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1964-1965 Buffalo Bulls Basketball

by Scott Hollander
University at Buffalo Libraries

The 1964-1965 Buffalo Bulls basketball season was Len Serfustini’s 9th year as head coach of the basketball Bulls. The team had a wonderful record going 19-3, the best during Serfustini’s tenure.

The Bulls opened the season with five straight wins snapped at Knoxville, Tennessee against at powerful University of Tennessee Volunteers team.

Season highlights included coach Serfustini’s 200th coaching triumph in the form of a 71-46 shellacking of American University and a 14 game winning streak with a season sweep of crosstown rival Buffalo State.

Dan Bazzani co-captained the 1964-65 squad, which also included Harvey Poe (791 career points) and Norb Baschnagel (member of the UB Athletic Hall of Fame). Dan Bazzani would later become Buffalo’s head coach for ten years (1983-1993).

The U.B. team was awarded a berth in the 1965 NCAA College Division Tournament and played in the Mid-East Regional in Akron, Ohio. The NCAA invitation was Buffalo’s 6th in Len Serfustini’s nine-year tenure as coach of the basketball Bulls. (see “Bulls Accept Tourney Bid” Buffalo Courier-Express, 24 February 1965)

Although Buffalo lost in the regional final to the host team University of Akron (playing essentially a home game), the season was still considered a huge success. The 1964-1965 team did so well that coach Serfustini and Athletic Director Jim Peelle initiated steps to beef up the 1965-1966 schedule. Syracuse, Penn State, and Kent State, schools with “major” basketball classification, were added to the schedule.

1964-1965 Buffalo Bulls Basketball Season

Date Home Team Score Visiting Team W-L-T Location
12/1/19641 Brockport State  61 – 84 Buffalo W Brockport, NY
12/3/19642 Buffalo  71 – 46 American University W Buffalo, NY
12/9/19643 Buffalo  115 – 71 University of Windsor W Buffalo, NY
12/12/19644 Buffalo  89 – 65 Albany State W Buffalo, NY
12/16/19645 Buffalo  132 – 67 Western Ontario W Buffalo, NY
12/19/19646 University of Tennessee  79 – 54 Buffalo L Knoxville, TN
12/29/19647 St. Michael’s College (Vermont)  93 – 86 Buffalo L Syracuse, NY*
12/30/19648 Oswego State  59 – 88 Buffalo W Syracuse, NY*
1/16/19659 Buffalo  92 – 66 Buffalo State W Buffalo, NY
1/23/196510 Buffalo  87 – 64 Ithaca College W Buffalo, NY
1/27/196511 Buffalo  105 – 63 University of Toronto W Buffalo, NY
1/30/196512 Buffalo  79 – 53 College of Steubenville (Ohio) W Buffalo, NY#
2/6/196513 Buffalo  106 – 71 Wayne State W Buffalo, NY
2/9/196514 Buffalo  74 – 63 Niagara University W Buffalo, NY#
2/13/196515 Colgate University  59 – 75 Buffalo W Hamilton, NY
2/20/196516 Albany State  58 – 69 Buffalo W Albany, NY
2/24/196517 Buffalo  88 – 69 University of Rochester W Buffalo, NY
2/27/196518 Buffalo  62 – 59 LeMoyne College W Buffalo, NY#
3/1/196519 Buffalo State  47 – 62 Buffalo W Buffalo, NY
3/3/196520 Buffalo  108 – 73 Alfred University W Buffalo, NY

NCAA College Division Tournament – Mid-East Regional at Akron, Ohio
3/5/196521 Randolph-Macon College (Virginia)  69 – 81 Buffalo W Akron, OH
3/6/196522 University of Akron  69 – 58 Buffalo L Akron, OH

FINAL RECORD: 19-3
Home Court: Clark Memorial Gymnasium
Coach: Len Serfustini

*LeMoyne College Christmas Tournament in Syracuse, NY
#Game played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium

