BUFFALO, NY - (UB Media Release) The University at Buffalo men's basketball team defeated Miami (OH), 73-55, in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams at Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Bulls jumped out to an 18-3 lead and never looked back en route to their largest margin of victory over the RedHawks since joining the conference in 1998.
Rodney Pierce scored 21 points to lead UB scorers. It marked the sixth straight game that the senior guard surpassed the 20-point plateau.
Calvin Betts notched his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Buffalo (8-4, 1-0 MAC) led by as many as 17 in the first half before the RedHawks cut the lead to eight by halftime. Miami whittled the lead to three with 15:52 left in the game. A jumper by Pierce and a three-pointer by Betts quickly extended the UB lead to eight.
Leading 49-41 with 10:10 remaining, the Bulls mounted a 20-4 scoring run to take a 24-point lead, their largest of the game. Reserves Sean Smiley and Max Boudreau played a large role in the Bulls' second-half surge as they scored seven and nine second-half points, respectively. Smiley finished with nine points and Boudreau tallied 11.
The Bulls shot 50 percent from the field for the game, including a sizzling
64 percent in the second half. Defensively, UB held the RedHawks to 35 percent shooting, including 2-of-14 from beyond the arc. The Bulls also outrebounded Miami, 38-30.
Miami was led by Adam Fletcher who scored a career-high 21 points.
Following the game, the team presented the game ball to Carol Greiner whose husband, former UB president William Greiner, recently passed away.
Buffalo will next play at Bowling Green Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
