14-9, 7-5MAC
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Western Michigan
16-8, 9-4MAC
Bulls Outlast MAC-West-Leading Western Michigan, 54-44
2/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
KALAMAZOO, MI – The University at Buffalo, State University of New York women's basketball team used a 13-0 run over the final 3:55 of play to upend Mid-American West leader Western Michigan, 54-44, Saturday at University Arena.
"We played together. We played as a team," said third-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "I thought our bigs did a great job on the boards. We managed ourselves and we attacked. Our game isn't about right now. It's about our story for the future. We're excited."
The Bulls (14-9, 7-5 MAC), who have won five of their last six, handed the Broncos (16-8, 9-4 MAC) just their second home loss of the season. UB led several statistical categories including rebounding 43-39, steals 13-9 and shooting percentage 35.7-29.5. The Broncos committed 21 turnovers to the Bulls 17.
Though the lead changed nine times, the Bulls held it for over 27 minutes. The game was tied for another seven.
The Broncos held a 5-4 edge at the 16-minute mark, but UB answered with nine straight to secure the lead en route to a 27-21 gap at the half. WMU inched back in the second to deadlock the game for the first time, 36-36, at 11:07. A five-minute scoring drought followed.
Western secured its first lead of the game on a Miracle Woods jumper at 6:17. The teams exchanged buckets, but back-to-back Bronco field goals led to a 44-41 WMU gap at 3:55. A Mackenzie Loesing trey tied the game for the second and final time at 3:34. Freshman Stephanie Reid picked up a steal that led to an Alexus Malone three and a 47-44 UB advantage at 2:52. Malone struck again on a Kristen Sharkey feed to force a WMU timeout. The Bulls capitalized on a 5-for-6 showing at the line and grabbed four rebounds down the stretch to improve to 8-1 on Saturdays this season.
Led by Sharkey's double-double, UB scored three in double figures for the fifth straight game. A senior captain, Sharkey had 13 and 11 for her sixth double-double of the season and 21st of her career. Loesing added 12 points and Malone 10, while senior Christa Baccas pulled down nine rebounds. Malone had a career- and game-high three blocks. She and Sharkey each made a trio of steals. Reid went 7-for-8 at the line.
Sharkey moved into ninth all-time at UB with 1,156 career points and Loesing improved to 14th with 1,113.
Woods paced WMU with 12 points and 8 boards, while A.J. Johnson tallied 11 and seven, respectively, to go with a contest-best five steals.
The Broncos hold a 10-9 edge in the all-time series dating back to 1998-99. The Bulls suffered a three-point setback to the Broncos, 62-59, on Jan. 13.
The Bulls return home to Alumni Arena for back-to-back games. UB hosts Kent State Wednesday at 7 pm and Miami (OH) Saturday at 2 pm.
