Buffalo Redux

So, BG gets its second shot at UB tomorrow in Alumni.

BG won the first affair with BG winning by 8.  The game was tied with about 3 minutes left and then Justin Turner scored 9 on the road home and UB scored 0 and BG had the win.  Turner ended up with 33.  You can see how it played out below...neither team shot great, BG had a slight advantage on turnovers, gave up possessions on the offensive boards and made 31 of 40 FTs (+13 at the line) to make the difference.

Since that first game, UB is is 3-1 in D1 games and 3-0 in the MAC.  The loss was in overtime to Syracuse.  They have been playing well, beating Miami by 18, Ball State by 17 (undermanned) and WMU by 16.  Now, those aren't top-flight MAC squads in two cases, but they have been winning and winning easily since they last saw BG.

Also, they played without Josh Mballa in the game at BG.  He's back and averaging a double-double in MAC play.  Also, they have added Keishawn Brewton, a transfer from Coastal Carolina who became eligible after the BG game and is scoring 8.7 PPG, albeit in poor shooting.

Their big three had a game at BG...Graves with 23, Williams with 19 and Segu with 22.  They are also leading them team in scoring, with Mballa 4th but still averaging over 13 PPG.

One thing to note is that UB leads the MAC in defensive efficiency right now.  As noted, they haven't played the toughest opponents.  I think that's going to be the key battle.  BG's offense was dreadful against Ball State and they need to respond with confidence to outscore UB.  The Bulls play the fastest pace in the MAC and are 2nd in 3FG shooting, without taking a tremendous number.

This is a real test for our guys.  Coming off a bad loss, long road trip against a team that played you tough without their big man.  It's an excellent chance to see what we are made of.