Buffalo Edges Drexel in the DAC, 55-52

Sunday, December 29

Daskalakis Athletic Center

2:00

Drexel University

8-4

Buffalo

6-4

Drexel

12/29/2013 3:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

Philadelphia, Pa. – Frantz Massenat's three-pointer with four seconds left and Drexel down two would not fall as Buffalo escaped the Daskalakis Athletic Center with a 55-52 win. The Dragons had their opportunities to win, but three shots in the final 1:08 that would have tied it or given them the lead came up short. Drexel fell to 8-4 on the season, while the Bulls improved to 6-4.

Drexel's four-point halftime lead evaporated quickly as the Bulls tied it just one minute into the second half. It was a close game the rest of the way. The Dragons led by four after a pair of Kazembe Abif free throws at the 10:25 mark. The Bulls answered with a 12-3 run to take a 49-44 lead with 4:46 to play. Shannon Evans sank a pair of three-pointers during the stretch. Drexel would get close but would not lead again. Tavon Allen hit a jumper with 1:53 left to make it 53-50. Each team would then commit a turnover before UB's Joshua Freelove went to the line for a one-and-one. Freelove missed the shot and Drexel came up with the rebound and had a chance to tie. Chris Fouch got open in the corner and had a good look, but symbolic of the day, his three-pointer rimmed out. The Dragons did manage to cut the lead down to two with nine seconds left when Fouch scored on a lay-in. The Dragons fouled Jarod Oldham after trying to come up with a steal. Oldham went to the line with a chance to put the game away, but missed the front end of another one-and-one. Dartaye Ruffin grabbed the rebound and Drexel pushed it up court. Massenat had a decent look from just behind the arc on the left wing, but his shot, which looked good out of his hand, missed and the Dragons lost for the first time at home this season.

Allen led the Dragons with 14 points. Fouch added 13, but was just 6-for-21 from the floor and missed all eight of his three-point attempts. Massenat finished with 10 points and five assists, but also struggled from the field, making just two of his 12 attempts. Drexel was just 1-for-14 from long range in the game and the team is now 3-for-23 from deep in the last two contests, both at home. Overall, the Dragons shot 33 percent from the floor. Defensively, the Dragons did hold the Bulls to just 35.6 percent from the field. It was the third time in the last four games that Drexel held its opposition to less than 36 percent shooting from the floor. Ruffin, who was limited to just 27 minutes due to foul trouble, led Drexel with 12 rebounds.

Javon McCrea, who was limited to just four points and seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, led Buffalo with 20 points. Will Regan added seven points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls controlled the glass, coming up with 13 offensive rebounds and outrebounding the Dragons, 46-40.

The first half was a struggle on the offensive end for both teams. Drexel's defense held the Bulls without a field goal for
a stretch of almost nine minutes, but a few late turnovers led to two easy baskets at the close of the half. Drexel went to the break up by just four points at 24-20. The Dragons, who entered the game fifth in the nation in least amount of turnovers per game, gave it back to the Bulls an uncharacteristic six times. Buffalo shot just 24 percent from the floor in the half, but on the other end, Drexel made just 29 percent of its shots.

The Dragons return to the road right after the start of the New Year. Drexel will play at Southern Mississippi on Jan. 3 and will then at William & Mary in the CAA opener on Jan. 8. The Dragons don't return to play at the Daskalakis Athletic Center until Jan. 11 when they host Northeastern University in a CAA game.