Bulls Clinch Spot in MAC Tournament with Wire-to-Wire Win at Bowling Green

Wednesday, February 28

Bowling Green, OH

7:00pm

16-10,9-6MAC

Bowling Green

14-12,8-7MAC

Buffalo

Bowling Green

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Clinch Spot in MAC Tournament with Wire-to-Wire Win at Bowling Green

2/28/2024 10:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (16-10, 9-6) punched their ticket to the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a dominant 70-55 win at Bowling Green on Wednesday night.

Redshirt senior guard Chellia Watson led the Bulls with 20 points. Senior Rana Elhusseini tied her UB career-high with 16 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists and Kirsten Lewis-Williams also scored in double figures with 14 points. Alexis Davis narrowly missed out on a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds.

The Bulls got off to a fast start as Watson and Elhusseini hit two early threes and Davis followed with a pair of buckets to give UB a 10-5 lead at the first media timeout. Buffalo continued to lock down on defense, holding the Falcons scoreless for four minutes and UB capitalized as Lewis-Williams drove, spun, and kicked to Hattie Ogden on the wing for a triple to extend the lead to eight at the three-minute mark. The hosts ended the drought with a three, but Elhusseini answered with a triple on UB's next possession, and the Bulls would lead 16-10 at the end of the first.

Bowling Green hit a three on their first possession of the second quarter, but Buffalo then turned up the defense once again as Paula Lopez hit Lewis-Williams with a beautiful crosscourt pass for the fastbreak bucket and then Lewis-Williams posted up her defender for a layup to put UB up 20-13 and they would lead by eight at the media timeout. BGSU then used a 7-2 run to cut the lead to three, but Sitota Gines connected on a long two and Ogden drove and finished strong off glass for a layup in the final seconds to give the Bulls a 29-24 lead at the half.

Elhusseini hit a second chance three on UB's first possession of the third quarter before Davis ripped and finished for a layup to put UB up by 10. Bowling Green used a 6-0 run to cut the lead to four before Lewis-Williams sliced through the dense and finished off glass to put UB up 36-30 at the media timeout and the Bulls would close the quarter on a 6-2 run to go up by eight at the end of the third.

Watson hits Lewis-Williams for a layup on UB's first possession of the fourth quarter and then the freshman returned the favor, driving and kicking to Watson on the wing for a three to give UB a 47-34 lead. The Falcons used a 7-1 run to cut the lead to seven but Watson answered with a big triple from the wing to put UB back up by 10 at the 6:46 mark. The Bulls continued to attack as Davis caught the ball at the high post, ripped and finished the floater in the lane before Lewis-Williams posted up her defender for a layup to put Buffalo back up by double digits. Buffalo stayed aggressive as Watson and Elhusseini knocked down jumpers and that would be all UB would need as the Bulls went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minutes to secure the victory.

Buffalo scored 24 points in the paint and took care of the basketball, committing just six turnovers while forcing the hosts into 14 miscues on the night. The Bulls shot 47% from beyond the arc and took care of business at the charity stripe once again, going 14-of-16 at the line.

Up next, the Bulls embark on their last road trip of the regular season as they travel to Kent State for a clash with the Golden Flashes on Saturday, March 2^nd at 1pm.