Bulls Soar to 81-67 Win at Niagara

Saturday, November 9

Niagara Falls, NY

4:00 pm

2-0,0-0MAC

Niagara

0-2,0-0MAAC

Buffalo

Niagara

11/9/2019 6:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Niagara University, NY – With a youthful flavor and veteran leadership, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team defeated Big 4 rival Niagara 81-67 at the Gallagher Center on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Dyaisha Fair led the Bulls with a game-high 31 points, becoming the first Buffalo freshman to score 30 or more points since Kim Kilpela scored 33 points against Marshall in February of 2000. The Rochester, NY native added three rebounds and seven assists to her historic point total.

Senior Theresa Onwuka came up big for Buffalo, recording a career-high 24 points on an efficient 8-for-12 from the floor, including 8-for-9 from the charity stripe, while also pulling down six rebounds.

After a back-and-forth start to the game the Bulls used a 7-0 run, capped by a Fair triple, to take a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout. Ada Brisker knocked down a three coming out of the media timeout but Hanna Hall responded with a triple of her own to spark a 7-0 run to put the Bulls up 20-10 and UB would lead 20-12 at the end of the first.

The two teams would trade buckets to start the second quarter before Valentina Pepic knocked down a three for Niagara to cut the lead to 22-15. Fair responded with six straight points to cap an 8-0 run and give UB a 30-15 lead at the 4:57 mark. The Purple Eagles would respond with a 7-2 run of their own coming out of the media timeout, capped by a Brisker layup through contact, to cut the lead to 32-22 with 2:53 remaining but Onwuka answered with a strong take to the basket to put UB back up 12 and the Bulls would withstand one last 6-3 run by Niagara to maintain a 37-28 lead at the half.

The Bulls turned defense into offense to start the third quarter as the Bulls scored four straight points on two transition buckets by Onwuka, off two assists from Fair, to take a 43-32 lead at the 6:40 mark. Jai Moore knocked down a three to cut the lead to 44-37 with 5:46 to go but Hall answered with a triple off the glass on the other end to put UB back up 10 at the media timeout. The Bulls offense would stall as UB would go without a field goal for almost three minutes but Fair got UB back on track with a 5-0 run on her own to put the Bulls up 52-39 with 2:06 to go. Moore hit another three to cut the lead back to single digits but Fair would come up big again knocking down a three at the buzzer to give UB a 57-45 lead after three quarters of play.

In the fourth quarter, Fair knocked down a mid-range jumper to give UB a 61-50 lead at the 7:46 mark. After a Niagara bucket, the Bulls would go on a 5-0 run, on a three by Marissa Hamilton and a Fair layup, to take a 66-52 lead and force a Purple Eagles timeout with six minutes remaining. Niagara used a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 72-61 with 3:47 to go but that would be as close as they would get as Fair knocked down a pair of free throws, her 30^th and 31^st points of the day, to put UB up 76-63 and the Bulls would secure the victory.

Hall added 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists. Hamilton added eight points and five rebounds.

As a team the Bulls shot 49.1% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc while converting 22-of-25 attempts from the free throw line. Buffalo scored 38 points in the paint while turning nine offensive rebounds into 20 second chance points.

The Bulls return to action on Tuesday, November 12, as they host their second straight Big 4 foe, Canisius, at 7pm at Alumni Arena.