BGSU Men’s Basketball fell to the Buffalo Bulls on Tuesday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, 100-71. The Falcons have now lost three straight games as their overall record on the season dropped to 8-10, while their conference record fell to 2-3.  

     There was action from the start of the game, as freshman center Ubong Abasi Etim recorded the first steal of his career after Buffalo won the opening tip. The teams continued to go back and forth until the Bulls went on a 17-3 stretch, which included a 9-0 run. This forced the Orange and Brown to use a timeout while trailing 25-14. 

     Buffalo went into halftime leading 48-33. Although BG had multiple second-half runs, the Bulls held onto the lead for the rest of the game, ultimately winning by 29 points.  

     Defense has been a major issue for the Falcons recently, as they have given up at least 70 points in their last four games, including giving up the century mark in the past two outings.  

     “We have to get more effort and we have to play harder. We have to compete more on the defensive end,” Head Coach Michael Huger said. “It’s not just about scoring, we have to be able to defend way better and compete more. We have too many guys who don’t compete on the defensive end and that’s the difference in the game.”  

     Senior guard Leon Ayers III led the Falcons in scoring, racking up 23 points in 34 minutes of play. Senior Chandler Turner contributed a season-high 17 points while adding eight rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. 

     BG ended the night with 14 assists, making it 13 straight games that the Falcons have recorded at least 10 assists. While that streak continued, a different streak ended for the Orange and Brown.  

     For the first time this season, BGSU outrebounded their opponent and did not come away with the win. The Falcons outrebounded the Bulls 42-41 in the loss. BG is now 7-1 on the season when they outrebound their opponents and 1-8 when they draw even or have fewer rebounds than the opposing squad.  

     BG will return home for their next game, looking to end their three-game skid, when they host the Miami RedHawks at the Stroh Center on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. The game will be the Falcons’ first against Miami, who currently sit at 7-11 overall and 1-4 in the MAC this season. 

For more information about the team, visit the athletics webpage.