 BUFFALO 73, AKRON 70 Trailing, 58-48 with 10:03 left, the Bulls mounted a 13-3 scoring run and a steal and dunk by Mitchell Watt tied the game at 61 with 6:16 remaining. From there, the lead would change hands five times over the next four minutes.
With the Bulls trailing 69-68, Dave Barnett hit a three-pointer from the corner that danced around the rim before trickling through the twine and Buffalo led 71-69 with 1:22 left.
OLDHAM STEAL
Akron (10-7, 1-2 MAC) trailed, 71-70, with less than a minute remaining, looking to take the lead. But Jarod Oldham came up with the biggest play of his young career. Stepping into the passing lane, he intercepted a pass and drove to the other end where he was fouled. The freshman guard calmly sank both free throws to give the Bulls the 73-70 victory.
The Zips had a couple of looks at three for the tie but were unable to convert.
“Coach sends me in on defense, so I pride myself on defense,” Oldham said. “I try to stay composed and be aggressive on defense and try to get a stop.”
Four of the Bulls’ five starters scored in double-figures, led by Byron Mulkey’s 17 points. The senior guard hit a career-high five three-pointers on six attempts and added five assists and three steals.
Barnett finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists – all career highs. Watt and Titus Robinson finished with 10 and 11 points, respectively.
BULLS WIN THE BOARDS
Buffalo (9-6, 1-2 MAC) outrebounded Akron, 34-29. The Bulls grabbed 11 offensive boards and scored nine second-chance points. Barnett and Javon McCrea led the way with seven boards apiece.
Junior guard Brett McClanahan led the Zips with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Senior forward Brett McKnight finished with 12 points and junior forward Nikola Cvetinovic and senior guard Darryl Roberts and 10 points each.
Akron closed the game shooting 50.9 percent from the field (27-for-53) while Buffalo shot 47.2 percent (25-for-53). The Zips turned the ball over 20 times while forcing 19 turnovers.
Buffalo will remain at home and host Kent State on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm at Alumni Arena.
Akron continues its two-game MAC East road swing when the Zips travel to Oxford, Ohio, to take on the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Courtesy of Buffalo and Akron Athletics
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