipse 20 points. They both were struggling to find looks that allowed them to score.
The Panthers took a lead early in the first half, which they maintained throughout the contest. Buffalo tied the game at 13 with 10 minutes left in the first half, but were never able to tie or gain the lead after that point, with the first half ending at 38-31.
Neither team had any standout players from the game in terms of scoring points, with no player scoring more than 20 points for either team. Stingy defenses from both squads led to a rough, turnover-filled game, with each group having 13 giveaways each.
Both teams faced serious foul troubles in this game as well. The game ended with a combined total of 47 personal fouls, 25 for Georgia State and 22 for Buffalo. Senior center for Georgia State Cesare Edwards fouled out late in the final half after receiving his fifth personal foul.
UB was able to make the game competitive at the end of the contest, after scoring 15 points in the last two minutes to force Georgia State to convert some crunch-time free throws. In the end, the Bulls weren't able to complete the comeback.
Buffalo will next face Northern Illinois (5-19, 1-9 MAC) this coming Tuesday, Feb 11, in an away contest. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
