HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — Angelo Brizzi scored 27 points to lead Buffalo to an 86-82 overtime victory over Massachusetts in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Mullins Center. The Bulls erased a five-point halftime deficit to force the extra period, where they outscored the Minutemen 18-14. Brizzi keyed the comeback, supported by Tim Oboh’s 15 points. Marcus Banks led Massachusetts with 24 points and Leonardo Bettiol added 21. Buffalo, which avenged a one-point loss to UMass last month, improved to 16-10. The Minutemen fell to 15-13. Despite shooting a lower percentage, the Bulls capitalized on 14 Massachusetts turnovers and hit 12 three-pointers to secure the road win.

HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — In a game defined by clutch performances and crucial stops, Angelo Brizzi scored 27 points and the Buffalo Bulls outlasted the Massachusetts Minutemen 86-82 in overtime on Saturday at Mullins Center. The victory avenged a one-point home loss to Massachusetts just four weeks prior and snapped a two-game skid for Buffalo, which improved to 16-10 overall. Massachusetts fell to 15-13. The most important part of the game unfolded in the final minute of regulation and throughout the extra period. With the score tied at 68 and under 10 seconds to play in the second half, Massachusetts guard Marcus Banks missed a potential game-winning three-pointer. Jayden Ndjigue secured the offensive rebound for the Minutemen, but his put-back attempt was blocked by Buffalo’s Tim Oboh, sending the game to overtime. Buffalo seized control immediately in the extra session. The Bulls scored the first seven points, a run ignited by Brizzi. The junior guard from Warrenton, Virginia, drove for a layup while being fouled and completed the three-point play, then moments later drained a three-pointer off an assist from Oboh to give Buffalo a 75-68 lead it would not relinquish. Massachusetts, led by Banks’ 24 points and Leonardo Bettiol’s 21 points and four assists, fought back within a single possession multiple times. A three-pointer by Banks with 23 seconds left in overtime cut the deficit to 84-82. On the ensuing inbound play, Buffalo’s Derrick Talton Jr. was fouled and made both free throws to seal the victory. The game was a tale of efficiency and opportunism. Despite shooting a lower percentage from the field (48.1% to 51.7%) and being outscored 34-26 in the paint, Buffalo leveraged its defensive pressure and sharp three-point shooting. The Bulls connected on 12 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc and forced 14 Massachusetts turnovers, converting them into 24 points. Massachusetts managed only 16 points off Buffalo’s nine turnovers. Brizzi, Buffalo’s leading scorer, delivered his third consecutive standout performance, adding four assists. He was supported by double-figure efforts from Oboh, who had 15 points and key defensive plays, Noah Batchelor with 15 points, and Ryan Sabol, who posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. For Massachusetts, Daniel Hankins-Sanford played all but one minute, finishing with 13 points, while Danny Carbuccia dished out eight assists. The Minutemen’s 11 offensive rebounds led to 13 second-chance points, but they were hampered by 13-of-22 shooting from the free throw line. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with Massachusetts taking a 34-29 lead into the break behind 12 points from Banks. Buffalo responded with a 39-point second half, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. The win gives Buffalo momentum heading into a key Mid-American Conference road test at Akron on Tuesday. Massachusetts will look to rebound on the same night at Ball State. An announced crowd of 5,096 at the Mullins Center watched the contest, which defied the pre-game statistical projection favoring the Minutemen.

Preview of Saturday’s Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Game HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — A tightly contested Mid-American Conference series will see its latest chapter Saturday when the Buffalo Bulls visit the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Mullins Center. Both teams enter the 2 p.m. matchup looking to halt recent slides and improve their positioning for the upcoming conference tournament. Buffalo (15-10) has lost four of its last five, including a heartbreaking 70-72 home loss to Northern Illinois on Tuesday. Massachusetts (15-12) has dropped three consecutive games, most recently an 86-77 defeat to Miami (Ohio) on the same night. The matchup is a quick rematch of a Jan. 23 thriller in Buffalo, where the Minutemen escaped with a 68-67 victory. Danny Carbuccia dished out six assists in that win for Massachusetts. Carbuccia remains a key facilitator for the Minutemen, averaging 8.4 assists over his last five games, including a 17-assist performance in a win over Central Michigan on Feb. 3. His playmaking will be central against a Buffalo defense seeking redemption. The Bulls will lean on the hot hand of guard Angelo Brizzi, who has been a consistent scorer despite the team’s struggles. Brizzi is averaging 20.1 points per game over his last seven contests, including a 25-point effort in the loss to Northern Illinois. He was held to just two points in the first meeting with UMass, a factor Buffalo will aim to correct. Beyond the star guards, each team boasts secondary scoring options. For Buffalo, Ryan Sabol added 24 points in the recent loss. Massachusetts saw Isaiah Placide score 19 and Leonardo Bettiol add 18 in its last outing. With nearly identical overall records and recent history defined by close games, Saturday’s contest projects as another pivotal, down-to-the-wire affair in conference play. Both teams are jockeying for momentum with just a handful of regular-season games remaining before the MAC tournament.