DE KALB, Ill. — Rodney Pierce led five Buffalo players in double figures with 17 points in a 95-83 Mid-American Conference men’s basketball victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday.

Sean Smiley added 13 for the Bulls (11-7 overall, 4-3 MAC). John Boyer and Mitchell Watt added 12 apiece, and Calvin Betts had 11.

Boyer also had a game-high eight assists for the Bulls, who shot 55.7 percent (34 of 61) and outscored Northern Illinois 34-14 off the bench.

Xavier Silas paced the Huskies (8-11, 4-3) with 27 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Mike DiNunno scored 15 and Sean Kowal 12 for Northern Illinois, which shot 46.8 percent (29 of 62).

The Huskies led by seven points early in the game but fell behind 47-42 at intermission.

Buffalo stretched the lead to as many as 17, which happened with 9:53 left when Smiley’s jumper made it 79-62.

The Bulls held a 38-34 rebounding advantage.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Pitt-Titusville 65, NCCC 51

Stephanie Gigante recorded her first career double-double, scoring a career-high 15 points to go along with 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to lead an under-manned Niagara County Community College squad.

Taylor Pagano chipped in a season-high 14 points, and Melissa Pawlowski (Kenmore West) had a game- and career-high eight assists.

Kenmore East product Felicia Glogoza made her NCCC debut in the game, sparking the team’s defense with a number of stops and steals. Karissa Dolney (Tonawanda) had her second straight game with 12 rebounds.

NCCC held Pitt-Titusville to 22 points in the first half, the third straight game they’ve held an opponent under 25, but shot only 12 percent.

UB 50, W.Michigan 46

Jessica Fortman scored 20 points, 17 in the second half, as the University at Buffalo brushed off its worst shooting performance of the season in the first half to snap a three-game losing streak with the four-point win, the Bulls’ first-ever in six tries at Western Michigan. UB trailed 18-15 at the half.

Both squads traded runs in the second half, but UB took the lead for good on a late 7-0 run.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Ala.-Huntsville 3, Niagara 2

For the second time in as many nights, Niagara dropped a 3-2 decision to Alabama-Huntsville. The Purple Eagles (7-15-3, 2-6-1 CHA) held a 2-1 lead going into the third period but the Chargers struck twice to seal the sweep.

“We just couldn’t put them away,” NU coach Dave Burkholder said. “They played well enough to stay in it and got some power plays at crucial times.”

Chris Moran and Bryan Haczyk scored for NU, which begins a three-game homestand at 7 p.m. Wednesday against CHA rival Robert Morris.

SWIMMING & DIVING

Barber, Fitch help set pool record

Caitlin Barber (Niagara-Wheatfield) and Sarah Fitch (Kenmore West) teamed up with Kaitlin Mergler and Janet Rolf to help Buffalo State College’s women’s 800 free relay set a new Kissinger pool record time of 8:35.13 Saturday in a dual meet with Brockport. The Bengals lost, 137.5-92.5. Fitch also won the 100 fly in 1:07.46.

On the men’s side, Kyle Sauer (Grand Island) won the 1650 free in 17:45.07 to help Buffalo State edge Brockport, 122-118.

Bona sweeps NU

Despite solid efforts from local products Kevin Jennings (Roy-Hart), Brian Sawma (Niagara Falls) and Ashley Jones (Lockport), Niagara University’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were swept by St. Bonaventure on Saturday.

Jennings won the 50 free in 22.23, while Sawma captured the 100 butterfly in 53.71 as the men’s team fell 144-96.

For the women’s team, which won three of four diving events, Jones swept the one- and three-meter events. The NU women lost their meet 133-107.

UB wins seventh straight

UB topped Mid-American Conference rival Bowling Green 154-114 to win its seventh straight meet and improve to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the conference. Jordan Deren (Lackawanna) keyed the Bulls victory by sweeping the distance events.

WRESTLING

Rosso wins at JCCC tourney

NCCC capped off a hectic week by competing in an open tournament at Jamestown Community College on Saturday. Rocco Rosso was the team’s lone champion, earning the title at 125 pounds with a 2-1 decision over Keith Klink of Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky).

Also for NCCC, Shay Shive lost his first match but won six in a row to finish third at 149; Shane Manley placed third at 157; Matt Allinson (Starpoint) took third at 165; and Paul Ciaramello placed fourth.

The Trailblazers competed in the state tournament last weekend against the likes of UB, Army and Cornell, had a make-up match Wednesday and a match at JCCC Friday before coming into Saturday’s tournament. “We are glad this week is over,” coach Eric Knuutila said.

Ohio 22, UB 17

The Bulls dropped the match but did raise $30,097 in their “Takedown Cancer” event to benefit former co-captain and 2008 UB graduate Jeff Parker, Carly’s Club of Buffalo and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Jimmy Hamel upset 12-ranked Eric Schuth at 197 pounds for his second victory over a top-15 wrestler in his last two outings.