AMHERST, N.Y. (AP) -- Roderick Middleton had 19 points and Calvin

Cage added 16 to lift Buffalo to a 62-53 win over Rutgers Saturday

night.

Buffalo (8-1), which received a vote in the AP Top 25 this week

for the first time in school history, is off to its best start

since beginning the 1962-63 season 9-1.

Parnell Smith chipped in 10 points for the Bulls, who have won

23 of their last 25 games at home.

Down by one point at halftime, the Scarlet Knights (6-2) opened

the second half with a 10-2 run that was capped by Quincy Douby's

3-pointer, making the score 36-29. Douby led Rutgers with 24 points

and Marquis Webb had 15.

The Bulls erased the deficit with a 12-2 run that made it 41-38

with 9:53 to go.

Cage hit a 3-pointer to put the Bulls up by 10 with just over

three minutes left and iced the game with another 3 with 45 seconds

remaining.