 BUFFALO 68, CORNELL 59 McCrea hit a layup to put the Bulls up 21-9. But Cornell responded with a 13-3 scoring run to cut the UB lead to 24-22 with 3:39 left in the first half. Watt hit a jumper in the paint in the closing seconds of the half to give the Bulls a 29-24 lead at the break. The Goodyear, AZ native had 13 first-half points to spark the Bulls.
Buffalo opened the second half strong and extended its lead to 41-29 with 14:03 remaining. However, turnover trouble and timely Cornell shooting helped the Big Red mount a 12-0 run and knot the game at 41 with 11:08 left.
The game was tied at 46 before McCrea hit a pair of free throws to give the Bulls the lead for good, 48-46, with 6:32 remaining. McCrea proved to be the spark down the stretch as he scored 10 of his 19 points in the final 6:30 of the game.
Zach Filzen also reached double-figures with 11 points, including three three-pointers. Sophomore point guard Jarod Oldham had another solid game with eight points, seven rebounds and nine assists – all career highs.
The Bulls dominated the glass, outrebounding Cornell, 41-30. McCrea had 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Watt added a season-high nine rebounds.
Cornell (1-2) was led by Eitan Chermerinski who scored 14 points. The Big Red shot 7-of-27 from beyond the arc.
Buffalo will next hit the road to play at Princeton on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is slated for 12:30 pm.
Courtesy of Buffalo Athletics
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