Buffalo and Ball State Open With Conference Victories
Friday's Scoreboard
Buffalo 74, Eastern Michigan 58
Ball State 79, Toledo 64
Stories Courtesy of The Associated Press
Buffalo 74, Eastern Michigan 58
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Montell McRae scored a career-high 18 points and Nick Perkins added 15 to lift No. 20 Buffalo to an easy win in its Mid-American Conference opener, 74-58 over Eastern Michigan on Friday night.
CJ Massinburg added 12 points for Buffalo. McRae scored 12 of his points in the first half, helping the Bulls (13-1, 1-0) through a sluggish start against the EMU zone defense.
Buffalo trailed 15-11 before going on a 19-4 run. It was 33-23 at halftime.
McRae's first-half scoring came on three dunks and a pair of 3-pointers. The 6-foot-10 senior finished 8 of 9 from the field and surpassed his previous career high of 13 points.
Elijah Minnie led EMU (6-8, 0-1) with 21 points.
Massinburg had a quiet game offensively, but he did sink a couple late 3-pointers in the first half, including one in the final seconds that gave the Bulls a 10-point lead.
Ball State 79, Toledo 64
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Tahjai Teague scored 20 points with three 3-pointers and 12 rebounds, and Ball State ended Toledo's 10-game win streak with a 79-64 victory in a Mid-American Conference opener Friday night.
Teague posted his second double-double this season. Tayler Personsscored 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, Trey Moses added 17 points and K.J. Walton 14 for the Cardinals (10-4), who won their fourth straight and ninth in their last 10 games by taking down the defending MAC West champions.
Toledo (12-2) lost for the first time in eight home games this season.
The Cardinals shot 48 percent and dominated points in the paint 48-24. Toledo shot only 36 percent, including 27 percent from the arc (8 of 30).
Ball State led from the outset and was up by 12 at halftime. Except for the opening minutes of the second half, the lead remained in double figures, reaching 24 with 6 1/2 minutes left after a 10-0 run.
Chris Darrington led Toledo with 13 points.
