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Saturday, March 13 vs. No. 2 Buffalo (16-7) | 7:30 p.m. | Cleveland, Ohio | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse | ESPN2 | TuneIn | Live Stats | Game Notes
CLEVELAND -- The fifth-seeded Ohio men's basketball team (15-7) returns to the MAC Championship game for the first time since 2013 when the Bobcats face off with No. 2 Buffalo Saturday night. Tip-off is set for 7:40 p.m. inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Saturday's game can be seen on ESPN2 where Jason Benetti and Jon Crispin will have the call.
Saturday's game can be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 13th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats," along with Ohio alum Rob Cornelius. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship. The broadcasts are also available online through TuneIn.com/OhioBobcats and on the TuneIn app.
STORYLINES
• The Bobcats are 43-32 (.569) all-time in the MAC Tournament and have captured six league tournament crowns.
• Ohio is making its 40th appearance in the MAC Tournament in 2021.
• This is the 53rd all time meeting between Ohio and Buffalo.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 33-19.
•The Bobcats and Bulls last met on Feb. 27, falling 86-66.
• Before that, the Bulls and Bobcats battled it out on Jan. 29, 2021 in Buffalo, where the Bobcats came away with the thrilling 76-65 victory.
• The Bobcats are 12-9 against the Bulls since the 2011-12 season.
• Ohio and Buffalo will meet for the fifth time in the MAC Tournament.
• Ohio is 3-1 against UB in the MAC Tournament and 1-0 against the Bulls in the finals.
• Ohio defeated UB, 80-79 in overtime of the 2005 MAC Title.
• Ohio fell to the Bulls, 88-74, in the semis in 2016.
• The Bobcats last defeated Ohio in tournament was 2012, where Ohio won, 77-74. Ohio went on to capture the MAC title that year.
• The Bobcats were on the court warming up in Cleveland last season when the 2020 tournament and season was canceled due to Covid-19.
• Ohio's 22-point victory against Kent State on Thursday was the largest margin of victory for the Bobcats in the quarterfinals since they were moved to Cleveland.
• Ohio's win on Thursday as the first in Cleveland since 2017.
• Ohio is headed to the MAC finals for the first time since 2013. Ohio fell to Akron in that game.
• Dwight Wilson III is currently second in the Nation in field goal percentage.
• Wilson III is on pace to set to break Gary Trent's single season field goal percentage mark (65.1). Wilson III is currently shooting 67.2 percent from the field.
• Jason Preston is currently tied for third in the nation in assists per game.
• Junior Jason Preston currently sits at 995 career points, while senior Dwight Wilson III is also close, with 969. Preston needs five points to hit the milestone.
• Redshirt junior forward Ben Vander Plas hit the 1,000 point mark on Feb. 25 against Eastern Michigan.
• Five Bobcats earned a MAC Post Season Award Jason Preston was named First Team All-MAC, Ben Vander Plas and Dwight Wilson III were named Third Team All-MAC. Mark Sears earned a spot on the All-Freshmen Team. Lunden McDay earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
• On Feb. 25, the Bobcats set a program record in assists in a game when they dished out 30 against Eastern Michigan.
• On Jan. 23 against Ball State, Jason Preston recorded his second career triple double, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 boards and dishing out 11 assists. It is the third triple double in program history.
• On Dec. 6 against Cleveland State, the NCAA record for scoring run against a Division I opponent with a 40-0 run to open the second half beginning at 43 seconds remaining in the first half and ending at 8:03 in the second half.
• Jason Preston was named the MAC Player of the week on Nov. 30, marking a week capped off by a 31-point performance on Nov. 27 against No. 8 Illinois.
• The Bobcats opened the 2020 season at the Illinois MTE Nov. 25-27, finishing with a 2-1 record and nearly knocking off No. 8 Illinois in a 77-75 battle.
BUFFALO'S ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
• Buffalo defeated Akron 81-74 in overtime Friday night in the semifinals
• The Bulls defeats Miami, 74-63 in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
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