9-21, 4-12
Akron
13-17, 7-9
Bulls End Regular Season With 78-69 Defeat At Akron
2/28/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
AKRON, OH - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team concluded its regular season on Tuesday night, falling to Akron, 78-69. The Bulls end the regular season as the 11th seed and will head right back to Akron on Saturday for the first round of the conference tournament against the sixth-seeded Zips.
The contest was tight throughout as the lead changed hands nine different times. Akron got out to a quick start in the game, taking an 18-11 lead with 12:36 remaining in the first half. The Bulls responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead, but Akron again regained the advantage 33-32 with 3:00 minutes left in the half. The Bulls ended the half on a 9-2 run, taking a 41-35 lead into the half.
The Zips would go on to tie the game up at 48-48 early in the second half, but the Bulls responded on a 7-0 run over the next one minutes and seven seconds. A layup from freshman Christa Baccas gave the Bulls their largest lead of the game at 60-51 with 10:31 left. However, the UB offense went cold from there and the Bulls managed just nine points over the last 10 minutes of the game. Akron took the lead for good on a three-point play from Carly Young with 4:27 left, ending the game on a 12-2 run.
"I thought the things we did well in the first half, we didn't do in the second half," said head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. "We really struggled to rebound the ball late in the game and it cost us tonight."
The Bulls finished with four players in double figures led by 16 points from Brittany Hedderson. The senior added five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Junior Nicki Hopkins added 14 points, two assists and a steal, hitting on 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Redshirt sophomore Nytor Longar finished with a double-double, as she had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, as well as two blocks and three steals. Baccas added 12 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.
Senior Ephesia Holmes added nine points and a career-best seven assists as well as two steals. Seniors Beth Christensen and Teresa Semalulu had three and two points, respectively.
