Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, January 21
Buffalo, N.Y.
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4-6,1-5MAC
77
at
92
Buffalo
6-5,4-3MAC
1
2
F
Eastern Mich.
27
50
77
Buffalo
37
55
92
Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
Men’s Basketball Falls at Buffalo, 92-77
1/21/2021 4:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Yeikson Montero recorded his third double-double of the season
BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball dropped a Mid-American Conference affair at the University at Buffalo, 92-77, this afternoon, Jan. 21, inside UB's Alumni Arena. The Eagles (4-6, 1-5 MAC) couldn't contain the Bulls (6-5, 4-3 MAC) lights-out shooting as UB posted a 61.8 field goal percentage (34-of-55).
Four Eagles recorded double-digit scoring performances. Junior Bryce McBride (Jackson, Tenn.-Southside (Dyersburg State C.C.)) paced the Eagles with a personal-best against a MAC opponent with 20 points. The guard was perfect at the free throw line, going 9-for-9, to go along with two assists and two rebounds. Senior Yeikson Montero (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic-Redemption Christian (Pensacola State)) compiled his third double-double of the season with 18 points, shooting 8-of-14, and 11 rebounds. Redshirt senior Ty Groce (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Lincoln) and classmate Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (South Mountain C.C.)) both added 12 points, respectively. Groce dished out a team-best five helpers, while Spottsville tallied three steals.
The Eastern Michigan defense started the game hot, forcing three Buffalo turnovers in its first three possessions. A Miles Gibson (Richmond, Va.-Milwood (Northwest Kansas Tech)) layup got the Eagles on the scoreboard first at the 18:20 mark of the first half. However, the Bulls sparked a 9-0 scoring stint over the next four minutes to take the 13-4 lead with less than 12 minutes left in the scoring stanza. After a six-minute scoring drought, Drew Lowder (Jackson, Mich.-Ann Arbor Pioneer (Holy Cross)) drained a short jumper at the 10:10 mark before halftime, but Buffalo remained in the lead, 17-6.
McBride sunk a three off a pump-fake and then hit two free throws to cut the Bulls' lead to 24-11 with eight minutes left in the first half. The Eagles' offense started to heat up as EMU went on an 11-8 run highlighted by a Lowder floater, Montero layup, and five McBride free throws, but the Bulls held the 32-22 advantage with 2:27 in the half. Eastern cut the UB lead to seven, 32-25, with a McBride triple at the 1:41 mark. Buffalo finished the first stanza on a 5-2 run to hold the 10-point lead, 37-27.
It was Buffalo that came out of the halftime intermission with momentum, as it went on a 12-4 run over four minutes to extend its lead to 49-31. The Eagles hit back-to-back buckets thanks to Gibson and Montero to cut the Bulls' lead to 53-37 with 14:35 in the game. Over the next three minutes, EMU posted an 8-7 scoring drive highlighted by two Spottsville layups, but Buffalo continued to lead, 60-45, with 11:35 left in the second half. However, Spottsville heated up and scored six of the next nine EMU points to cut the UB advantage to 62-54 at the 9:34 mark of the second half.
Despite a Buffalo 11-9 scoring run over four minutes, a Groce dunk and McBride layup cut the Bulls' lead to 10, 73-63, with 5:16 left in the game. With 4:14 left, Gibson grabbed the offensive rebound and tipped in the layup, but UB continued to lead, 78-65. The scoring went back-and-forth for the remainder of the game, but Buffalo didn't let up its electric offense, finishing the game with a 92-77 victory.
The Green and White posted a 43.8 field goal percentage (28-of-64), and struggled from beyond the arc shooting 29.4 percent (5-of-17). Buffalo shot nearly 62 percent from the field (34-of-55) and recorded a 40 percent clip from the three-point line (8-of-20). The Eagles only missed one free throw, going 16-of-17 (94.1 percent). The Bulls held the scoring advantage in points off turnovers (24-14), points in the paint (46-40), second-chance points (13-12), fast-break points (26-8), and bench points (25-12). Additionally, Buffalo won the rebounding battle (34-29).
Eastern will welcome Miami University to the Convocation Center Saturday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. and will be the second game of an EMU doubleheader. The women's squad will take on Ball State University at noon.
