Men’s victory pumps Bulls fans in Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE — “I still can’t believe it,” Bulls fan Rick Friend said in astonished delight as he looked up at the TV screen Thursday night, minutes after the UB men’s basketball team dismantled 4th-seeded Arizona, 89-68, in the second most lopsided opening-round upset in NCAA history by a team seeded 13th or higher.

Friend was one of about 20 fans and staffers in Tallahassee with the UB women’s team for its opening-round NCAA tournament game this weekend, who gathered to watch the UB men’s game at Miller’s Ale House. The evening started with promising omens — the Sabres and Leafs were on TV, the waitress was from the Southtowns — and never let up once the game got underway. Every UB foul shot was greeted in the bar with a cry of “Horns Up,” and Buffalo fans hooted and hollered as the Bulls danced the night away in Boise.

The UB women did not gather to watch the game; it was on late, past their 10 p.m. curfew. But as the happy fans exited the Ale House, a women’s team staffer shouted, “We need that kind of enthusiasm from you on Saturday at 1:30.” That’s when the 11th-seeded UB women play 6-seed South Florida, and hope to pull off a comparable upset.

The UB men’s 21-point victory was the second-biggest margin of victory in the opening round for a team seeded 13th or higher in the history of either the NCAA men’s or women’s basketball tournament. Only 13-seed Navy’s 23-point win over 4-seed LSU in the 1985 men’s tournament was bigger.

Fans can follow the men's and women's teams on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Use the hashtag #UBDancing.