Saturday, February 1
Buffalo, NY
2:00pm
19-2,8-2MAC
84
vs
58
Northern Illinois
9-12,3-7MAC
1
2
3
4
F
NIU
19
14
9
16
58
Buffalo
21
21
20
22
84
Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com
Bulls Pull Away for Emphatic Win Over Northern Illinois
2/1/2025 4:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (19-2, 8-2 MAC) celebrated National Girls & Women in Sports Day with an 84-58 win over Northern Illinois in front of a boisterous crowd at Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon.
It was a balanced offensive attack with four Bulls in double figures, led by Chellia Watson who scored a game-high 24 points. Fifth year guard Noelani Cornfield stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds eight assists and five steals and Kirsten Lewis-Williams added 19 points on an efficient 9-of-10 from the floor. Senior forward Jordyn Beaty was also in double figures with a breakthrough performance, scoring a career-high 15 points to go with 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
The Bulls scored on their first possession of the game to spark a 10-2 run, capped by a Sitota Gines corner triple, and UB would lead 10-6 at the first media timeout. Watson got a jumper in the paint to drop but the visitors went on a run to cut the lead to two at the 2:50 mark. Beaty powered up for an offensive rebound putback before Watson drove and finished off glass to put Buffalo up 19-12 but the Huskies closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to pull within two at the end of the first.
The Huskies hit a three on their first possession of the second quarter, but Paula Lopez answered with a triple of her own before Watson converted a midrange jumper from just outside the paint and then came up with a steal and found Lopez up ahead for a fastbreak layup plus the foul to cap a 9-2 run and give the Bulls a 30-24 lead at the media timeout. Lewis-Williams continued to attack as she got to the rim for a layup before knocking down a three on the wing to give the Bulls a double-digit lead at the 2:37 mark. Beaty then skied up for her second offensive rebound putback of the quarter before Watson got a deep paint touch and scored in the final seconds to give Buffalo a 42-33 lead at the half.
After a slow start to the third quarter for both teams, Lewis-Williams pushed the pace in transition and hit Watson for a spot up triple before Cornfield blew by her defender for a layup and then hit Lewis-Williams with a beautiful no look pass to give the Bulls a 51-40 lead at the media timeout. The Bulls extended their run to 9-0 as Cornfield took it coast-to-coast for an and-one bucket before hitting a rim-running Beaty in transition for a fastbreak layup to put UB up 58-40 and force an NIU timeout at the 3:11 mark. Cornfield continued to attack as she scored in the final seconds to cap an 11-point quarter and give the Bulls a 62-42 lead at the end of the third.
Beaty continued to dominate, scoring on the first possession of the fourth quarter and then adding back-to-back layups a couple minutes later to put UB up by 26 and the Huskies would get no closer as the Bulls cruised to victory.
Buffalo dominated in the paint for the third straight game as they doubled up the Huskies inside, 48-24. The Bulls continue to hang their hat on the defensive end of the floor as they forced 18 turnovers, scoring 14 points off those miscues, while also adding 27 fastbreak points and edging the Huskies on the glass, 37-33.
"Another great defensive effort by our team and in turn, so much effective and balanced offense for us," said head coach Becky Burke. "Really proud of this game from an overall standpoint. I think our best basketball is right in front of us, and I'm excited for it."
Up next, Buffalo will remain home to host Toledo on Education Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday, February 5 at 11am.
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.
It was a balanced offensive attack with four Bulls in double figures, led by Chellia Watson who scored a game-high 24 points. Fifth year guard Noelani Cornfield stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds eight assists and five steals and Kirsten Lewis-Williams added 19 points on an efficient 9-of-10 from the floor. Senior forward Jordyn Beaty was also in double figures with a breakthrough performance, scoring a career-high 15 points to go with 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
The Bulls scored on their first possession of the game to spark a 10-2 run, capped by a Sitota Gines corner triple, and UB would lead 10-6 at the first media timeout. Watson got a jumper in the paint to drop but the visitors went on a run to cut the lead to two at the 2:50 mark. Beaty powered up for an offensive rebound putback before Watson drove and finished off glass to put Buffalo up 19-12 but the Huskies closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to pull within two at the end of the first.
The Huskies hit a three on their first possession of the second quarter, but Paula Lopez answered with a triple of her own before Watson converted a midrange jumper from just outside the paint and then came up with a steal and found Lopez up ahead for a fastbreak layup plus the foul to cap a 9-2 run and give the Bulls a 30-24 lead at the media timeout. Lewis-Williams continued to attack as she got to the rim for a layup before knocking down a three on the wing to give the Bulls a double-digit lead at the 2:37 mark. Beaty then skied up for her second offensive rebound putback of the quarter before Watson got a deep paint touch and scored in the final seconds to give Buffalo a 42-33 lead at the half.
After a slow start to the third quarter for both teams, Lewis-Williams pushed the pace in transition and hit Watson for a spot up triple before Cornfield blew by her defender for a layup and then hit Lewis-Williams with a beautiful no look pass to give the Bulls a 51-40 lead at the media timeout. The Bulls extended their run to 9-0 as Cornfield took it coast-to-coast for an and-one bucket before hitting a rim-running Beaty in transition for a fastbreak layup to put UB up 58-40 and force an NIU timeout at the 3:11 mark. Cornfield continued to attack as she scored in the final seconds to cap an 11-point quarter and give the Bulls a 62-42 lead at the end of the third.
Beaty continued to dominate, scoring on the first possession of the fourth quarter and then adding back-to-back layups a couple minutes later to put UB up by 26 and the Huskies would get no closer as the Bulls cruised to victory.
Buffalo dominated in the paint for the third straight game as they doubled up the Huskies inside, 48-24. The Bulls continue to hang their hat on the defensive end of the floor as they forced 18 turnovers, scoring 14 points off those miscues, while also adding 27 fastbreak points and edging the Huskies on the glass, 37-33.
"Another great defensive effort by our team and in turn, so much effective and balanced offense for us," said head coach Becky Burke. "Really proud of this game from an overall standpoint. I think our best basketball is right in front of us, and I'm excited for it."
Up next, Buffalo will remain home to host Toledo on Education Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday, February 5 at 11am.
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
NIU
UB
FG%
.389
.524
3FG%
.261
.417
FT%
.714
.650
RB
33
37
TO
18
11
STL
3
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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