Bulls Fall to Northern Illinois 72-62 on Saturday

Saturday, February 4

Buffalo, NY

2:00pm

9-10,4-6MAC

Northern Illinois

11-10,3-7MAC

NIU

Buffalo

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Fall to Northern Illinois 72-62 on Saturday

2/4/2023 4:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (9-10, 4-6 MAC) fell to an aggressive and hot-shooting Northern Illinois squad 72-62 on National Girls & Women in Sports Day at Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulls were led by their "big three" as Zakiyah Winfield recorded her 12^th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds while Re'Shawna Stone matched that scoring effort with 19 points of her own and Jazmine Young added 10 points. Freshman Hattie Ogden just missed out on double figures, making three triples on the day to go with four rebounds and four assists.

Offense was at a premium in the early going before NIU knocked down a pair from beyond the arc to take a 9-4 lead. Winfield drilled a three to pull Buffalo within two, but the Huskies answered with a second chance layup and took a 11-7 lead at the first media timeout. The Buffalo defense continued to lock down and UB turned offense into defense as Stone came up with a steal and scored in transition to tie the game at 11. Both teams went through an extended scoring drought until NIU scored with a minute to go to take a 13-11 lead at the end of the first.

Young and Winfield scored on two straight possessions to pull UB within one early in the second quarter, but the Huskies used a 5-0 run to take a 21-15 and force a Buffalo timeout at the 6:40 mark. Winfield knocked down a three out of the timeout and Stone followed with a triple of her own to pull the Bulls within two at the five-minute mark. Ogden then got going as she hit back-to-back threes to put Buffalo up by two with just under two minutes remaining in the first half. The Bulls continued to attack as Ogden flipped a pass to Stone who drove hard to the rim for a layup off glass with 20 seconds to go but NIU hit a three at the buzzer to take a 34-33 lead at the break.

Stone hit a three early in the fourth quarter to put Buffalo back on top, 36-34. Winfield knocked down a turnaround jumper and then came up with a steal and scored in transition to put UB up 40-39 at the media timeout. NIU answered with a 9-0 run on three straight threes to go up 48-40 before Emerita Mashaire banked in a three from the top of the key to stop the barrage. Winfield then knocked down a big three to pull UB within five but for the second straight quarter, the Huskies made a three at the buzzer to take a 53-45 lead at the end of the third.

Young attacked the basket and scored on UB's first possession of the fourth quarter to pull UB within six, but NIU answered with a 10-0 run to take a 63-49 lead at the six-minute mark. Buffalo kept battling as Winfield skied up for an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Stone on the wing for three before Young raced up court for a tough layup off glass to pull UB within 11 at the final media timeout. The Bulls trimmed the NIU to seven on back-to-back triples from Winfield and Ogden with just over a minute to go but that would be as close as they would get as the comeback effort fell short.

Northern Illinois shot 42% from the floor, including 11 makes from behind the arc. The Huskies doubled up the Bulls on the glass, 51-25 and turned 19 offensive rebounds into 22 second chance points. Buffalo managed 24 points in the paint while adding 14 points off NIU turnovers and scoring 11 fastbreak points.

Up next, Buffalo hits the road for a two straight games, beginning Wednesday, February 8 at Toledo. Tipoff from Savage Arena is set for 7pm.