No. 21 Buffalo beat Miami (OH) 77-69 for share of MAC title
Buffalo's Jordan throws down one-handed dunk
Davonta Jordan drives the lane and takes off to throw down a one-handed slam to start the game for Buffalo.
OXFORD, Ohio -- CJ Massinburg shook off an injury and scored 20 points Friday night, leading No. 21 Buffalo to a 77-69 victory over Miami (Ohio) that clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference title.
The Bulls (26-3, 14-2) were denied a chance to win the regular-season championship outright when second-place Bowling Green beat Kent State 77-72 earlier Friday.
Buffalo opened the game with an 18-point run and never trailed while winning its seventh straight overall. Miami (15-14, 7-9) got the lead down to 70-67 with 2:30 left on Dalonte Brown's free throws, but Dontay Caruthers' three-point play blunted the comeback.
Bam Bowman led Miami with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bulls' opening run featured a pair of 3s by Jayvon Graves. The Redhawks were still scoreless at the first media timeout, missing five shots and turning it over three times.
Nike Sibande led a 14-0 run that helped Miami cut it to 37-33 at halftime. Massinburg scored seven straight points as Buffalo rebuilt the lead to 15 points and withstood Miami's closing surge.
The Bulls got a scare during their opening run when Massinburg, their leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, hurt his lower left leg on a reverse layup. He limped off but returned a few minutes later.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Bulls are in position to remain ranked for the 17th straight week, extending their record for a MAC team.
BIG PICTURE
Buffalo's 26 regular-season wins are their most in school history. The Bulls set a school record with 27 wins overall last season, when they reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miami: The RedHawks have alternated wins and losses in their last 10 games.
UP NEXT
Buffalo plays at Ohio on Tuesday. The Bulls beat the Bobcats 114-67 on Feb. 19, their third 100-point game of the season.
Miami hosts Kent State on Tuesday. The RedHawks lost at Kent State 70-67 on Feb. 5.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Darryl Smith
- Bart Wegenke
- Jabir Walker
2023-24 Mid-American Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 14-4 | - | 20-12 |
| Akron | 13-5 | 1 | 24-11 |
| Ohio | 13-5 | 1 | 20-13 |
| Central Michigan | 12-6 | 2 | 18-14 |
| Bowling Green | 10-8 | 4 | 20-14 |
| Miami (OH) | 9-9 | 5 | 15-17 |
| Western Michigan | 9-9 | 5 | 12-20 |
| Kent State | 8-10 | 6 | 17-17 |
| Ball State | 7-11 | 7 | 15-16 |
| Eastern Michigan | 6-12 | 8 | 13-18 |
| Northern Illinois | 5-13 | 9 | 11-20 |
| Buffalo | 2-16 | 12 | 4-27 |
Men's College Basketball News