Saturday, January 20
Buffalo, NY
2:00pm
vs
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Western Michigan
Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com
Bulls Open Homestand Against Western Michigan on Saturday
1/19/2024 1:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team opens a two-game homestand beginning on Saturday as they welcome Western Michigan to Alumni Arena for a 2pm contest.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Paul Peck (play-by-play) and Jared Zeidman (color) announcing and can be heard on the radio on 1520 AM or on the Varsity Network with Jack Kreuzer on the call.
This is the 32nd overall meeting between Buffalo and Western Michigan with the Bulls owning a 18-13 series advantage. UB defeated the Broncos in the regular season finale to clinch a spot in the 2023 MAC Tournament.
Buffalo battled from start to finish as they earned a hard-fought 65-58 road win over Northern Illinois 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.
Watson leads MAC and ranks sixth in the nation in scoring at 23.4 points per game to go with 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. Freshman Kirsten Lewis-Williams currently ranks 12th in the MAC in scoring (12.0 ppg) and ninth in rebounding (6.3 rpg), which is first among all rookies in the league in both categories. Elhusseini (9.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and sophomore Hattie Ogden (8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) continue to be impact players for UB while Davis is second on the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg).
As a team, Buffalo is ranked in the top three in the MAC in scoring defense (63.2), field goal percentage (.424), field goal defense (.377), three-point field goal percentage (.335) and 3FG defense (.288). The Bulls are averaging 32.4 points per game in the paint while also scoring 10 fastbreak points per game, and are turning defense into offense, averaging 15 points per contest off opponent's turnovers.
The Western Michigan Broncos are 6-9 overall and 1-4 in league action after defeating Ohio 73-55 on Wednesday. The Broncos are led offensively by Kaitlyn Zarycki who is averaging 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Hannah Spitzley (8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and Alli Carlson (5.6 ppg, 3.5 APG) have also been main contributors this season. Zarycki is third in the league in scoring (18.4 ppg) and she is second in field goal percentage (50.5%). She is also the top free throw shooter in the MAC, and ranks in the top 15 nationally, making 90.4% of her free throw attempts.
WMU is third in the MAC in three-point makes per game (7.2) while ranking in the top five in three-pointers attempted per game (22.7) and three-point field goal percentage (.318). The Broncos also rank in the top five in the league in turnover margin (+0.7) and steals per game (8.7).
Up next, Buffalo continues the homestand on Wednesday, January 24 as they welcome Bowling Green to Alumni Arena for the Education Day game, sponsored by Upstate Farms and Best Self Behavioral Health, at 11am.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Paul Peck (play-by-play) and Jared Zeidman (color) announcing and can be heard on the radio on 1520 AM or on the Varsity Network with Jack Kreuzer on the call.
This is the 32nd overall meeting between Buffalo and Western Michigan with the Bulls owning a 18-13 series advantage. UB defeated the Broncos in the regular season finale to clinch a spot in the 2023 MAC Tournament.
Buffalo battled from start to finish as they earned a hard-fought 65-58 road win over Northern Illinois 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.
Watson leads MAC and ranks sixth in the nation in scoring at 23.4 points per game to go with 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. Freshman Kirsten Lewis-Williams currently ranks 12th in the MAC in scoring (12.0 ppg) and ninth in rebounding (6.3 rpg), which is first among all rookies in the league in both categories. Elhusseini (9.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and sophomore Hattie Ogden (8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) continue to be impact players for UB while Davis is second on the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg).
As a team, Buffalo is ranked in the top three in the MAC in scoring defense (63.2), field goal percentage (.424), field goal defense (.377), three-point field goal percentage (.335) and 3FG defense (.288). The Bulls are averaging 32.4 points per game in the paint while also scoring 10 fastbreak points per game, and are turning defense into offense, averaging 15 points per contest off opponent's turnovers.
The Western Michigan Broncos are 6-9 overall and 1-4 in league action after defeating Ohio 73-55 on Wednesday. The Broncos are led offensively by Kaitlyn Zarycki who is averaging 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Hannah Spitzley (8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and Alli Carlson (5.6 ppg, 3.5 APG) have also been main contributors this season. Zarycki is third in the league in scoring (18.4 ppg) and she is second in field goal percentage (50.5%). She is also the top free throw shooter in the MAC, and ranks in the top 15 nationally, making 90.4% of her free throw attempts.
WMU is third in the MAC in three-point makes per game (7.2) while ranking in the top five in three-pointers attempted per game (22.7) and three-point field goal percentage (.318). The Broncos also rank in the top five in the league in turnover margin (+0.7) and steals per game (8.7).
Up next, Buffalo continues the homestand on Wednesday, January 24 as they welcome Bowling Green to Alumni Arena for the Education Day game, sponsored by Upstate Farms and Best Self Behavioral Health, at 11am.
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