22-5,11-4MAC
Toledo
20-6,11-4MAC
Bulls Drop Tight Contest at Toledo on Wednesday
2/26/2025 10:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TOLEDO, Ohio – In a game that saw 10 ties and eight lead changes, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team (22-5, 11-4 MAC) could not convert on a pair of late-game possessions as they came up just short in a 71-68 loss to Toledo at Savage Arena on Wednesday night.
Three Bulls scored in double figures on the night, led by Chellia Watson who had a game-high 19 points. Sophomore Kirsten Lewis-Williams scored 17 points on an efficient 50% shooting from the floor and Noelani Cornfield added 11 points and five assists.
After trailing 9-4 at the first media timeout, the Bulls answered with an 8-0 run, capped by a Watson jumper in the paint and a steal and score by Sitota Gines, to give the Bulls their first lead of the game and force a Toledo timeout at the 2:32 mark. UB extended the run to 11-0 on a Watson triple from the top of the key before the hosts answered with a pair of threes in the final 90 seconds of the quarter to take a 18-17 lead at the end of the first.
Cornfield spotted up for a fastbreak triple in the corner early in the second quarter to cut the lead to one, but the Rockets answered with a 9-0 run to take a double-digit lead. Buffalo then used a 7-0 run of their own on a Watson triple and a Cornfield fastbreak layup, to pull within three at the media timeout. UB extended the run to 11-0 on a Watson floater in the lane but Toledo responded with a 6-2 run over the final two minutes to take a 37-34 lead at the half.
The teams traded baskets early in the third quarter before Alexis Davis powered up for an offensive rebound putback and Watson drilled a deep triple to put UB back on top at the media timeout. Lewis-Williams went into attack mode out of the break, scoring on back-to-back possessions. Both teams then hit an offensive lull before Lewis-Williams went to work again, finishing over her defender off glass for the bucket plus the foul, to give UB a 54-50 lead at the end of the third.
After the Rockets tied the game at 54 early in the fourth quarter, Davis battled on the glass as she skied up for an offensive rebound putback and Lewis-Williams and Terah Harness converted a coast-to-coast fastbreak bucket, but the hosts answered with a four-point play to tie the game at 58, and the Rockets then extended their run to 12-2 to take a six point lead at the media timeout. Lewis-Williams battled for layups on back-to-back possessions before Seawell scored four straight points to tie the game at 68 with two minutes remaining. Toledo scored at the end of the shot clock two possessions later to go up 70-68 with 1:22 remaining. The Bulls came up with a defensive stop and got the ball back with 35.6 seconds to go but were unable to convert on their final three possessions of the game.
Buffalo outscored Toledo 44-30 in the paint and forced 28 Rockets' turnovers, scoring 22 points of those miscues, but the hosts shot 63% from the floor, including 10-of-21 shooting from beyond the arc.
Up next, Buffalo will open the month of March at home as they host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, March 1 at 2pm. It is a special day at Alumni Arena as former UB great Kourtney Brown will see her No. 10 jersey added to the Wall of Fame in a special halftime ceremony.
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