The Big Picture: Bulls (17-8, 9-3) fall 78-70 to Vermont in Bracket Buster scrap played at Burlington. Buffalo got off to a hot start, taking a 13-point lead in the opening minutes before hitting a stretch so cold that Admiral Peary couldn’t have navigated it. While the late game comeback was nice, and might actually help Coach ‘Spoon’s side build some confidence and momentum heading into the most important stretch of the season, the fact is that this is UB’s third loss in a row and the dream season is on the verge of unraveling.
That being said, scoring 70 points is a welcome sign, as was UB not running for the bus when Vermont went up by 15 late in the second half. Unfortunately, the Bulls weren’t able to make enough plays in the final two minutes. If they play with the same sort of confidence and intensity they showed down the stretch tonight, they should be okay. However, should they rally and win the MAC, today’s loss will have a negative impact on their seeding in the Big Dance. Joe Lunardi has them as a 13-seed right now, and Vermont as a 14-seed. I’d expect the Bulls to slide down to a 14 or even 15-seed.
The Good: After being MIA for the last six game stretch, UB’s catatonic offense finally awoke today, as the Bulls passed the 70-point mark for the first time since a 74-71 win at Western Michigan on January 27th. Like usual, Rodney Pierce led the way with 21 points, and frosh big Titus Robinson chipped in with 11 points, as nine of the 14 Buffalo players that got burn scored.
The Bad: As nice as it was to see UB score some points, the Bulls still struggled on O, especially in the second half. The offensive problems are pretty evident. Buffalo lacks a player that can break down opposing defenses off the dribble, and there is little consistent outside shooting. I don’t know what the answer is, but I tend to think that Sean Smiley — Buffalo’s best pure shooter — and Andy Robinson — the Bull with the best handle — should get a lot more burn than they have been getting. I do know that Byron Mulkey and Kambi Laleye are not the answer to the offensive woes.
The Ugly: Not to sound like a broken record, but from the 5:00 minute mark of the first half up until the final three minutes of the game, Buffalo’s offense was as inept and woeful as FEMA under Michael Brown’s “direction.” Unless UB solves it’s woes on offense, their season will end come to an early end in Clevo.
Who’s Got Next: The Bracket Buster was fun and all, but what matters most at this point is MAC play. Simply put, UB needs to hold serve against Akron (8-4, 17-9) on Thursday.
Sphere: Related Content
0 Comments on “UB Bulls Beat: Something To Build On???”
Leave a Comment