Bulls Fight Hard, Fall at Old Dominion on Saturday

Saturday, November 11

Norfolk, VA

4:00 p.m.

University at Buffalo

1-1,0-0MAC

Old Dominion

2-0,0-0Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Buffalo	7	11	16	14	48
Old Dominion	15	15	12	17	59

Bulls Fight Hard, Fall at Old Dominion on Saturday

11/11/2023 6:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

NORFOLK, VA – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team fought until the end but ultimately came up short in a 59-48 loss at Old Dominion in the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge at Chartway Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Senior guard Rana Elhusseini led UB with 13 points to go with seven rebounds. Freshman Kirsten Lewis-Williams scored in double figures for the second straight game with 11 points to go with six rebounds and four assists.

The Bulls scored on their opening possession of the game on a strong take to the rim by Lewis-Williams, but the offense stalled over a four-plus minute scoring drought and turnovers plagued UB as ODU led at the first media timeout. Sophomore Hattie Ogden found Paula Lopez for a backdoor layup to end the drought and tie the game at four, but the Monarchs answered with back-to-back threes to spark a 9-1 run and put ODU up 13-5 with just under two minutes to play in the quarter and they would lead 15-7 at the end of the first.

Redshirt senior guard Chellia Watson knocked down a pair of free throws and Lewis-Williams grabbed a big offensive rebound and powered up through contact to cut the lead to four early in the second quarter. ODU then went up by five, but Lopez responded with a tough take to the basket, finishing off glass to cut the lead to three at the 4:41 mark but the Monarchs answered with an 8-0 lead to take their largest lead of the half, 26-15, with just over two minutes to go and they would lead 30-18 at the half.

Lewis-Williams hit Kiara Johnson for a high-low bucket on UB's first possession of the first quarter, but the offensive woes continued for UB and ODU capitalized as they extended their lead to 36-21 at the media timeout. Elhusseini broke the UB scoring drought with a pair of triples from the wing and later, Lewis-Williams hit Alexis Davis on the block for layup to cap a 6-0 run and pull within eight with just over a minute to play in the quarter. The Bulls continued to attack as Lewis-Williams drove to the basket and finished off glass and Buffalo came up with a big defensive stop on the final possession of the quarter to cut the lead to 42-34 at the end of the third.

Elhusseini saw a window, drove, and finished off glass for a reverse layup to start the fourth quarter. The Buffalo defense held ODU without a field goal for four minutes and the offense took advantage as Lewis-Williams went to work, using a euro-step and laying it in off glass before Elhusseini drilled a three from the corner to cut the lead to one possession at the final media timeout. The Monarchs took a 49-42 lead with just under three minutes remaining before Lopez got a floater in the lane to drop to pull Buffalo back within two possessions. ODU then extended their lead to 10 before Watson drilled a deep triple from the top of the key with 30 seconds to go but UB would get no closer as the Monarchs sealed the game from the free throw line.

The Bulls outshot the Monarchs on the day and doubled them up in points scored in the paint with a 22-10 advantage, but the hosts held a big edge on the glass, recording 23 second chance points while also scoring 15 points off UB miscues.

Up next, Buffalo returns home to take on Big 4 rival Niagara at Alumni Arena on Tuesday, November 14 at 6pm.