Buffalo defends MAC crown

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Blake Hamilton made a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left as Buffalo defended its Mid-American Conference title — and pulled off a rare double for the school — with a 64-61 win over Akron in the title game on Saturday night.

Hamilton’s shot from the right wing sent the third-seeded Bulls (20-14) back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding season after Buffalo lost its coach and two of its top players.

But the Bulls are stampeding into the NCAAs again and so are Buffalo’s women, who beat Central Michigan in overtime for their first MAC championship earlier.

The Zips (26-8) had one last chance, but a long inbounds pass was picked off by Hamilton. When the clock showed zeroes, the Bulls poured onto the floor mobbed each other around the center circle. Moments later, they were joined by their schoolmates and fellow champions, who set the tone for the greatest day in Buffalo basketball history.

Two titles. Dou-Bulls.

Freshman CJ Massinburg scored 18 for Buffalo and Hamilton had 14 and 11 rebounds.

Antino Jackson had 14 points for Akron, which may have to sit home and watch the NCAA tourney for the third straight year.

It’s a remarkable run for these Bulls, who won their first championship last year under coach Bobby Hurley. The program then took a major hit when Hurley accepted the job at Arizona State and took guard Shannon Evans with him.

If that wasn’t tough enough, Justin Moss, the conference’s player of the year in 2015, was kicked out of school after he was involved in an on-campus robbery.

But first-year coach Nate Oats, an assistant under Hurley, got his players to believe and the Bulls put it together just in time.