The South Carolina Gamecocks used their size and skill in the post to put an end to Buffalo’s Cinderella magic, pulling away with a 79-63 win in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday.
Buffalo came into the NCAA Tournament as somewhat of an afterthought, having never won a game in the event and seeded 11th after receiving an at-large bid. The Bulls then went on a tear, blowing out sixth-seeded South Florida and three-seed Florida State en route to their date with the Gamecocks.
In the first quarter, that March magic looked like it was still going strong for Buffalo, with an early 7-0 Bulls run staking them to a 17-16 lead at the end of the period.