Massachusetts Hot Start Not Enough in Overtime Loss to Buffalo

AMHERST, Mass. - Massachusetts men's basketball (15-11, 6-8 MAC) dropped a narrow 86-82 contest against Buffalo (15-11, 5-8 MAC) Saturday evening. The Minutemen controlled the first half, leading for much of the early stages, but were unable to secure the victory.

In a halftime ceremony, Massachusetts basketball recognized members from the 1996 Final Four team, including 1996 Naismith Player of the Year Marcus Camby.

The Minutemen were led by Marcus Banks Jr. with 24 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Banks Jr. recorded six three-pointers over the evening. Leonardo Bettiol followed with 21 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Daniel Hankins-Sanford scored 13 points, going 6-of-11 from the field. The senior also pulled down six rebounds and three assists. K'Jei Parker contributed 12 points, three assists and a steal.

The Bulls were led by Angelo Brizzi with a game-high 27 points. The senior went 4-of-5 from the three-point line with two rebounds, four assists, a block and two steals.

Breaking Down the Action

Danny Carbuccia, Banks Jr.. Bettiol, Jayden Ndjigue and Hankins-Sanford started for the Minutemen.
The teams traded baskets early with the Bulls taking an early 8-7 lead off a three-point play from Brizzi with 15:44 on the clock in the first.
Parker's five points highlighted an 8-1 run over nearly three minutes to give UMass a 20-14 lead.
Banks Jr.. capped a 10-2 run for a double-digit lead (30-20) with 7:06 left in the half.
Buffalo answered with a 7-2 run of its own over nearly four minutes to cut the deficit to 32-27.
A basket each ended the first half scoring with Massachusetts taking a 34-29 advantage into halftime.
Out of the locker room, both teams exchanged baskets with a pair of free throws from Bettiol extending the Minutemen lead to 42-34 with 15:47 left in regulation.
The Bulls immediately responded with a 7-0 run over three minutes to cut the deficit to one.
Brizzi tied the game with a three pointer at 44-44 with 11:22 on the clock
After the Bulls regained the lead, Parker's three-pointer from outside the arc as the shot clock expired evened the score once again, this time at 53, with 8:27 left in the half.
UMass retied the game at 58-58, but Noah Batchelor gave Buffalo a three-point, 61-58, lead with 5:42 on the clock.
Carbuccia sparked a 6-0 run to give Massachusetts a 64-61 lead with 3:34 left in the game.
Despite the Minutemen gaining momentum, Kyle Jones' fast break dunk in the final minute tied the game at 68 send the game into overtime.
After a Bettol free throw to open overtime scoring, Brizzi went on a personal 6-0 run to give Buffalo a 74-69 lead with 3:28 left in overtime.
For nearly three minutes, the Bulls controlled the lead, but back-to-back Banks Jr. triples pulled UMass within three with 23 seconds left on the clock.
In an attempt to tie the game, Hankins-Sanford made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to pull within 84-82, but Tim Oboh's free throws seconds the Bulls' 86-82 win.

Numbers To Know

4: Four Minutemen recorded double-digit points on the night: Banks Jr. (24), Bettiol (21), Hankins-Sanford (13) and Parker (12).
8: Eight members from the 1996 Final Four team were recognized in a halftime ceremony.
21: The Minutemen dished out 21 assists.
34: UMass recorded 34 points in the paint.
35: Massachusetts nabbed 35 rebounds as a team.

Up Next

The Minutemen fly to Muncie, Indiana to take on Ball State on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard