No. 21 Buffalo faces San Francisco in Belfast tournament final

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The temperature may be in the 40s in Northern Ireland, but for No. 21 Buffalo, it is always in the 80s.

The Bulls improved their season scoring average to 87.5 points per game with a 99-67 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic on Friday to advance to the final of the Goliath bracket in the eight-team, two-continent tournament against the University of San Francisco on Saturday.

Both teams are undefeated. The Bulls are 6-0 for the first time in 88 seasons, since the 1930-31 team finished 15-0.

"I was happy with the fight of our guys, and I think they are really starting to gel," coach Nate Oats told the school's website after the game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"We gave them a few more runs than we would have liked, but I really liked the response of everyone on our team. I thought today was a total team victory."

Scoreboard busting is nothing new for the Bulls and Oats. They averaged 84.6 points per game last season and blasted the University of Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo scored 80 points in 26 of its 36 games last season, tied with Duke for the second-most 80-point outputs in Division I. NCAA champion Villanova had 29.

The Bulls joined the AP Top 25 for the first in school history this season after a 99-94 overtime victory at West Virginia, and they had 110 points against Dartmouth on Nov. 21, tying a school record since joining Division I in 1994-95.

Junior guard CJ Massinburg had 16 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, adding to his statistically remarkable career.

Massinburg is one of four players in Division I with at least 1,300 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in his career. Wisconsin's Ethan Happ, Fort Wayne's on Konchar and Mississippi State's Quinndary Weatherspoon are the others. Massinburg has played in 96 games, the fewest of that group.

At the same time, the Bulls are not even close to a one-man operation. Jeremy Harris scored 21 points and Nick Perkins had 20 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Massinburg, Harris and Perkins have each led the team in scoring twice. Three different players have led in rebounding and four in assists.

Buffalo made 14 3-pointers against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with Massinburg and Perkins hitting four apiece. Massinburg is the fourth player in school history with at least 200 3-pointers, and Perkins tied a career high, done three times.

Buffalo led Wisconsin-Milwaukee by only four points with nine minutes remaining before putting the game away with a 17-4 run.

San Francisco (7-0) beat Stephen F. Austin to advance to the final by also using a second-half spurt to take over.

The Bulls and Dons are similar in other ways, too. Jordan Ratinho led the Dons with 19 points and made 5 of 9 3-pointers against Stephen F. Austin. He is one of four players who have led the Dons in scoring this season.

Charles Minlend scored 16 points, Frankie Ferrari had 14 points and nine assists and Matt McCarty had 11 points. Four different players have led the team in rebounding this season.

The teams had one common opponent in the campus-site portion of the Belfast Classic. San Francisco beat Dartmouth 84-65. Massinburg missed the Bulls' 110-71 victory over the Big Green because of a knee injury.

San Francisco coach Kyle Smith said his team is ready for the challenge that Buffalo brings.

"Everyone saw what Buffalo did last year. Pretty special," Smith said. "We have a good bunch of seniors that will be real excited to have that chance compete against a team like that."

The Dons of the West Coast Conference have had two straight 20-win seasons of the first time since 1982, and they are hoping to take another step forward in a conference that has been dominated by Gonzaga and St. Mary's in recent seasons.

"I have no idea, but I know right now we are playing pretty well," Smith told reporters when asked if the Dons are ready to challenge for a conference title.

"We just have to take it day by day, possession by possession. All the cliches apply. This group has some special leaders, and that is what it takes to get to that level. It does take leadership and caring for one another and the program, and we've got that."