In their two first-round games of their respective NCAA tournaments, the Buffalo Bulls men’s and women’s basketball teams have both just completely destroyed heavily favored competition, by a combined total of 191-147. First, the men took out four-seed Arizona on Thursday, then today, the women crushed sixth-seeded South Florida, 102-79, thanks mainly to junior guard Cierra Dillard’s 36 points. For both Buffalo teams, it was their first-ever tournament victory.


Both games, too, featured tense first halves followed by Buffalo-dominant conclusions. Today, the Bulls faced a double-digit deficit in the second quarter, but turned it around by ending the half on an 11-2 run to lead by four, including a dynamite steal and transition Dillard three with two seconds remaining. They didn’t look back from there.


The men try to keep it up today against Kentucky, in a region that’s been so torched by UMBC-inflicted mayhem that, hey, the Bulls have as good a shot to go deep as anyone else. The women get Florida State on Monday.

(Shoutout as well to the Central Michigan women, who upset LSU today to get their school’s first ever tourney win. Respect the MAC, y’all.)