Bulls Fall To Mercyhurst on Tuesday Night

Tuesday, November 22

Buffalo, NY

6:00pm

1-2,0-0MAC

Mercyhurst

2-2,0-0PSAC

Mercyhurst

Buffalo

Bulls Fall To Mercyhurst on Tuesday Night

11/22/2022 8:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team fell to Mercyhurst 70-68 on Tuesday night at Alumni Arena.

The Bulls had two looks at the basket on their final possession but neither dropped as time expired. Buffalo was led by Zakiyah Winfield who put together a phenomenal performance, scoring a game-high 22 points to go with a career-high 14 rebounds while also adding six assists and two steals. It was the third straight double-double for Winfield. Fifth year guard Jazmine Young also scored in double figures with 12 points to go with four rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Buffalo got off to a great start as they got the ball inside to Kayla Salmons and Kiara Johnson early and often who dominated the paint and later, Caelan Ellis hit a spot up triple as the Bulls took an early 13-4 lead before Mercyhrust hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 15-10 with just over two minutes to go in the quarter. The Lakers scored again out of the media to cut the lead to one, but Winfield sliced to the basket and finished off glass to put the Bulls up 17-14 at the end of the first.

Sophomore Emerita Mashaire and Young scored on UB's first two possessions of the second quarter and then Winfield hit a corner triple to put UB up by seven. Later, Young and Winfield came up with a pair of steals and found each other for fastbreak baskets to put UB up 28-20 and force a Mercyhurst timeout at the 5:59 mark. The Bulls continued to pound it inside as Johnson scored on back-to-back possessions to give the Bulls a 10-point lead, but the Lakers closed the half on a 9-0 run to trim the UB lead to 32-31 at the break.

After a slow start to the third quarter for both teams, Winfield hit back-to-back triples from almost the same spot on the floor to put UB up by two, but the Lakers answered with a basket on the other end as the teams were knotted at 40 at the media timeout. The teams traded baskets before Re'Shawna Stone came up with the steal and got a bucket plus the foul and then later Winfield poked it loose and found Stone in transition to put the Bulls up six, but the Lakers hit a three at the buzzer to cut the UB lead to 49-46.

The Lakers opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run before Stone hit Salmons for an easy layup to stop the run, but Mercyhurst would maintain a 55-52 lead at the 6:23 mark. Winfield continued to attack as she got a pull up jumper to drop and then found Young for a bucket in traffic to keep UB within two. The teams then traded baskets and trips to the free throw line before Hattie Ogden hit a big three from the top of the key to cut the lead to 69-68 with 19 seconds to go. After a questionable out of bounds call that didn't go UB's way, Grace Centrulla went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to give Mercyhurst a 70-68 lead and the Bulls were unable to capitalize on their final possession of the game.

The Bulls recorded season-highs with 36 points in the paint and 14 fastbreak points but lost the battle on the glass, including nine second chance points for the visitors.

Up next, Buffalo closes out the homestand with a contest against Drexel at 12pm on Sunday. It is the first game of a doubleheader with the UB men who will host crosstown rival Canisius at 2:30pm.