University at Buffalo
7-7 (0-3MAC)
Central Michigan
7-8 (3-0MAC)
Bulls End Road Trip With Loss at WMU
1/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Buffalo women's basketball team wrapped up the opening weekend of the Mid-American Conference season and its longest road trip to date in 2013-14, taking on Western Michigan (6-7, 2-0 MAC) Tuesday night. After clawing back to earn a slight lead in the first half, Marquisha Harris of the Broncos scored 28 second-half points to lead her team to a 82-72 win. Jenna Rickan led the Bulls with a career-high 15 points and Kristen Sharkey had a double-double for UB (7-6, 0-2).
It was a slow go early on for both offenses, with the 20th combined point of the game not scored until the 10:38 mark of the half. Both team would own a four point lead at some point in the half, with Western leading early on before a quick 6-0 run in just over a minute to take a 15-11 lead with 9:27 to play in the first half. After a slow day against Bowling Green Saturday, Sharkey led the team with eight point in the first 20 minutes, and Margeaux Gupilan was unstoppable en route to seven points on 3-3 shooting. A 22-14 rebounding advantage for UB was nullified by 14 turnovers, giving WMU three more field goal attempts.
The second half would be all about Harris, who would account for more than half of the team's points scored (28 of 54). She would shoot 12-18 on the night, and had 13 rebounds. Though Buffalo struggled to curtail her drives to the basket, it would witness the emergence of Jenna Rickan, who played with abandon in the second half and scored all 15 of her points to help the team stay in the game. Both teams would find high percentage success inside the three-point line, especially UB. Excluding its 18 attempts from deep, the team shot 25-46 on two-point field goals, and Western would hit 24-50 two pointers.
The hosts would score the opening basket of the second half, and a 32-32 tie at the 17:25 mark would be the final time UB would contend, with an 8-0 run putting the Broncos ahead for good. The lead would swell between to as much as 14, and the Bulls would come no closer than five points after the 14:35 mark.
Missing leading scorer Mackenzie Loesing to injury, the Buffalo offense actually surpassed its season average, thanks in large part to a balanced effort. Rickan and Sharkey were the only two in double figures, but a total of seven UB players scored six points or more in the game.
A glance at the box score shows advantages for Buffalo in field goal percentage, rebounds and a 28-15 bench advantage. Western would counter with 19 points off 22 UB turnovers and 22 free throws made to just 10 for the Bulls.
The team will return home for its longest home stand of the season, with the next three games coming over six days starting this Sunday. It won't be easy for the Bulls, who will host defending MAC champion Central Michigan first before facing traditional power Toledo (1/15) and current MAC West leader Eastern Michigan (1/18). For tickets, contact the ticket office at 1-877-UB-THERE.
