BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The UB men's basketball team is one win away from another MAC Championship Game appearance. The Bulls, the no. 2 seed in the Tournament, beat no. 7 Miami (OH) 74-63 in Thursday's quarterfinal round. With the win, the Bulls advance to the semifinals and will play the winner of Thursday night's game between Bowling Green and Akron.
The Bulls jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first minute of play and never looked back, leading 40-32 lead at the half. The Bulls led by as many as 13 with 10:34 left in the game, but the RedHawks slowly climbed their way back and about three minutes later, the RedHawks cut the lead to two.
The final five minutes of the game was everything basketball fans want to see when it comes to March basketball. After the RedHawks cut the lead to one the Bulls handled the pressure well and were able to hit big shots, including a late three-pointer to take another double-digit lead, to stay on top and seal the win.
Josh Mballa led the Bulls with 23 points, a game-high 19 rebounds, and two steals. Three other starters finished in double figures including Jeenathan Williams [20 points, seven rebounds], Ronaldo Segu [16 points, six assists], and Jayvon Graves [13 points].
The MAC semifinals will take place Friday evening. UB's game will tip off at around 7:30pm.
