UMass Wastes Early Lead, Loses To Buffalo In OT
The Minutemen lost control of an early lead and while they fought back, they eventually fell to the Bulls 86-82 in overtime.
A strong first half and a late push weren’t enough for UMass on Saturday night.
The Minutemen led for much of regulation and forced overtime, but Buffalo executed down the stretch to hand UMass an 86-82 loss at the Mullins Center.
UMass dropped to 15-13 overall and 6-9 in MAC play. Buffalo improved to 16-11 overall and 6-8 in league action. With four regular-season games remaining, UMass sits eighth in the MAC standings. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament.
Saturday’s contest came on a night when UMass honored members of its 1995-96 Final Four team at halftime, including 1996 Naismith Player of the Year Marcus Camby. Eight members of that group were recognized before the home crowd.
On the court, Marcus Banks Jr. paced UMass with 24 points, knocking down six three-pointers while adding three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Leonardo Bettiol followed with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Daniel Hankins-Sanford contributed 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting with six rebounds, while K’Jei Parker added 12 points and three assists.
But both Banks and Bettiol found themselves in foul trouble again, especially Bettiol, whose minutes were limited down the stretch before fouling out in overtime.
And the Minutemen were once again crushed by poor free throw shooting, making just 13 of 22 (59%) while Buffalo converted 22 of 30 (73%).
Buffalo was led by Angelo Brizzi, who scored a game-high 27 points and shot 4-of-5 from three-point range. He also added four assists.
UMass controlled much of the first half. After an early back-and-forth stretch, Parker scored five points during an 8-1 run that gave the Minutemen a 20-14 lead. Banks later capped a 10-2 surge with a three-pointer to extend the advantage to 30-20 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half.
Buffalo responded with a 7-2 run to trim the margin to five, but UMass carried a 34-29 lead into the locker room.
Out of halftime, Bettiol’s free throws pushed the lead to 42-34 with 15:47 remaining in regulation. The Bulls answered with a 7-0 run and Brizzi’s three-pointer tied the game at 44-44 with 11:22 to play.
The teams exchanged leads throughout the second half. Parker hit a three as the shot clock expired to tie the score at 53 with 8:27 remaining. UMass later knotted the game at 58-58 before Noah Batchelor gave Buffalo a 61-58 lead with 5:42 left.
Point guard Danny Carbuccia sparked a 6-0 UMass run to put the Minutemen back in front 64-61 with 3:34 remaining. Momentum appeared to shift, but Kyle Jones’ fast break dunk off a Bettiol turnover in the final minute tied the game at 68 and sent it to overtime.
Bettiol opened the extra period with a free throw, but Brizzi answered with six straight points to give Buffalo a 74-69 lead with 3:28 left in overtime.
The Bulls maintained control before Banks drilled back-to-back three-pointers to pull UMass within three with 23 seconds remaining. Hankins-Sanford made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 84-82, but Tim Oboh sealed the game at the line in the closing seconds.
Late execution, foul trouble and missed free throws ultimately proved decisive as Buffalo converted key possessions in regulation and overtime.
What’s Next: UMass travels to Muncie, Indiana, to face Ball State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.
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