Bulls To Close Out NYC Road Trip With Sunday Game at LIU Brooklyn
12/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo vs. LIU Brooklyn Game Notes
BROOKLYN, NY – The University at Buffalo, the State University of New York women's basketball team looks to pick up its fifth straight win as it closes out its two-game stint in New York City Sunday with a 1 pm game at Long Island Brooklyn.
The teams have faced each other twice and are knotted in the all-time series at 1-1. LIU Brooklyn was victorious in the inaugural meeting, defeating UB, 62-43, on March 11, 1976. The Bulls evened the series with a 62-60 victory against the Blackbirds at the Tulane Classic on Dec. 29, 2001.
For the year, UB has a field goal percentage of 35.3 and a free throw percentage of 68.9. The Bulls, who lead the Mid-American Conference in three-point defense (25.0%, 37-148) and steals (110, 12.2/gm), are averaging 66.0 points and 43.6 boards per game. With six double-doubles, sophomore Alexus Malone is posting 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a contest. Her double-doubles and rebounding average both lead the MAC. Junior Mackenzie Loesing is averaging 11.7 points per game. Senior captains Kristen Sharkey and Christa Baccas are contributing 10.7 and 10.2, respectively, with redshirt-sophomore Rachael Gregory chipping in 9.6 to help guide the balanced UB offense. Sharkey paces UB and ranks second in the MAC with 2.3 steals per game. Malone had dished out a team-high 19 assists. Junior Karin Moss adds 18 and sophomore Camera Miley 17. Baccas, who ranks second all-time at UB with 201 blocks, has 13 in five games of play and pulls down 7.8 boards per contest.
Despite an 0-6 start to the year, LIU Brooklyn enters Sunday's game with back-to-back victories over New Jersey Institute of Technology, 57-48, and Howard, 83-74. Its six losses have been by an average of 9.8 points per game. Opponents are narrowly outscoring the Blackbirds 64.4-59.0, though they own a 43.2-40.8 edge in rebounds. LIU Brooklyn is hitting 30.8 percent from the floor and 68.5 percent at the charity stripe. Sophie Bhasin is the lone Blackbird in double-digits averaging 12.4 points per game. Letava Whippy pulls down 8.6 rebounds per contest, while Bhasin and Jolanna Ford add 5.4 each. Ford chips in 9.1 points per game. Adding 8.9 points per outing, Whippy has a Blackbird-best 24 steals. Shanice Vaughan guides the offense with 33 assists on the season. The four have started all eight games for the Blackbirds who are slated to play their sixth home game of 2014-15 against the Bulls.
The game will air on ESPN 1520 AM with Sloane Martin on the call, while a webcast on NEC Front Row is available. Fans can also follow along with live stats or live tweets.
