University at Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley’s eccentric attitude and fiery personality on the sideline would
no doubt get even dullest of persons excited and ready to play.
But it was that same attitude that may have cost Hurley’s team a road win at Bowling Green Sunday
afternoon.
With the Falcons trailing by two, Hurley picked up a technical foul with 2:28 to play. BG used the
momentum to close the game on a 10-2 run, and claimed a much needed 74-68 Mid-American Conference
victory over the Bulls at the Stroh Center.
BG is 10-11 overall and 4-4 in the MAC, while Buffalo is 11-7, 5-3.
“That was a game-changer,” BG point guard Jehvon Clake said of Hurley’s technical.
“It gave us a momentum boost and it gave us an extra few points at the free-throw line which gets you in
a rhythm offensively and defensively as well.”
A former star at Duke, Hurley was named a first-team All-American in 1993 and holds the NCAA career
assists record with 1,076.
Following the technical, which was called after a Buffalo foul under the basket, BG’s Spencer Parker hit
both free throws, tying the game at 66-66.
Richaun Holmes then split his set of free throws, giving the Falcons a 67-66 lead. Parker rebounded
Holmes’ miss and on the second attempt he found himself back at the free-throw line. This time Holmes,
who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, hit both free throws, stretching the BG lead to 69-66 with
2:16 to play.
BG went 8-for-12 from the free-throw line in the final 2:28, and was 23-for-33 (69.7 percent) in the
game.
Parker finished with 23 points while Clarke added 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists with just three
turnovers.
“We tell our guys, ‘You’ve got to keep playing. Don’t stop playing. You’ve got to persevere. From
play-to-play and game-to-game you’ve got to be physically tough and compete at a high level and you’ve
got to move on to the next play,’” BG coach Louis Orr said.
“You’ve got to grind, and for me, this game epitomized that,” Orr added.
A defense that allowed six Buffalo 3-pointers and 37 total points in the first half turned into a defense
that was desired for BG in the second half.
The Falcons contained the perimeter and the Bulls were just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc in the final 20
minutes.
Buffalo’s Will Regan, who finished with a team-high 17 points, knocked down three triples in the first
half, helping the Bulls to a 37-35 halftime lead.
With BG clinging to its 69-66 lead, Regan missed an open look from the right wing that would have tied
the game with 52 seconds to play.
Buffalo went on to miss five more 3-point attempts in the final 2:04.
“We did a better job of covering the three and that was our concern with the zone (defense),” Orr said.
“They hit some threes against our zone so we tried to pick our spots, but we did a better job in the
second half. They had some looks, but sometimes in the second half it’s a little tougher to keep making
threes.”
For BG, a win over one of the MAC’s top teams could not have come at a better time. The Falcons’ win
comes after a two-game skid, which followed a three-game winning streak.
“This win shows that we can compete with anybody in the MAC, no matter what our record is,” Clarke said.

“Coming off of a two-game losing streak, you’ve got to have a sense of motivation where you want to win,”
he added. “You can ask any Division I player … they want to win. … We just want to build off this
game, this win.”
But even if BG had not pulled off a win, Orr does not believe that would have affected the season as a
whole.
“In this age of instant what have you done for me right now mentality from the media, the fans, you can’t
get caught up into that,” Orr said. “You’ve got to see the big picture. … Just because you lose two
games doesn’t make you a bad team.
“It’s important for our guys and our team to remember past successes because that lets you know what
you’ve accomplished before. If you just listen to the voices, it’s always about right now. But if you
look around, and I wish more people would, look around the country, look around the ups and downs, the
peaks and valleys every team goes through. It’s a part of a season.”
NOTES: Clarke’s double-double was the first of his career and his 10 rebounds were a career high …
Parker’s 23 points are a career high … Holmes picked up his fourth career double-double … Buffalo
shot just 21-of-55 (38.2 percent) from the floor … Zach Denny and Craig Sealey were still out for the
Falcons with injuries … BG scored 34 points in the paint … BG plays at arch-rival Toledo on
Wednesday night with tipoff at 7 p.m.
BOWLING GREEN 74, BUFFALO 68
BUFFALO (11-7)
Regan 5-12 4-4 17, McCrea 5-10 4-10 14, Ford 0-2 0-0 0, Freelove 5-11 2-2 16, Oldham 2-7 4-4 8, Evans 2-9
4-6 9, Much 0-1 0-2 0, Nuiriankh 0-0 0-0 0, Moss 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 21-55 18-28 68.
BOWLING GREEN (10-11)
Parker 6-13 10-14 23, Holmes 5-12 5-8 16, Black 4-7 0-0 8, Henderson 2-4 2-2 7, Clarke 3-9 5-6 11, Gomez
2-6 0-1 4, Tisdale 2-5 1-2 5, Lyshe 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 23-33 74.
Halftime—Buffalo 37-35. 3-Point Goals—Buffalo 8-26 (Freelove 4-10, Regan 3-8, Evans 1-6, Much 0-1, Oldham
0-1), Bowling Green 3-12 (Holmes 1-1, Henderson 1-2, Parker 1-4, Gomez 0-1, Clarke 0-2, Tisdale 0-2).
Fouled Out—Black, McCrea, Moss. Rebounds—Buffalo 37 (McCrea 11), Bowling Green 42 (Clarke, Holmes 10).
Assists—Buffalo 12 (Evans, McCrea, Oldham 3), Bowling Green 16 (Clarke 9). Total Fouls—Buffalo 24,
Bowling Green 21. Technicals—McCrea, Buffalo Bench, Bowling Green Bench. A—1,456.