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1948-1949 Buffalo Bulls Basketball

by Scott Hollander
University at Buffalo Libraries

Mal Eiken was in his third year as head coach of the University at Buffalo basketball team during the 1948-1949 season.

Coach Elkin was cautiously optimistic at the start of the season saying, “We’ll have a better team this year but we also have a rugged schedule.”

The 20 game schedule included four games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium with a marque match against the University of Georgia Bulldogs the week before Christmas of 1948.

The Bulls also met the University of Connecticut Huskies in the Clark Memorial Gymnasium before a capacity crowd. (see “Huskies Post 52-39 Win Over Bulls” Buffalo Courier-Express, 30 December 1948)

The U.B. squad took a huge blow when Paul Brady, the tallest Buffalo man, and one of the teams leading scorers, withdrew from school after the fall semester. Bob Eldridge finished the season as the teams top scorer and won the 1949 Dom Grassi award as UB’s Athlete of the Year. The 1948-1949 Buffalo team included two future U.B. head basketball coaches in Len Serfistini (1956-1970) and Ed Muto (1970-1973).

1948-1949 Buffalo Basketball Season

Date Home Team Score Visiting Team W-L-T Location
12/4/19481 Buffalo 54 – 36 Hobart College W Buffalo, NY
12/8/19482 Cornell University 67 – 44 Buffalo L Ithaca, NY
12/10/19483 Buffalo 63 – 57 Case School App. Science W Buffalo, NY
12/17/19484 Buffalo 69 – 45 University of Toronto W Buffalo, NY
12/18/19485 Buffalo# 51 – 56 University of Georgia L Buffalo, NY
12/27/19486 Buffalo# 65 – 59 Lafayette College W Buffalo, NY
12/29/19487 Buffalo 39 – 52 University of Connecticut L Buffalo, NY
12/31/19488 Buffalo 62 – 56 Mississippi College W Buffalo, NY
1/8/19499 Buffalo 45 – 54 Alfred University L Buffalo, NY
1/31/194910 Buffalo 59 – 31 Fredonia Teachers College W Buffalo, NY
2/3/194911 Buffalo# 59 – 53 Niagara University W Buffalo, NY
2/5/194912 Oberlin College 53 – 52 Buffalo L Oberlin, OH
2/9/194913 University of Toronto 55 – 46 Buffalo L Toronto. ON
2/11/194914 Buffalo 50 – 47 Union College W Buffalo, NY
2/17/194915 Alfred University 45 – 65 Buffalo W Alfred, NY
2/19/194916 Buffalo# 58 – 50 Bucknell University W Buffalo, NY
2/23/194917 Hobart College 55 – 67 Buffalo W Geneva, NY
2/25/194918 Buffalo 42 – 56 Grove City College L Buffalo, NY
3/4/194919 Hartwick College 56 – 68 Buffalo L Oneonta, NY
3/5/194920 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 58 – 40 Buffalo L Troy, NY

FINAL RECORD: 11-9
Home Courts: Clark Memorial Gymnasium
Coach: Malcolm Eiken

#Game played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium

    1. “UB Five Tops Hobart, 54-36, In First Start” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 5 December 1948.
    2. “Cornell Racks Up 67-44 Win Over Bulls” Niagara Falls Gazette Niagara Falls, NY, 9 December 1948.
    3. “UB Cagers Win” Tonawanda Evening News Tonawanda, NY, 11 December 1948.
    4. “Bulls Romp Over Toronto Quint, 69-45” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 18 December 1948.
    5. “Buffalo Rally Fails In 56-51 Cage Loss” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 19 December 1948.
    6. “UB Wins in Upset” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 28 December 1948.
    7. “Huskies Post 52-39 Win Over Bulls” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 30 December 1948.
    8. “Bulls Defeat Mississippi for 5th Win” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 1 January 1949.
    9. “Alfred Cagers Hand UB 54-45 Loss” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 9 January 1949.
    10. “UB Five Pummels Fredonia, 59 to 31” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 1 February 1949.
    11. “UB Stuns Niagara, 59-53” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 4 February 1949.
    12. “UB Falls to Oberlin, 53-52” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 6 February 1949.
    13. “Toronto Cagers Register Upset Over Buffalo, 55-46” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 10 February 1949.
    14. “UB Quintet Scores Over Union, 50-47” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 12 February 1949.
    15. “U. of B. Downs Alfred, 65-45“ Union-Sun & Journal Lockport, NY, 18 February 1949.
    16. “Bulls Tip Bucknell” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 20 February 1949.
    17. “Buffalo Five Beats Hobart By 67 to 55” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 24 February 1949.
    18. “Grove City Quint Trips Bulls, 56-42” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 26 February 1949.
    19. “Hartwick Tips UB Cagers By 68-56 Margin” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 5 March 1949.
    20. “RPI Spoils Buffalo Finale, 58-40” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 6 March 1949.


Huskies Post 52-39 Win Over Bulls

—

A fast-breaking University of Connecticut quintet posted a 52-39 victory over the University of Buffalo last night in Clark Memorial Gymnasium before a capacity crowd.

The invaders built up a 6-1 lead midway through the first quarter and maintained that margin throughout the game. Jack Chalmers was the first UB player to find the range from the floor after seven minutes and 45 seconds had lapsed.

It was the Bulls third setback in seven games and the Huskies’ seventh triumph in nine outings.

Connecticut piled up a comfortable 15-6 edge at the end of the opening quarter and led 24-16 at the intermission. Although holding a slight advantage in height, UB failed to show its form as it did in downing Lafayette last Monday night.

Bartnicki Shines

Hank Bartnicki and Pete Lind tossed in four and three points, respectively as the second half began to give Connecticut a 13 point margin. Chalmers cut the deficit to nine points with two spectacular hook shots.

The schools traded points with Lind sinking one from the pivot before the third quarter ended to give Connecticut an eight point lead, 38-30. Chalmers tapped in a rebound and Bill Needham netted a free throw and UB looked as though they were back in the game.

Joe Maloney flipped in a free throw and Charlie Muzikevik and Bartnicki tossed in two-pointers each as the Huskies pulled away again to a ten point edge.

Bartnicki wound up high scorer for the game with 16 counters. Maloney and Lind split 22. Chalmers led the Bulls attack, whipping in 11 points. Needham and Eldridge added six apiece while Paul Brady and “Jumping Jack” Gushue divided ten.

The Neumann CYC registered a thrilling 43 – 42 overtime victory over the Baby Bulls in the opening game.

— Buffalo Courier-Express, December 30, 1948