CLEVELAND -- Willie Conner scored 22 points, Blake Hamilton made four 3-pointers in the second half and defending champion Buffalo advanced to the Mid-American Conference title game by beating Ohio 88-74 on Friday night.
The third-seeded Bulls (19-14) made a season-high 14 3-pointers and held off a rally by the Bobcats (21-11) to get back to the championship in their first season under coach Nate Oats.
Buffalo will play top-seeded Akron on Saturday. The Zips, who beat Buffalo twice during the regular season, defeated No. 12 seed Bowling Green 80-66 in the other semifinal.