8-7, 1-3MAC
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Western Michigan
10-5, 3-1MAC
UB Comeback Falls Short As Western Michigan Edges Bulls, 62-59
1/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo, State University of New York women's basketball team's late comeback fell short as Western Michigan claimed a 62-59 Mid-American Conference victory Tuesday night at Alumni Arena.
The Bulls (8-7, 1-3 MAC) trailed the Broncos (10-5, 3-1 MAC) 31-27 at the half. WMU led by as many as 11 with 5:15 left in the game, but UB inched within three on a Mackenzie Loesing three pointer with 14 ticks on the clock. A desperation three fell short for the Bulls as Western Michigan snuck away with the victory.
"It was disappointing," said Bulls' head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "These kids are resilient. We're going to take a step back and take two steps forward.
"The message is strong. We're not asking for anyone to move the mountain. We want us to continue to have the endurance to climb it."
Western took an early 4-0 lead, holding UB scoreless until the 16-minute mark. UB answered with eight straight and went on to take a 23-17 advantage at 6:28. UB was cold down the stretch as the Broncos closed out the opening half on a 14-4 run to lead 31-27 at intermission.
Despite UB's late run, the Broncos led the entire second half. In a 54-43 deficit at 5:15, the Bulls pieced together 9-2 run. An Alexus Malone layup made it a 56-52 game at 2:11. The teams traded buckets and free throws en route to a three-point game with 10 seconds lingering on the clock. The Broncos missed two at the charity stripe at the seven-second mark, though UB's desperation three was off point to end the game.
Loesing, a junior, posted a Bull-best 18 points. Senior captain Kristen Sharkey picked up her third double-double of the season with 13 points and a season-best 13 rebounds. She tallied all of her points in the first half on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor. Malone scored 15, while senior captain Christa Baccas grabbed 11 rebounds, her third straight 10-rebound game. Malone dished out a career-high four assists and Sharkey chipped in three.
WMU's AJ Johnson led the game with 19 points. Miracle Woods added 12 and Marquisha Harris 11. The Broncos recorded game-highs of 20 assists, eight steals and three blocks.
Despite owning the boards, 48-36, and securing 20 second-chance points, the Bulls committed 18 turnovers that resulted in 18 WMU points.
The Broncos hit .424 percent of their shots, while UB made good on .344 percent of all attempts.
The Bulls return to Alumni Arena on Saturday to host Ball State at 1 pm in the first game of a double header. The UB men will follow with a 3 pm game against Miami (OH).
