2 0 1 6 - 1 7 B U F FA L O B U L L S B A S K E T B A L L B U F FA LO M A K E S F I R S T N C A A T R I P
Sitting (L-R): Bobby Frasco, Christian Pino, Shannon Evans, Lamonte Bearden, Jarryn Skeete. Standing (L-R): Rodell Wigginton, Xavier Ford, Raheem Johnson, Will Regan, Justin Moss, Ikenna Smart, Mory Diane
Bulls Fall Just Short In First NCAA Tournament Appearance COLUMBUS, OH – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, men’s basketball team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, but a late 6-0 run put #5 West Virginia past the 12th seeded Bulls, 68-62 in NCAA Second Round action at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. The loss ends UB’s season with a 23-10 record, tied for the most victories in a single year. Playing in their first tournament in school history, the Mountaineers scored the first seven points of the game before free throws from Lamonte Bearden put the Bulls on the board. West Virginia led by as many as 13 points in the opening half with 9:49 left and led 27-15 when the Bulls went on an 11-2 run, capped off with two Justin Moss free throws to pull within 29-26 with 4:25 left. However, a 7-0 run to end the half gave West Virginia the 36-26 halftime lead. Following a passionate speech from head coach Bobby Hurley during the intermission, UB opened the second half, scoring seven straight points, ignited by a three pointer from sophomore Shannon Evans to get the run going. West Virginia had an answer for every UB run though as it scored seven straight to regain the 10-point advantage. The Mountaineers continued to lead 59-50 with 6:21 left when four straight points, including a three from Xavier Ford, pulled UB within 59-54. Layups by Bearden and a three-point play from Ford got the Bulls within one. WVU regained a three-point lead, but Ford drained a three-point with 2:41 left to tie up the game at 62-62. Unfortunately, it would be UB’s last points of the game. The Mountaineers hit a pair of free throw to retake the lead and the dagger came with 28 seconds left as Tarik Phillip hit a three pointer to give West Virginia a five-point lead. A late free throw made the game its final six-point difference. “Obviously this a tough pill to swallow as we came into today with every intention of winning a basketball game and tying to advance,” said Hurley. “I am proud of my team and the fight and resiliency that they showed all afternoon and it came down to a couple of plays that didn’t go our way.” In his final game in a UB uniform, Ford led the Bulls with 16 points. Evans added 15 points, while Moss finished his MAC Player of the Year season with 13 points and seven rebounds. Bearden finished with eight points, a team-high six assists and four rebounds. Rodell Wigginton and Raheem Johnson each added four points off the bench as Johnson’s came on a pair of thunderous dunks. He added five rebounds. Also playing in his final game for the Bulls was senior Will Regan, who threw down a one-handed dunk for his only points of the game before fouling out.
Official Basketball Box Score -- Game Totals -- Final Statistics Buffalo vs West Virginia 3/20/15 2:10 pm at Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena) Buffalo 62 • 23-10 ##
23 35 01 10 11 02 20 31
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF
Player
MOSS, Justin FORD, Xavier BEARDEN, Lamonte SKEETE, Jarryn EVANS, Shannon REGAN, Will WIGGINTON, Rodell JOHNSON, Raheem Team Totals
FG % 1st Half: 9-23 3FG % 1st Half: 2-7 FT % 1st Half: 6-12
39.1% 28.6% 50.0%
f f g g g
3-6 5-9 3-6 0-5 5-9 1-2 1-2 2-5
0-0 3-6 0-0 0-4 3-5 0-1 0-0 0-0
7-11 3-3 2-3 0-0 2-2 0-0 2-4 0-2
20-44
6-16
16-25
2nd half: 11-21 52.4% 2nd half: 4-9 44.4% 2nd half: 10-13 76.9%
TP
0 7 7 4 1 1 2 3 1 3 4 4 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 5 1 3 4 3 4 1 5 3 0 3 3 8 22 30 24
13 16 8 0 15 2 4 4
A TO Blk Stl
1 0 6 2 2 1 0 0
Min
1 2 7 2 2 0 3 0
0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0
62 12 17
3
4 200
Game: 20-44 45.5% Game: 6-16 37.5% Game: 16-25 64.0%
31 29 36 30 38 9 16 11
Deadball Rebounds 3,1
West Virginia 68 • 24-9 ##
01 05 03 04 14 00 02 11 12 20 21 45
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF
Player
Holton, Jonathan Williams, Devin Staten, Juwan Miles Jr., Daxter Browne, Gary Paige, Jaysean Carter, Jevon Adrian, Nathan Phillip, Tarik Watkins, Brandon Williams, BillyDee Macon, Elijah Team Totals
FG % 1st Half: 12-26 46.2% 3FG % 1st Half: 3-9 33.3% FT % 1st Half: 9-12 75.0%
f f g g g
0-3 5-6 5-9 3-8 1-4 1-2 1-7 1-2 4-5 0-1 0-0 1-2
0-1 0-0 0-0 2-4 1-3 1-2 0-3 0-1 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-0
0-0 7-9 5-7 2-2 2-4 0-0 3-4 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0
22-49
5-16
19-27
2nd half: 10-23 43.5% 2nd half: 2-7 28.6% 2nd half: 10-15 66.7%
TP
0 1 1 5 3 6 9 3 0 3 3 1 2 1 3 2 0 3 3 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 4 1 2 3 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 2 2 9 22 31 25
0 17 15 10 5 3 5 2 9 0 0 2
A TO Blk Stl
0 1 7 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Min
0 5 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0
68 11 12
1
7 200
Game: 22-49 44.9% Game: 5-16 31.3% Game: 19-27 70.4%
9 28 33 21 27 7 18 19 15 7 3 13
Deadball Rebounds 3
Officials: Technical fouls: Buffalo-None. West Virginia-None. Attendance: NCAA Tournament 2nd Round Score by periods Buffalo West Virginia
1st
26 36
2nd
36 32
Total
62 68
Last FG - UB 2nd-02:41, WVU 2nd-00:28. Largest lead - UB None, WVU by 13 1st-11:34. UB led for 00:00. WVU led for 39:17. Game was tied for 00:43.
Back-to-Back MAC Champions • NCAA Tournament (2015,2016)
Points UB WVU
In Paint 22 28
Off T/O 8 15
2nd Fast Chance Break 7 11 11 0
Bench 10 21
Score tied - 1 time. Lead changed - 0 times.
55