  1. “UB Whips Brockport In Opener” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 2 December 1964.
  2. “UB Whips American, 71-46, For Serfustini’s 200th Win” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 4 December 1964.
  3. “Records Fall as UB Rips Windsor, 115-71” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 10 December 1964.
  4. “Unbeaten UB Defeats Albany State, 89-65” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 13 December 1964.
  5. “Bulls Set Records In 132-67 Victory” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 17 December 1964.
  6. “Unbeaten Tennessee Hands UB Quint First Loss, 79-54” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 20 December 1964.
  7. “St. Michael’s Jolts UB, 93-86” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 30 December 1964.
  8. “UB Tips Oswego, 88-59, Takes 3rd” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 31 December 1964.
  9. “Bulls Halt Buffalo State’s Streak with 92-66 Triumph” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 17 January 1965.
  10. “UB Blasts Ithaca For 87-64 Win” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 24 January 1965.
  11. “Bulls Complete Maple Leaf Sweep; Toronto Bows, 105-63” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 28 January 1965.
  12. “Bulls Romp Past Barons, 79 to 53” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 31 January 1965.
  13. “Bulls Wallop Wayne State” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 7 February 1965.
  14. “Bulls’ Late Splurge Sinks Niagara, 74-63” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 10 February 1965.
  15. “Bulls Spurt Clips Red Raiders For 13th Win, 75 to 59” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 14 February 1965.
  16. “Bulls Clip Albany For Ninth Straight As Poe Sets Pace” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 21 February 1965.
  17. “Bulls Belt Jackets, 88-69” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 25 February 1965.
  18. “Bulls Turn Back LeMoyne, Extend Skein to 11 Games” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 28 February 1965.
  19. “Bulls Whip State for 12th Straight, 62-47” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 2 March 1965.
  20. “UB Trounces Alfred, 108-73” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 4 March 1965.
  21. “UB Cagers Defeat Randolph-Macon, 81-69” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 6 March 1965.
  22. “Akron Outscores Scrappy Bulls In Title Duel, 69-58” Buffalo Courier-Express Buffalo, NY, 7 March 1965.

NCAA Event in Akron

Bulls Accept Tourney Bid

—

The University of Buffalo basketball team gained its objective Thursday morning — a berth in the 1965 NCAA College Division Tournament. The NCAA invitation is UB’s sixth in Len Serfustini’s nine-year tenure as coach of the basketball Bulls.

The Bulls will compete in the Mid-East Regional, set for Akron, Ohio, March 5-6. The Mid-East winner, and seven other regional champions, will qualify for the tournament proper at Evansville, Ind.

Ed Steitz, Springfield College athletic director and chairman of a regional selection committee, tendered the invitation by telephone. The telephone in UB athletic director Jim Peelle’s office rang only once. Peelle, who had been anticipating the call, picked it up and accepted the invitation with alacrity.

The only other team already in the four-team Mid-East Regional field is Steubenville, which the Bulls rubbed out by an authoritative 79-53 three weeks ago in Memorial Auditorium. One of the other Mid-East spots will be filled by the Ohio Conference champion — either Akron or Wittenberg. Those teams meet for the Conference crown, and the Mid-East berth, Tuesday night.

Youngstown a Possibility

Youngstown is considered a possibility for the fourth Mid-East position. The Bulls have won one regional title in five tries—in 1957, when they defeated Capital and Evansville in the Eastern Regional in Clark Gym. This advanced the Bulls to the tournament proper in Evansville where they dropped a 72-68 decision to Kentucky Western in the quarter finals.

Serfustini sent his jubilant  athletes through a light drill Thursday afternoon, in preparation for their engagement with streaking LeMoyne Saturday night in the opener of  the Memorial double bill. UB will beat full strength for LeMoyne. Dick Smith, the 6-5center who missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, will be ready for action.

— Buffalo Courier-Express, February 24, 1965