CLEVELAND – Will Regan hit five three-pointers en route to 36 points, and Buffalo defeated Ball State 76-61 Wednesday night in the second round of the Mid-American Conference tournament.
The eighth-seeded Bulls (14-19) will play fourth-seeded Kent State tonight in a third-round game. The loss ends the season for the Cardinals (15-15), who had come into the tournament having won five in a row and seven of eight to earn the No. 5 seed and a first-round bye.
Ball State led by 10, at 36-26, with 1:39 left to play in the opening half. But Javon McCrea, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds, sparked a 29-8 run for the Bulls that spanned nearly eight minutes and was capped by Regans three-pointer.
Buffalo made 16 of 25 shots and outscored Ball State 46-25 in the second half. Jauwan Scaife scored 28 for Ball State, which was 20 of 56 from the field, including 6 of 24 in the second half. Majok Majok added 10 points.