By Budd Bailey
After Saturday afternoon’s men’s basketball game between the University at Buffalo and Georgia State, a 21-page “book” filled with numbers and statistics about the contest was made available to those who needed such a recap. While every line in theory could be scrutinized for clues on how the game turned out, in reality only one number in one column needed an examination.
UB was 5 of 33 from beyond the three-point line in the game. That translates to 15.2 percent. Almost no one does that and figures out a way to win.
The Bulls were no exception. They dropped an 80-75 decision to the Panthers before 1,395.
“Tough, tough, tough one tonight,” UB coach George Halcovage said. “We fought and battled until the end, but we didn’t have enough shots go in. We had a lot of good looks. … (It was) an uncharacteristic night for Ryan (Dabol), 1 of 12 from three.”
Georgia State wasn’t a great deal better at 6 of 21 from three-point land. But it did shoot 45 percent from the field overall, and it help the visitors from the Sun Belt Conference build up a big enough lead that couldn’t be overcome with a late rally.
Both teams had some offensive problems in the early going. How often do you see a game in which the two teams combine for exactly one field goal (a three-pointer by UB) over the course of seven minutes? At least the 12 free throws gave the scoreboard operator something to do.
“Our turnovers didn’t allow us to get off to a better start offensively,” Halcovage said. “They went zone and we had some good looks, but we didn’t convert on them.”
The Panthers then remembered how to put the ball in the basket, jumping out to a 12-point lead less than five minutes later. Georgia State stayed in control through the rest of the first half, and got the lead back up to double digits early in the second half. After several minutes of exchanging baskets, UB finally had a couple of runs to get the deficit to something manageable. Yet that’s when the Panthers hit big three-pointers to regain control just before the shot clock had expired.
“Credit to them, they made the plays they needed at the end of the clock,” Halcovage said. “They hit two end-of clock shots that kind of broke us and make it a really tough grind.”
With two minutes left, the Bulls trailed by 73-59, and it seemed like it was time for everyone to prepare to head out into the cold. But UB scored 16 points in those 120 seconds – 10 at the free throw line. Georgia State’s lead was cut to three with 5.6 seconds left, but it held on for the road win.
“We pressed; we’ve been doing that a little bit,” Halcovage said about the late burst. “Unfortunately at times, we’ve had to play catch-up. We’re getting better at it. It’s a positive sign for our team that we can extend the game a little bit with pressure.”
Bryson Wilson came off the bench to score 13 points in less than 17 minutes to lead the Bulls, matching the total of Dabol. UB received 36 points from the non-starters.
For those expecting a school with “Michigan” somewhere in its name – there seem to be so many in the Mid-American Conference – to turn up at Alumni Arena at this time of the year, this was an interesting change of pace. All of the MAC men’s teams hosted squads from the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday. (The women headed south, losing at Coastal Carolina.)
“There are two sides of it,” Halcovage said. “With conference play going on, this game doesn’t matter in terms of where we’re at. … The good part of it that you get to play somebody else. If you are lucky enough to get out of the MAC and get to postseason play, it gives you an opportunity to have to prepare for a team on shorter notice. That would really give you some value in terms of tournament play. That’s a positive. I think we have a great partnership with the Sun Belt, a really good league as well.
Buffalo last played Georgia State early in the 1972-73 season. The Panthers obviously were quite competitive, and already had a win over the MAC’s Ball State team earlier this season.
“I think that’s part of the reason why the Commissioner and the other people involved decided to do this; it was going to help teams,” the second-year UB coach said. “If you are trying to be a two-bid team (into the NCAAs), it might help getting a second team in. It can help with ratings.”
The Bulls return to conference play on Tuesday. They are back home on Saturday to take on a more familiar foe, Bowling Green.
(Follow Budd on X.com via @WDX2BB)
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