Bulls Gut Out Win at Miami (OH) on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, February 7

Oxford, OH

7:00pm

13-8,7-4MAC

Miami (OH)

5-16,3-8MAC

Buffalo

Miami (OH)

Bulls Gut Out Win at Miami (OH) on Wednesday Night

2/7/2024 9:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team put on a defensive clinic as they fought and clawed their way to a gutsy road win with a 49-43 victory over Miami (OH) at Millett Hall on Wednesday night. With the win, the Bulls improve to 13-8 overall and 7-4 in MAC play.

The 43 points scored by Miami (OH) were the second-fewest scored by a UB opponent this season. The Bulls held the RedHawks to 27.8% shooting overall and just 20% from behind the arc.

Redshirt senior guard Chellia Watson led the way for the Bulls, recording her second straight double-double, with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four steals. Sophomore Hattie Ogden also scored in double figures with 11 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from deep, while senior Rana Elhusseini tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.

The two teams combined for just two made field goals early on as the hosts led 4-2 at the first media timeout. The Bulls began to turn defensive stops in to points as Watson grabbed a rebound and took it coast-to-coast for a bucket plus the foul and then she found Alexis Davis on the block for a layup to put UB up by five and they would lead 11-7 at the end of the first.

Watson continued to attack as she posted up her defender and finished off glass to put UB up by eight and force a Miami timeout early in the second quarter. The teams then traded baskets before Sitota Gines came up with the steal and scored in transition before Kirsten Lewis-Williams drove to the basket and converted the and-one bucket to put UB up by 10 at the 3:47 mark. Miami then hit a three, but Watson answered with a steal and score of her own in the final seconds to give the Bulls a 24-15 lead at the half.

Elhusseini hit Ogden with a beautiful high-low pass for a layup, but the RedHawks scored on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to six early in the third quarter. The teams then traded trips to the free throw line as it stayed a two-possession game at the media timeout. The Bulls were held scoreless for the final four minutes and the hosts took advantage, closing on a 6-0 run to pull within two at the end of the third.

Watson came up with a steal and finished in transition and Ogden hit back-to-back triples to give the Bulls' offense some life and put UB up by seven, but the RedHawks answered with a pair of jumpers to pull within three at the media timeout. Miami scored on their next possession to cut the lead to two, but Elhusseini answered with a big triple on the wing to put UB up 44-39 with 2:18 remaining. After the Bulls came up with a couple big stops, Ogden drilled a step-back three as the shot clock expired to give Buffalo a six-point lead with 38 seconds to go and that proved to be the dagger as the Bulls were able to seal the game at the charity stripe.

Buffalo held the advantage in the paint, scoring 22 points inside, while also scoring 16 points off Miami (OH) turnovers and adding 15 fastbreak points.

Up next, Buffalo returns home to host Southern Miss in the second game of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Saturday, February 10 at 2pm.