Sophomore guard Jayvon Graves erupted for a career-high 26 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, and No. 25 Buffalo notched its fourth straight victory by overwhelming visiting Ohio 114-67 on Tuesday.
CJ Massinburg supplied 23 points for the Bulls (23-3, 11-2 Mid-American Conference), who set a program record by making 19 3-pointers. Buffalo attempted 33 shots from beyond the arc.
The Bulls also established a school record for most points against a Division I opponent. Jeenathan Williams had 13 points off the bench, and Montell McRae added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Graves' previous high was 19 points at St. Bonaventure on Dec. 8. He scored a combined 25 points in Buffalo's previous four games.
Buffalo senior forward Nick Perkins played in his 129th game, a program record. Perkins chipped in nine points and five rebounds.
Buffalo shot 56.9 percent from the field while holding the Bobcats to 42.6 percent shooting.
Ohio (11-14, 3-10) lost its sixth straight. Jason Carter led the Bobcats with 16 points, while Doug Taylor tossed in 14 points and Teyvion Kirk had 10.
The Bobcats couldn't contain Graves on the perimeter in the first half, as he scored 19 points to lead the Bulls to a 52-27 halftime lead. Buffalo drained 10 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, while Ohio made just one on four attempts. The Bulls also forced nine turnovers and outrebounded the Bobcats 23-14 before the break.
Buffalo took control midway through the first half. Leading 19-13, the Bulls went on a 25-7 run to open up a 24-point advantage. Graves was the catalyst, scoring the first 13 Buffalo points during that span, including four 3-pointers.
Perkins delivered seven Bulls points in a 1:16 span to make it 39-18. Graves finished off the outburst with another long-range delivery off a Davonta Jordan feed. He also hit another 3-pointer in the final minute of the half to increase the Bulls' lead to 25.
A McRae dunk with 16:45 remaining gave Buffalo a 61-31 advantage. The Bulls' lead surpassed 40 on a McRae 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining.
Buffalo and Ohio will meet again in Athens, Ohio, on March 5.
--Field Level Media
Ohio | Buffalo | |
Jason Carter 16 | Scoring | Jayvon Graves 26 |
Gavin Block 5 | Assists | Davonta Jordan 9 |
Teyvion Kirk 5 | Rebounds | Jeenathan Williams 8 |
Jason Carter 5 | Free Throws Made | CJ Massinburg 4 |
Jason Preston 2 | Steals | Montell McRae 2 |
Jason Carter 1 | Blocks | Jayvon Graves 1 |