Women's Basketball Continues Road Swing On Saturday At Bowling Green

GAME NOTES (.PDF)

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's team wraps up a two-game road trip in northwest Ohio Saturday when they take on Mid-American Conference East Division opponent, the Bowling Green Falcons at 4 pm.

The Bulls will try to shed a two-game losing streak after dropping games to West Division teams Ball State and Toledo in the last week.

Last Time Out

Buffalo is coming off a 71-60 loss to the Toledo Rockets Wednesday at Savage Arena. The Bulls led 29-28 at the half thanks to Joanna Smith's 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting including three three-pointers. At one point the MAC Player of the Year candidate, who scored 11 in the second quarter, hit three straight baskets on three straight possessions, two of which came from long range.

There were 10 lead changes in the first half alone with both teams swapping baskets, but just one in the second half as the Rockets took over, winning both quarters by a combined 43 to 31 points. Buffalo lost the rebounding and turnover battle while scoring three second chance points off 12 offensive rebounds.

Smith finished with 20 points marking the 12th time she's eclipsed the 20-point mark this season and the 10th time in the last 13 games. Point guard Stephanie Reid notched 13 points -- all in the second half -- to go along with six assists and five rebounds while going 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Cassie Oursler came off the bench to add 10 points and grab five rebounds. Freshman Gabi Bade, in her fourth straight start, finished with seven points while Moss notched four points, two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes on the floor.

Joanna Smith Leads the Offense

The Mississippi native continues to add to a very strong junior year resume. Smith is leading the MAC in scoring putting up 21.5 points per game against conference competition. As a shooting guard she also ranks in the top 20 pulling down almost six rebounds per game while snagging a seventh-best 1.9 steals on average. Her 3.5 three-point field goals per game ranks tied for first with Ohio's Kiyanna Black.

Smith leads the Bulls in points and made field goals and is second in steals, rebounds and minutes. After the Toledo game, Smith has connected on at least one three-pointer in all 22 games this season and at least three in 13 of 22 games.

Tidbits

-The Bulls have won two straight against the Falcons after losing 20 straight in the matchup

-Joanna Smith's four MAC Player of the Week nods are the most of any player in the conference

-UB has utilized eight different lineups this season and five in the past seven games. Freshman Mirte Scheper, after starting the first 11 games of the season, returned to the starting lineup against Toledo for the first time since Dec. 29.

Scouting the Falcons

Bowling Green has been streaky throughout MAC play at one point losing four row in a row, then winning three straight. The Falcons are currently on a three-game slide, most recently dropping a home game, 65-49, to Western Michigan.

Graduate student and redshirt senior Lauren Tibbs, who spent her four undergraduate years at Marquette of the Big East, leads the team in scoring and rebounding at an 11.9 and 6.8 per-game clip in MAC play. The 6-foot-4 center is hitting 53 percent of her shots from the field which ranks seventh in the conference. Second-leading scorer, freshman Sydney Lambert, is the nation's sixth-leading three-point shooter burying 45.5 percent from long range this season while scoring 11 points per game. The team overall is knocking down 36 percent from downtown which ranks second in the MAC.

Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm Saturday in Bowling Green, Ohio -- the second game of a doubleheader with the Falcons' men's basketball team. Join me, Sloane Martin, for the pregame tentatively at 3:30 on ESPN 1520 and streaming online.

University at Buffalo Athletics

Women's Basketball Continues Road Swing On Saturday At Bowling Green

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