Bulls Leave NIU Seeing Red, Defeat Huskies 65-58 on Wednesday

Wednesday, January 17

DeKalb, IL

7:00 (EST)

9-6,3-2MAC

Northern Illinois

8-8,2-3MAC

Buffalo

NIU

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Leave NIU Seeing Red, Defeat Huskies 65-58 on Wednesday

1/17/2024 9:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DEKALB, IL – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (9-6, 3-2 MAC) fought from start to finish as they earned a hard-fought 65-58 road win over Northern Illinois at the Convocation Center on Wednesday night. It was UB's first win in DeKalb since January of 2014.

Reigning MAC Player of the Week Chellia Watson turned in another stellar performance as she recorded the first double-double of her UB career, scoring a game-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds. Graduate student forward Kiara Johnson recorded a season-high 11 points while Rana Elhusseini also scored in double figures with 11 points.

The teams traded baskets on their first two possessions of the game before the Bulls used a 7-2 run, capped by a pair of layups from Johnson and Watson, to put UB up 11-6 and they would maintain a five-point lead at the media timeout. Watson and Johnson continued to stay aggressive inside, scoring back-to-back buckets to put Buffalo up 17-12 at the three-minute mark and they would lead 18-17 at the end of the first.

Freshman Paula Lopez gave the Bulls a spark as drilled a pair of triples to extend the UB lead to seven early in the second quarter. Buffalo continued to heat up from deep as Elhusseini drilled a three of her own to put UB up by eight, but NIU had an answer as they converted on a high-low layup and followed with a three of their own to cut the UB lead to 32-26 at the media timeout. The Bulls struggled on both sides of the ball out of the break and the hosts took advantage, closing the quarter on a 12-4 run to tie the game at 36 at the half.

The Huskies scored on their first possession of the third quarter and held the Bulls scoreless for three minutes before Johnson hit the offensive glass and finished through contact and then Watson took it coast-to-coast for a layup to put UB back on top at the 6:27 mark. Later, it was Elhusseini who got to the rim for a layup to give Buffalo a 42-38 lead at the media timeout. The Huskies tied the game at 42 before Kirsten Lewis-Williams hit fellow freshman Alexis Davis on the block with a beautiful no-look pass for a layup and Watson followed with a triple to put UB up 47-42 but the Huskies answered with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the game at the end of the third.

The Bulls clamped down on defense, holding NIU scoreless for the opening five minutes of the fourth quarter and were able to extend their lead to five as Hattie Ogden found a cutting Watson for a layup and then Watson sliced down the lane and got a floater to drop to put UB up 52-47 at the 5:16 mark. The redshirt senior guard continued to put the team on her back as she bullied her way to the rim for a bucket before Lewis-Williams flipped a pass to Elhusseini who got a runner in the lane to go. Watson got to the rim one more time and then Buffalo was able to seal the game with trips to the charity stripe in the final seconds.

The Bulls edged the Huskies on the glass, 39-38, while scoring 34 points in the paint. Buffalo also continued to turn defense into offense, coming up with nine steals and forcing the hosts into 14 turnovers, which they turned into 13 points.

Up next, Buffalo returns to Western New York for a two-game homestand, beginning on Saturday, January 20 as they host the Western Michigan Broncos at 2pm.