UB Men’s Basketball Falls to Ohio 95-83 Despite Second-Half Push

Buffalo (14-8, 4-6 MAC) showed resilience with a strong second-half push, but defensive struggles proved costly in a 95-83 loss to Ohio (12-11, 6-5 MAC) on Saturday afternoon in the teams’ second meeting this season. 

After snapping a five-game losing streak last week at Bowling Green (13-9, 4-6 MAC) the Bulls looked to earn consecutive wins for the first time this year. 

Buffalo opened the match with energy, getting on the board with an early 3-pointer from junior guard Ryan Sabol. Ohio quickly answered with a 7-0 run to seize control and kept the Bulls at bay, which gave them a comfortable 11-point lead with five minutes remaining in the half. Sabol helped lead the offensive charge, with sophomore guard Daniel Freitag chipping away with a combination of free throws and three-pointers. Despite the effort, defensive breakdowns resurfaced, allowing the Bobcats to maintain a comfortable 46-31 edge by the end of the 1st half. 

The Bulls maintained steady offensive pressure throughout the second half, shooting 69.0% in and putting up 52 points. Although the Bulls trimmed the lead several times, the Bobcats capitalized on repeated defensive collapses, knocking down wide-open three-pointers as Buffalo overcommitted in the paint. Ohio maintained control in the final minutes to seal the win, marking their second victory over UB this season. 

Sabol and Freitag ended the game with 22 and 25 points, respectively. While senior forward Noah Batchelor broke 100 rebounds, he currently stands at 105 total. 

UB basketball returns on Tuesday as they host the undefeated Miami (OH) RedHawks (22-0,10-0 MAC) at Alumni Arena. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.