Bulls Host Rival St. Bonaventure in Mid-Week Game
12/4/2012 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY - It will be a hard-nosed game on Wednesday night as the Buffalo women's basketball team welcomes Big Four rival St. Bonaventure to Alumni Arena for a 7 pm game. The mid-week game is the first of four straight home games for the road-weary Bulls, who have played six road games already this season.
The Bulls overcame a 16-point first half deficit on Saturday night at Bucknell but could not finish with a win, losing 78-71. The Bulls scored a season-high 46 points in the second half, but allowed the Bisonto shoot almost 62 percent from the floor in the second half.
The Bulls turned up the pressure in the second half led by freshman Rachael Gregory, who scored all 17 of her points in the second half. Bucknell continued to lead by 12 with 7:37 left, but a three pointer from sophomore Valerie Majewski ignited a 17-5 run, tying the game up at 67-67; the first tie since the opening tip. Gregory tied her career high in points, a mark she set against Youngstown State. For the third time in the last four games she finished with nine rebounds, again just missing her first career double-double.
Karin Moss went 5-for-8 from behind the arc to set a career high with 15 points, and Majewski tied her career high with 11 points. After scoring 55 points against Eastern Illinois, the UB bench again put up big numbers, outscoring Bucknell's bench, 41-9.
It will take a full team effort to face the Bonnies, a rebuilding team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament just this past Spring. Though the team graduated three of its top five scorers and lost top returner Chelsea Bowker to injury in the preseason, the Bonnies have gone 4-5 and have held opponents to 55 points or fewer five different times.
With an emphasis on defending and slowing the game down, the Bonnies have been successful on defense but still has to prove it can score enough to win consistently. The team is averaging just 54.8 points per game and have two players - Doris Ortega and CeCe Dixon - who lead the team with 10 points apiece per game. Ortega also leads the team in rebounding, with 7.3 per game.
Fans who can't make it out to the game can listen in on 1340 AM WLVL, with Scott Wilson on the call.
