Bulls Resilient in 63-58 Win at Niagara

Wednesday, December 7

Niagara Falls, NY

6:00pm

2-4,0-0MAC

Niagara

1-7,0-0MAAC

Buffalo

Niagara

Bulls Resilient in 63-58 Win at Niagara

12/7/2022 9:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (2-4, 0-0 MAC) showed poise and resiliency down the stretch as they picked up a big road win at Big 4 rival Niagara on Wednesday night at the Gallagher Center.

Fifth year guards Zakiyah Winfield and Jazmine Young led the Bulls with 17 points each. Winfield recorded her fourth double-double of the season as she added 14 rebounds, and the 17 points is a new career-high for Young. Re'Shawna Stone also scored in double figures with 12 points.

Niagara started the game in a full court press and caused havoc as they opened the game on a 7-0 run before the Bulls settled as Emerita Mashaire hit Kayla Salmons on the block for a layup and Winfield found Stone for a transition basket to spark a 6-0 run and cut the lead to one and force a Purple Eagles timeout at the 5:32 mark. Niagara scored out of the break, but UB answered with a 7-0 run on a triple from Mashaire and a pair of fastbreak layups to take a 13-9 lead with just over two minutes to play. Buffalo continued to attack as Winfield got to the rim for two before Young hit Kiara Johnson in the paint for an easy bucket. Young put the exclamation point on the quarter as she drilled a three at the buzzer to give the Bulls a 21-14 lead at the end of the first.

Both offenses hit a lull early in the second quarter, before UB got going as Winfield leaped up for a rebound and hit Latrice Perkins for a fastbreak layup and then great ball movement led to a three on the wing for Stone as the Bulls took a 28-21 lead at the media timeout. The Bulls clamped down on defense, holding the Purple Eagles scoreless for the final four minutes of the quarter, and got a big bucket late as Mashaire hit Young on the block with a great pass to put UB up 30-21 at the half.

The Buffalo defense continued to swarm as they held Niagara without a field goal and used a 5-0 run to take a 35-22 lead early in the third quarter. Later, Young found Johnson on the block, and she powered up for a layup through contact to put the Bulls up by 15 and they would maintain a 38-26 lead at the media timeout. Stone continued to attack as she spun through the lane and got an acrobatic layup to fall off glass plus the foul and then Stone and Winfield went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe to put the Bulls up by 16 with just over a minute to play and they would lead 47-35 at the end of the third.

Young continued to make her presence known as she sliced to the basket and finished through contact for a pair of and-one buckets and then Johnson came down with a huge rebound and hit both free throw attempts to put UB up 55-48 with just under five minutes to play. Winfield got in on the action as she blew by her defender and got and-and one bucket to give the Bulls a 59-52 lead. Niagara trimmed the UB lead to as few as three with under a minute to play but Buffalo was able to seal the game at the charity stripe.

The Bulls shot 54% from the floor and 42.9% from beyond the arc, both season-highs, on the night. UB scored 32 points in the paint and held a 33-26 edge on the glass while also scoring 15 points off Niagara turnovers and 19 fastbreak points, also a season-best.

"I couldn't be prouder this team," said head coach Becky Burke. "They are getting better every single day and it's starting to show in the win column. They have been patient and are trusting the process this season. We've handled a ton of adversity and I'm just glad they are starting to see the rewards of their hard work. Our best basketball is still ahead of us."

Up next, Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena to host LIU on Saturday, December 10 at 2pm.