WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. – University at Buffalo Bulls fans packed watch parties Saturday night to root on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
At Santora’s on Transit Road, UB professor Bruce Pitman and his family arrived around 1:00 p.m. to catch both games. He said the men should be proud and that he’ll be somewhere to watch the women on Monday.
"It was a great run. You’ve got to be proud with what Coach Oates has done. The guys really came together in an interesting way, and they were fun to watch,” Pitman said. “And they seemed to be enjoying themselves out on the court, and you’ve got to love that.”
Jay Collier has no affiliation with UB but bought a UB sweater on Saturday. He said both the men’s and women’s teams were more fun to watch than the Sabres.
“Just to see them keep winning. All the W’s…it was just [great] to see somebody win,” Collier said.
Santora’s also hosted two former UB basketball players and their families.
“They had a fantastic season. We've followed these guys all the way through, and they've grown,” said 2005 guard Jason Bird. “Still a relatively young team, they've got a lot of experience.”
"There are a lot of players that wish they could have played in the tournament, and then there's people like me that wish they could have won in the tournament,” said 2015 forward Will Regan. “So we're not only happy for these guys, but we're proud to see them accomplish things we weren't able to.”
UB women will advance and play Florida State on Monday at 6:30 p.m.