University at Buffalo
2-1
Cornell
2-0
Bulls Drop Shootout in Home Opener
11/16/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY - The UB women's basketball team found itself in an offensive showdown in its home opener against Cornell Saturday afternoon, with the Big Red (2-0) holding off the Bulls (2-1) for a 79-72 win. Mackenzie Loesing and Kristen Sharkey each posted double doubles to lead the team in the loss.
The Bulls started out strong from the opening tip, earning a 10-0 lead and holding Cornell scoreless for the first six minutes and 40 seconds of the game with six turnovers and 0-9 shooting from the field. The visitors would answer back, though, with a 13-10 run to take the lead. The two teams would trade off leads four times with a pair of ties in the half, with Buffalo pounding it inside and Cornell finding success from beyond the three-point line.
Heading into the halftime break, UB pushed ahead for a 34-31 lead, with Sharkey posting 11 points and five rebounds and Loesing chipping in seven points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. Cornell would be held to just 2-14 on two-point field goals, but were able to find the equalizer with six three pointers to just a pair for the Bulls. A key for Buffalo throughout the game would be rebounding, with the team owning a 29-19 advantage in rebounds, which included 13 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.
Cornell would chip away early at the UB lead in the second half, eventually going ahead three minutes in after a 10-2 run. After a brief 43-41 lead for Buffalo with 16:24 to play, Cornell would make a 14-4 run that would give it a lead it would ultimately never give back. The respective strong points for the two teams would hold serve in the second half, with the Bulls continuing to punish the paint for a final advantage of 44-14, with 21 points scored on offensive rebounds.
Sharkey would hit 11-18 shots on the interior, and would chip in six offensive rebounds. Loesing would slash through the Big Red defense with 6-13 shooting from inside, and she would finish with five offensive rebounds, three steals and three assists.
With just under four minutes in the game, Cornell would take its biggest lead with a 69-56 advantage. The Bulls would fight back, though, with an 11-3 run from that point until the 1:29 mark. The run was highlighted by a three-point play from Loesing, who would then draw a charge on the defensive end. Free throws would be the difference, with Cornell hitting ten free throws in the final two minutes alone to hold the UB comeback at an arm's length. The Big Red would enjoy a big day at the charity stripe, with a 30-43 performance compared to a 14-22 day for the Bulls.
The Bulls won the rebounding margin 57-44, a total which included 25 offensive rebounds. That offensive rebound total is the most by any UB squad since Jan. 11, 2012, and the 57 rebounds are the most the team has combined for since Jan. 13 of last season. Both Sharkey and Loesing tied career highs for rebounds, and Alexis Malone had seven rebounds to set a season high for the freshman forward.
"We're a young team learning a valuable lesson," head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. "We didn't embrace the opportunity to come home and play in front of our fans. I thought (Kristen) Sharkey and Alexis (Malone) really worked hard to try to seize the moment, but not enough of us came to play."
It will be back to the road for Buffalo, who will next play at Duquesne Wednesday. It will be an early tip-off, with the game scheduled to begin at 11 am.
