COLUMBUS, OHIO –The No. 12 seeded men’s basketball team (23-10, 12-6 Mid-American Conference) fell 68-62 to No. 5 seed West Virginia (24-9, 11-7 Big 12) Friday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia (19-14, 7-11 Big 12) defeated Buffalo 84-61 Thursday in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers led the entire game, due in part to an early 10-0 run and 53 percent shooting from 3-point range.
OK, so maybe it’s not just the ring that’s pushed Buffalo on its current run to its first-ever NCAA tournament and a second round matchup with West Virginia on Friday. But for whatever reason, the moment doesn’t seem too big for the Mid-Major program making its first trip to the big dance.
The Spectrum sports staff gives their predictions for Buffalo's NCAA tournament matchup with West Virginia on Friday.
Hurley, who won back-to-back national titles with Duke from 1991-92, is returning to the tournament for the first time since his playing days. But he will be leading a team from the sidelines instead of on the court.
Xavier Ford brought expectations with him to Buffalo. The senior forward and former top-level recruit admits he’s “probably one of the most decorated guys to be recruited” to UB. But he admits he didn’t hold up to that standard.
The Spectrum scouts the Mountaineers projected starting five as well as a matchup to watch out for.
The Bulls (19-12, 11-7 MAC) were selected to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the first time in program history Monday, and will face West Virginia (18-14, 7-11 Big Ten) in Morgantown, West Virginia on Thursday.
The Bulls (23-9, 14-6 MAC) will play No. 18 West Virginia (23-9, 11-7 Big 12) Friday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio in what will be the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Saturday was a monumental moment for UB Athletics. The men's basketball team should savor its first MAC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. But the immediate future of head coach Bobby Hurley remains a question. Will he make a big jump or try to build something in Buffalo?
The No. 2 seeded Bulls claimed their first-ever MAC Tournament Championship Saturday night when they defeated No. 1 Central Michigan 89-84 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The No. 2 Bulls (22-9, 13-6 MAC) defeated No. 7 Akron 68-59 after closing the game out on a 19-10 run on Friday night at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Buffalo advances to the MAC Championships for the first time since 2009, where it lost to Akron 65-53. The Bulls will face No. 1 Central Michigan on Saturday night for the conference title.
The No. 4 Bulls (19-12, 12-8 MAC) were defeated by No. 1 Ohio (26-4, 17-2 MAC) 63-55 in the semi-finals of the MAC Tournament, ending their season.
Buffalo held its annual Pro Day at Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse Thursday. The Pro Day is crucial for draft-eligible student-athletes who hope to play make NFL rosters next season. The events of the day include the 40-yard dash, bench presses, vertical leaps along with other drills.
The No. 4 Bulls (19-11, 12-7 Mid-American Conference) defeated No. 5 Western Michigan (20-12, 11-8 MAC), 63-60, in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Bulls (18-11, 11-7 MAC) will try to make a run to the NCAA Tournament starting on Thursday at noon when they take on the winner of No. 5 Western Michigan (19-11, 11-7 MAC) and No. 9 Central Michigan (13-17, 7-11 MAC), which will take place on Wednesday.
The Bulls took 16 swimmers and five divers to Geneva, Ohio to compete at the SPIRE Institute from Wednesday, March 4 – Saturday, March 7 for the MAC title. After a slow start on the final day of events, the Bulls claimed third place.
The Bulls (3-6) went 2-2 in four games this weekend in Dayton, Ohio against the Dayton Flyers (5-8). The team scored a season-high seven runs in a loss in Monday’s first game, but were outscored 21-20 over the series.
Bulls claimed a MAC East division title, a share of the regular season MAC Championship and a triple-bye in this week’s conference tournament in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The No. 2 seeded Bulls (21-9, 12-6 MAC) will play a yet to be determined opponent Friday in the MAC Semifinals – meaning they’ll will need just two victories to claim their first ever MAC Tournament championship, as well as the program’s first ever NCAA tournament bid.
The Spectrum sports desk discusses whether the Bulls are legitimate contenders to win the tournament or if there is a team or two that we see knocking them off beforehand.
Solutions by The State News
