Bulls Fall to Hot-Shooting Broncos on Saturday

Saturday, January 20

Buffalo, NY

2:00pm

9-7,3-3MAC

Western Michigan

7-9,2-4MAC

Western Mich.

Buffalo

Bulls Fall to Hot-Shooting Broncos on Saturday

1/20/2024 4:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (9-7, 3-3 MAC) fell to Western Michigan 66-63 at Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors made 11 three-pointers, including going 5-of-8 from behind the arc in the third quarter, while also forcing the Bulls into 19 turnovers.

Buffalo was led offensively by Chellia Watson who scored 15 points. Freshman Alexis Davis scored 12 points and fellow rookie Kirsten Lewis-Williams also scored in double figures with 11 points to go with seven rebounds.

The Bulls were aggressive on both sides of the floor to start as they led 7-2 at the first media timeout. Davis hit Watson on the block for a layup to extend the UB lead but the Broncos closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a two-point lead at the end of the first.

Western Michigan extended their lead to six early in the second quarter before Paula Lopez drilled a triple and Rana Elhusseini drove and kicked to Davis on the block for a layup to pull UB within one. WMU scored on back-to-back possessions to extend their lead to five before Lewis-Williams and Sitota Gines drove hard and scored and then Lopez drove and dished to Davis for a layup in the paint to put UB back on top, 22-21, at the 3:29 mark. The Bulls extended their run to 11-0 on a second chance three from Hattie Ogden but the Broncos hit a triple in the final seconds to cut the lead to 27-24 at the half.

The teams traded baskets early in the third quarter before Ogden drained a three and Elhusseini hit Kiara Johnson on the block with a beautiful pass for the layup to put UB back on top. The Broncos continued to heat up from behind the arc as they made a pair of threes to go up by six at the 4:22 mark before Johnson scored again in the paint to pull UB within four at the media timeout. The Broncos cashed in at the free throw line on back-to-back possessions to go up by six at the 2:26 mark before Watson sliced to the basket for a tough layup through contact to cut the WMU lead to five at the end of the third.

Davis gave the Bulls a spark to start the fourth quarter, scoring on two straight possessions, before Watson got a transition baseline jumper to go to cut the lead to two. Later, Watson sliced to the basket and got a floater in the lane to drop as UB pulled back within two, 55-53, at the 6:14 mark. Watson gave the Bulls the lead with a corner triple and Elhusseini drained a three of her own a few minutes later as Buffalo maintained a two-point lead with just over two minutes remaining. Davis gave the Bulls the lead on a tough bucket inside with 1:12 to go but the Broncos answered with a three at the other end to retake the lead. The visitors then scored with 13 seconds to go and the Bulls last chance effort to tie the game fell short in the final seconds.

Buffalo dominated inside, outscoring WMU 40-24 in the paint, and edged the Broncos on the glass, 35-27, but they allowed 14 offensive rebounds which the visitors turned into 14 second chance points, while also scoring 23 points off UB miscues.

Up next, Buffalo closes 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.