March 11, 2004

Box Score| Notes

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND - Keith Triplett matched a season-high with 29 points and Toledo ended Buffalo's unexpected late-season run with a 97-85 victory in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament on Thursday night.

The fourth-seeded Rockets (20-9) advanced to Friday's semifinals against top-seeded Western Michigan. The Broncos (24-4) are in the semis for the first time since 1997 following a 96-62 rout of Marshall.

In the other semifinal, second-seeded Kent State will face third-seeded Miami of Ohio. The Golden Flashes (21-7) beat Bowling Green 79-66 in the quarterfinals, and the RedHawks (18-10) downed Ball State 72-67.

Triplett, a first team all-MAC selection, was the one player the scrappy Bulls (17-12) couldn't stop as they had their winning streak stopped at eight games.

Backed by five buses full of screaming Buffalo students who made the trip from western New York, the Bulls made the most of their first appearance in the quarterfinals since joining the MAC in 1998.

Turner Battle led Buffalo with 23 points and Calvin Cage had 18.

Down by eight after Florention Valencia's basket put the Rockets ahead 65-57, the Bulls charged back as Cage drilled his third 3-pointer to get Buffalo within 66-64 with 8:23 remaining.

But the Rockets countered with an 8-2 run and eventually built an 83-74 lead on Triplett's baseline jumper at 3:12.

Needing points in a hurry, Buffalo couldn't get any long-range jumpers to drop and Toledo iced the win at the free-throw line in the closing minutes.