Buffalo Wins At Syracuse 71-59 in College Basketball

The best college basketball team in New York right now beat a traditional powerhouse from that state on December 18th, with # 14 Buffalo beating Syracuse 71-59 in the Carrier Dome. Last season, almost exactly a year ago, the two teams played each other for the first time since 2001, with Syracuse winning that one. This was the first win for the Bulls over the Orange since 1963.

Buffalo remained undefeated at 11-0 on the season. Syracuse slipped to 7-4. Though the Orange aren’t currently ranked, this is still an important win over a high profile opponent from the ACC. Earlier this season, Buffalo beat then #13 West Virginia 99-94 in overtime.

The Bulls aren’t quite an overnight success, but they are emerging out from below the radar. Buffalo won the Mid American Conference last year, and, as a 13 seed in the NCAA tournament, upset #4 Arizona in Round 1 89-68, before losing to #5 Kentucky in the second round. Buffalo’s overall record in 2017-18 was 27-9. They also made it to the tournament in 2015 and 2016, losing in the first round both times.

Buffalo plays at #20 Marquette on December 21st. After that, they have no more games scheduled against teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25 (though that of course is subject to change as we go through the season).