
Bulls Dominate in Wire-to-Wire Win at Western Michigan
1/29/2025 1:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (18-2, 7-2 MAC) picked up their fifth straight win in dominant fashion as they defeated Western Michigan 73-40 at University Arena on Wednesday afternoon.
The 33-point win, UB's fifth straight, was the largest margin of victory in a Mid-American Conference regular season game since a 39-point win at Ball State on February 20, 2019.
Three Bulls scored in double figures, led by Chellia Watson who scored a game-high 22 points. Fifth year guard Noelani Cornfield scored 16 points to go with seven assists and Kirsten Lewis-Williams also scored in double figures with 12 points, while Sitota Gines recorded a game-high seven steals.
It was a defensive battle to start with each team forcing a shot clock violation on the other's first possession. The Bulls continued to lock down defensively, holding the hosts scoreless for four-plus minutes while Lewis-Williams and Cornfield went to work for a pair of layups to put UB up by four at the first media timeout. The Bulls extended the run to 10-0 on a tough finish by Lewis-Williams and an offensive rebound putback from Alexis Davis to go up by eight and they would lead 14-10 at the end of the first.
The Bulls opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, capped by two straight and-one buckets from Lewis-Williams and Cornfield and a steal and score executed by Gines and Lewis-Williams to put UB up 25-10 and force a WMU timeout at the 6:38 mark. UB extended the run to 17-0 on a pair of buckets from Cornfield and then Buffalo continued to heat up as they made nine straight field goals as Gines hit Jordyn Beaty for a floater in the lane, before Gines drilled a three and Watson attacked for a fastbreak layup to put UB up 25 at the two-minute mark and they would lead 42-18 at the half. The 28 second quarter points are the second-most scored by the Bulls in a Division I game this season.
The duo of Lewis-Williams and Watson continued to do damage, scoring on UB's first two possessions of the third quarter before Watson skied up for an offensive rebound putback to put UB up 48-20 and force a WMU timeout at the 7:08 mark. Buffalo extended the run to 10-0 on a fastbreak layup and second-chance midrange jumper from Watson and they would lead 53-22 at the media timeout. Ariana Seawell put an exclamation point on the quarter as she powered up through contact for a layup plus the foul in the final minute to give the Bulls their largest lead of the game, 60-26, at the end of the third and they would cruise to victory from there.
Buffalo dominated the paint, outscoring the Broncos 54-20 inside, while also turning defense into offense, forcing 25 turnovers and scoring 26 points off those miscues. The Bulls also won the battle on the glass by 15, including 16 offensive rebounds which they turned into 17 second chance points, while also recording 13 fastbreak points.
"The defensive performance we put on today was something really special," said head coach Becky Burke. "We pride ourselves on how we guard, so to see that pay off in arguable our best defensive 40 minutes of the season was fun to see. I'm really proud of how we handled the environment and early start on the road. Thought we got better as a team today and hope we continue to build off this."
Up next, Buffalo opens the month of February with a pair of home games, beginning on Saturday, February 1 as the Bulls welcome Northern Illinois to Alumni Arena for the team's National Girls & Women in Sports Day game at 2pm.
For all the latest on UB women's basketball, follow @UBWomensBasketball on Twitter/X and Instagram and like the UB Women's Basketball Facebook page.
Click here for ticket information.
Click here for information on the Blue & White Fund and how you can help UB Athletics.
The 33-point win, UB's fifth straight, was the largest margin of victory in a Mid-American Conference regular season game since a 39-point win at Ball State on February 20, 2019.
Three Bulls scored in double figures, led by Chellia Watson who scored a game-high 22 points. Fifth year guard Noelani Cornfield scored 16 points to go with seven assists and Kirsten Lewis-Williams also scored in double figures with 12 points, while Sitota Gines recorded a game-high seven steals.
It was a defensive battle to start with each team forcing a shot clock violation on the other's first possession. The Bulls continued to lock down defensively, holding the hosts scoreless for four-plus minutes while Lewis-Williams and Cornfield went to work for a pair of layups to put UB up by four at the first media timeout. The Bulls extended the run to 10-0 on a tough finish by Lewis-Williams and an offensive rebound putback from Alexis Davis to go up by eight and they would lead 14-10 at the end of the first.
The Bulls opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, capped by two straight and-one buckets from Lewis-Williams and Cornfield and a steal and score executed by Gines and Lewis-Williams to put UB up 25-10 and force a WMU timeout at the 6:38 mark. UB extended the run to 17-0 on a pair of buckets from Cornfield and then Buffalo continued to heat up as they made nine straight field goals as Gines hit Jordyn Beaty for a floater in the lane, before Gines drilled a three and Watson attacked for a fastbreak layup to put UB up 25 at the two-minute mark and they would lead 42-18 at the half. The 28 second quarter points are the second-most scored by the Bulls in a Division I game this season.
The duo of Lewis-Williams and Watson continued to do damage, scoring on UB's first two possessions of the third quarter before Watson skied up for an offensive rebound putback to put UB up 48-20 and force a WMU timeout at the 7:08 mark. Buffalo extended the run to 10-0 on a fastbreak layup and second-chance midrange jumper from Watson and they would lead 53-22 at the media timeout. Ariana Seawell put an exclamation point on the quarter as she powered up through contact for a layup plus the foul in the final minute to give the Bulls their largest lead of the game, 60-26, at the end of the third and they would cruise to victory from there.
Buffalo dominated the paint, outscoring the Broncos 54-20 inside, while also turning defense into offense, forcing 25 turnovers and scoring 26 points off those miscues. The Bulls also won the battle on the glass by 15, including 16 offensive rebounds which they turned into 17 second chance points, while also recording 13 fastbreak points.
"The defensive performance we put on today was something really special," said head coach Becky Burke. "We pride ourselves on how we guard, so to see that pay off in arguable our best defensive 40 minutes of the season was fun to see. I'm really proud of how we handled the environment and early start on the road. Thought we got better as a team today and hope we continue to build off this."
Up next, Buffalo opens the month of February with a pair of home games, beginning on Saturday, February 1 as the Bulls welcome Northern Illinois to Alumni Arena for the team's National Girls & Women in Sports Day game at 2pm.
For all the latest on UB women's basketball, follow @UBWomensBasketball on Twitter/X and Instagram and like the UB Women's Basketball Facebook page.
Click here for ticket information.
Click here for information on the Blue & White Fund and how you can help UB Athletics.
Team Stats
UB
WMU
FG%
.554
.278
3FG%
.200
.167
FT%
.563
.750
RB
40
25
TO
19
25
STL
13
16
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | A Sisterhood
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | What Lead Me to Coaching
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | Excited and Joyful
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | Playstyle
Thursday, May 29