University at Buffalo
14-12 (6-9MAC)
Bowling Green
9-15 (5-10MAC)
Women's Hoops Earns Gutty Win Over Bowling Green, 55-52
2/24/2016 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY - A Joanna Smith jumper with just over a minute remaining in the game sealed a huge home victory for the University at Buffalo women's basketball team over the Bowling Green Falcons on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena, 55-52. With the win, the Bulls improved to 14-12 overall and 6-9 in MAC play while the Falcons fall to 9-15 overall and 5-10 in the MAC.
Trailing by two points with two minutes remaining, 52-50, Stephanie Reid took matters into her own hands as she drove into the lane and finished a contested layup over two defenders to tie the game. The Falcons raced down the court and Reid took a huge charge to give UB the ball back in the tie game with 1:21 remaining. Smith then took a great feed from Reid and made a jumper in the paint to give UB the 54-52 lead. The UB defense forced a pair of turnovers and Reid buried a free throw to take the 55-52 lead. On the final play of the game, Cassie Oursler blocked the would-be game-tying three-pointer to seal the win for the Bulls.
"The final five minutes of the game we really locked in," stated head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "We really flew around that court and trusted and talked which is what we need to continue to do. Our defense is going to dictate our success and if we can trust it, we can be a pretty good team down the stretch."
The Falcons started the game quick as they were able to race out to a 10-2 lead just over three minutes into the game. However, the Bulls didn't let the game slip away that easy as they finished the first quarter on a 12-2 run of their own, taking the 14-12 lead into the second quarter. Smith was able to knock down a pair of shots while Reid drilled a three-pointer and Mariah Suchan buried a jumper to give the Bulls the lead.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair as neither team could pull away. After a three-pointer from Rachel Myers gave the Falcons the 22-18 lead, the Bulls came back on a quick 4-0 spurt to tie the game as Katherine Ups hit a free throw and Gabi Bade drilled a deep three-pointer. The two sides kept battling as the Falcons were able to earn the 29-28 edge at half after a pair of free throws from Miriam Justinger.
The Bulls defense came out strong in the third quarter as they allowed the Falcons to only score nine points while also forcing four turnovers. Oursler began to take over in the quarter as she was able to net six points while also grabbing four rebounds, three offensive. Katherine Ups played seven strong minutes as she scored two points while snagging three offensive rebounds to allow the Bulls to take the 40-38 lead into the final 10 minutes.
After a Suchan jumper gave the Bulls a four-point fourth quarter lead, the Falcons came right back and were able to hold a two-point edge with 2:28 remaining in the game. The UB defense then took over and Smith made a huge jumper to seal the win for UB, earning their first win this season when trailing with five minutes to play in the game.
Reid led the Bulls offensive all night long as she was able to net a team-best 14 points to go along with six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Smith struggled a little with her shot but she was still able to produce 10 points, six boards and three assists while Oursler had a strong game with nine points, six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes of action.
Katherine Ups had one of her strongest games of the second half of the season as she finished with nine points and four offensive rebounds in 23 minutes while Bade came off the bench and netted six quick points and four boards in the win.
The biggest difference in the game was the second chance points as UB held the 19-2 edge in that category as they won the offensive rebounding battle, 17-2. The Bulls improved to 11-4 this season when winning the rebounding battle, 43-27, and 9-2 when holding their opponents to 50-59 points. The Bulls also forced 21 turnovers that turned into seven points.
The Bulls will hit the road for two straight games, starting Saturday as they head to Athens, OH to take on the Ohio Bobcats. Tip is set for 1:00 pm on Saturday.
