Buffalo wins 2016 MAC basketball tournament: Bulls upset Akron, 64-61

The Buffalo Bulls held off a frantic comeback from Akron to pull off the 64-61 win and claim the MAC Tournament crown for the second straight season. They also win the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo led for much of the first half, although Akron rarely let the game get out of hand. They mounted a late comeback towards the end to tie the game up at halftime.

The Bulls pulled away yet again in the second half, at one point leading by 14 points. However, the Zips made yet another big comeback, ripping off a 14-2 run to take their first lead since the first half. Things remained close and tense the rest of the way, with the score tied 61-61 with just 30 seconds to go.

Buffalo got the final shot in regulation and made it count -- Blake Hamilton drilled a three-point shot from downtown with two seconds left.

Here’s another view of the shot from the great UB Bull Run, which was in the building:

Hamilton finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while CJ Massinburg came off the bench to lead Buffalo with 18 points on 6-of-9. The Bulls were hot from beyond the arc, making 10 of 28 three-point attempts.

It’s been a good run for the Bulls of late -- they’ve won the MAC Tournament two years in a row now, after previously never making the NCAA Tournament in program history.