The Buffalo Bulls play the Ohio Bobcats in the third round of the MAC tournament at the Quicken Loans Arena. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11.
The Bobcats were victorious over Northern Illinois 79-62 in the 2. Antonio Campbell led all scorers with 21 points on 10-for-17 shooting. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a 94-81 win over Miami (OH) in the 2. Willie Conner led the game in scoring with 25 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
Jaaron Simmons has been playing at a high level as of late for the Bobcats, averaging 21.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 2.2 three-pointers over the last five games. Blake Hamilton has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 18.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.2 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers while leading the Bulls.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a balanced matchup. Ohio’s elite offense ranks 21st in the nation in that metric at 55.1%, while Buffalo is 34th-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (49.4%). Moreover, the Bulls are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 18th in OR% at 32.5%. But the Bobcats rank seventh at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 74.3%.
The Bobcats have won both contests against the Bulls this season, including a 79-62 victory in their last matchup. Conner scored a game-high 25 points.
Notes
The Ohio Bobcats rank 47th for their offensive rating of 112.8. The Buffalo Bulls have a defensive rating of 104.2 (ranked 35th).
The Buffalo Bulls average 72.5 possessions per game and 1.071 points per possession. The Ohio Bobcats earn fewer possessions with 69.6, but they score more points with 1.128.
The Ohio Bobcats have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 21st in the country with an eFG% of 55.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Buffalo Bulls have a poor 3-5 record.
On average, Ohio attempts 21.0 three pointers and Buffalo attempts 21.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Ohio Bobcats sit at 16-8 and the Buffalo Bulls are 15-6.
Ohio ranks 326th in offensive rebounds, while Buffalo ranks 86th in defensive rebounds.
The Buffalo Bulls make an average of 6.9 steals per game. When the Ohio Bobcats give up 6 or more steals, they are a solid 9-5.
