Bulls Drop Heartbreaker at Kent State in MAC Opener

Wednesday, January 4

Kent, OH

7:00 pm

5-5,0-1MAC

Kent State

9-3,1-0MAC

Buffalo

Kent St.

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Drop Heartbreaker at Kent State in MAC Opener

1/4/2023 10:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

KENT, Ohio – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team scored to retake the lead with four seconds to go but came up one defensive stop short as the Bulls saw their four-game win streak come to an end with a 64-63 loss at Kent State in their Mid-American Conference opener at the M.A.C. Center on Wednesday night.

Three Bulls scored in double figures, led by fifth year guard Re'Shawna Stone who scored a UB career-high and game-high 21 points to go with five assists and three steals. Fellow fifth year Jazmine Young scored 14 points while Zakiyah Winfield recorded her eighth double-double of the season, and narrowly missed out on a triple double, with 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

After a slow start to the game for UB, the Bulls made four of their next five shots, including three straight layups by Stone, Winfield and Young, to cut the lead to two but the Golden Flashes answered with an and-one bucket to take a 12-8 lead at the first media timeout. Young sliced to the basket on UB's next possession to cut the lead back to two and later, after a couple of KSU scores, Latrice Perkins came up with a big block and sprinted up the floor where Winfield found her for a fastbreak basket to trim the Flashes lead to 17-14 at the end of the first.

Kent State hit a corner three on their first possession of the second quarter, but UB answered on the other end as Stone hit Kayla Salmons for a basket plus the foul. Kent State used a 5-0 run to take a seven-point lead before Winfield found Salmons on the block and she finished off glass to limit the damage. Young hit a three from the wing and then Stone followed with a bank-shot triple from the top of the key to give UB its first lead of the game, 26-25, at the 3:22 mark. Stone knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the UB run to 10-0 out of the media timeout and later, Winfield came up with a steal and score and then knocked down a midrange jumper to put the Bulls up by three in the final minute, but the Flashes hit a three in the final seconds to tie the game at 32 at the half.

The Bulls scored on back-to-back possessions to start the third quarter on a transition layup by Young and a tough bucket through contact from Stone. After a KSU three, the Bulls continued to attack as Winfield and Stone bullied to the rim for back-to-back layups to extend the UB lead to 40-35 at the 6:19 mark. The Buffalo defense continued to stifle as they held the Golden Flashes scoreless for three-plus minutes before they hit a three to pull within two at the media timeout. UB continued to attack as Stone euro-stepped through the lane for a layup, followed by a great take to the rim from Mashaire and then Young drilled a triple from the corner to put the Bulls up 49-44 and they would lead by six at the end of the third.

Kent State opened the fourth quarter on a 4-0 run before Winfield hit Stone with a great wraparound pass for a baseline layup and then Perkins got a bucket plus the foul on the out-of-bounds play to put UB up by four and then after a big offensive rebound putback by Young, the Bulls took a 56-52 into the final media timeout. Kent State used a 5-0 run to take a 62-59 lead before Stone scored in transition to pull within one. After a big defensive stop, Winfield drove hard to the basket for a layup off glass to put the Bulls up 63-62 with four seconds to go but Clare Kelly got a runner in the paint to drop and Winfield's final shot attempt from the baseline missed the mark as time expired.

Buffalo shot 50% from the floor and dominated the paint, outscoring Kent State 44-28 inside, while also forcing 18 turnovers and scoring 16 points off those miscues but the Golden Flashes had the 35-29 edge on the glass, including 12 offensive rebounds which they converted into 22 second chance points.

"I am really proud of our effort tonight," said head coach Becky Burke. "Having a chance to win a game with four seconds left on the road against a good basketball teams says a lot about how far we have come. We are encouraged as a staff moving forward in MAC play with what we saw tonight."

Up next, Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena on Saturday, January 7 to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas at 2:30pm. It will be the second game of a doubleheader, with the UB men hosting Northern Illinois at 12pm.