UB Men’s Basketball Fall Short Against Central Michigan
UB Men’s Basketball Fall Short Against Central Michigan
2/28/2026
https://youtu.be/9Nm58N9bPhc (Post-Game Press Conference w/UB Head Coach George Halcovage III.)
Coming off a defeat against the Akron Zips (24-5, 15-1 MAC) last Tuesday, UB Bulls men’s basketball (16-13, 6-10 MAC) dropped its penultimate home game of the season by falling 75-70 to the Central Michigan Chippewas (10-19, 6-10 MAC) at Alumni Arena on Saturday Afternoon.
Buffalo rallied their scoring during the final minutes of the game but could not complete the comeback. With the loss, both Buffalo and Central Michigan sit tied at 6–10 in Mid-American Conference play, 7th & 8th in standings, and the Bulls just above the cutoff line to qualify for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) playoffs.
After a slow start, UB took an early lead thanks to strong defensive play from sophomore center Tim Oboh. The Chippewas would respond toward the middle of the first half, securing the lead by scoring consecutive 3-point shots and did not lose that control for the remainder of the match. Buffalo struggled to find offensive momentum, going nearly scoreless for the last four minutes of the half.
The second half saw more of the same, with the noticeable physical disparity between the two teams proving too much for the Bulls to contain. Central Michigan maintained their advantage, repeatedly attacking the paint and converting key free throws, to keep a steady lead. Despite the Bulls cutting the Chippewas lead to a single possession in the closing minutes of the game, they could not wrest control. Central Michigan claimed the victory.
“We did not bring a level of physicality that was required for this game,” said UB Head Coach George Halcovage III in the post-game press conference. “We played our butts off to get back into the game, unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough left in the tank.”
The noticeable absence of the Bulls’ sophomore guard Daniel Freitag left junior guard Ryan Sabol operating as the lone offensive threat. Although Sabol had some good looks, he was consistently shut down by the Chippewas double-team defense. Sabol ended the game with 17 points, four rebounds and five three-pointers and become the first UB player since 2018 to mark a 500-point, 100-assist season.
The mild upset loss further complicates Buffalo’s postseason outlook, as the margin for error continues to shrink with only two regular-season games remaining. UB has not had a playoff appearance since the 2022-23 season, Halcovage has yet to reach the MAC playoffs as head coach.
“The reality is we tell ourselves to just focus on the next game,” Halcovage said. “The thing [we] can’t do is cheer for other teams, you got to get it done yourself.”
UB will look to recover some breathing room when they face the Eastern Michigan Eagles (10-19, 4-12 MAC) at Alumni Arena this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. This will mark their final home game, and penultimate regular season matchup of 2025-26.