For more information on Eastern Michigan men's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com or follow the team's official Twitter at Twitter.com/EMU_MBB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUMBB, or on Instagram at Instgram.com/emumbb.
Four Eagles recorded double-digit scoring performances. Junior Bryce McBride (Jackson, Tenn.-Southside (Dyersburg State C.C.)) paced the Eagles with a personal-best against a MAC opponent with 20 points. The guard was perfect at the free throw line, going 9-for-9, to go along with two assists and two rebounds. Senior Yeikson Montero (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic-Redemption Christian (Pensacola State)) compiled his third double-double of the season with 18 points, shooting 8-of-14, and 11 rebounds. Redshirt senior Ty Groce (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Lincoln) and classmate Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (South Mountain C.C.)) both added 12 points, respectively. Groce dished out a team-best five helpers, while Spottsville tallied three steals.
The Eastern Michigan defense started the game hot, forcing three Buffalo turnovers in its first three possessions. A Miles Gibson (Richmond, Va.-Milwood (Northwest Kansas Tech)) layup got the Eagles on the scoreboard first at the 18:20 mark of the first half. However, the Bulls sparked a 9-0 scoring stint over the next four minutes to take the 13-4 lead with less than 12 minutes left in the scoring stanza. After a six-minute scoring drought, Drew Lowder (Jackson, Mich.-Ann Arbor Pioneer (Holy Cross)) drained a short jumper at the 10:10 mark before halftime, but Buffalo remained in the lead, 17-6.
McBride sunk a three off a pump-fake and then hit two free throws to cut the Bulls' lead to 24-11 with eight minutes left in the first half. The Eagles' offense started to heat up as EMU went on an 11-8 run highlighted by a Lowder floater, Montero layup, and five McBride free throws, but the Bulls held the 32-22 advantage with 2:27 in the half. Eastern cut the UB lead to seven, 32-25, with a McBride triple at the 1:41 mark. Buffalo finished the first stanza on a 5-2 run to hold the 10-point lead, 37-27.
It was Buffalo that came out of the halftime intermission with momentum, as it went on a 12-4 run over four minutes to extend its lead to 49-31. The Eagles hit back-to-back buckets thanks to Gibson and Montero to cut the Bulls' lead to 53-37 with 14:35 in the game. Over the next three minutes, EMU posted an 8-7 scoring drive highlighted by two Spottsville layups, but Buffalo continued to lead, 60-45, with 11:35 left in the second half. However, Spottsville heated up and scored six of the next nine EMU points to cut the UB advantage to 62-54 at the 9:34 mark of the second half.
Despite a Buffalo 11-9 scoring run over four minutes, a Groce dunk and McBride layup cut the Bulls' lead to 10, 73-63, with 5:16 left in the game. With 4:14 left, Gibson grabbed the offensive rebound and tipped in the layup, but UB continued to lead, 78-65. The scoring went back-and-forth for the remainder of the game, but Buffalo didn't let up its electric offense, finishing the game with a 92-77 victory.
The Green and White posted a 43.8 field goal percentage (28-of-64), and struggled from beyond the arc shooting 29.4 percent (5-of-17). Buffalo shot nearly 62 percent from the field (34-of-55) and recorded a 40 percent clip from the three-point line (8-of-20). The Eagles only missed one free throw, going 16-of-17 (94.1 percent). The Bulls held the scoring advantage in points off turnovers (24-14), points in the paint (46-40), second-chance points (13-12), fast-break points (26-8), and bench points (25-12). Additionally, Buffalo won the rebounding battle (34-29).
Eastern will welcome Miami University to the Convocation Center Saturday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. and will be the second game of an EMU doubleheader. The women's squad will take on Ball State University at noon.
For more information on Eastern Michigan men's basketball, visit EMUEagles.com or follow the team's official Twitter at Twitter.com/EMU_MBB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/EMUMBB, or on Instagram at Instgram.com/emumbb.
Team Stats
EMU
UB
FG%
.438
.618
3FG%
.294
.400
FT%
.941
.727
RB
29
34
TO
16
17
STL
8
8
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
9
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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