Bulls Drop Heartbreaker to Toledo in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd

Wednesday, February 5

Buffalo, NY

11:00am

University at Buffalo

19-3,8-3MAC

Toledo

16-5,8-3MAC

Toledo

Buffalo

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UBBulls.com

Bulls Drop Heartbreaker to Toledo in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd

2/5/2025 3:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – Despite a valiant second half effort, the comeback fell short as the University at Buffalo women's basketball team (19-3, 8-3 overall) dropped a heartbreaker to Toledo in front of a record-breaking crowd on Education Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday.

The announced attendance of 4,906 inside Alumni Arena is a new women's basketball record, surpassing the previous mark of 4,017 on November 17, 2000, against North Carolina.

Three Bulls scored in double figures, led by Chellia Watson who scored a game-high 28 points. Sophomore Kirsten Lewis-Williams did a little bit of everything, scoring 11 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and four steals while Noelani Cornfield added 10 points and seven assists.

After trailing 17-6 at the end of the first, the Bulls began to chip away as Ariana Seawell powered up for a layup before Watson drilled a three on the wing, but the Rockets answered with a 5-0 run to take a 31-13 lead at the media timeout. Buffalo continued to attack as Cornfield drained a three before hitting Jordyn Beaty for a layup on the block as UB closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to cut lead to 34-20 at the half.

Lewis-Williams gave the Bulls a spark out of the locker room as she got a bucket plus the foul to pull UB within 11 and force a Toledo timeout early in the third quarter. After the Rockets hit a three, Watson got to the rim for a pair of tough buckets, the latter an and-one score, to cut the lead to eight at the media timeout. Watson attacked the paint again for a midrange jumper, Lewis-Williams sliced to the basket for a layup and Cornfield drilled a triple from the top of the key and then blew by her defender for a layup off glass to cap an 11-4 run and cut the lead to two at the end of the third.

Watson scored on UB's first possession of the fourth quarter and Lewis-Williams followed with a jumper in the paint to tie the game. After the Rockets regained the lead with a 5-0 run, Cornfield knocked down a mid-range jumper and later Lewis-Williams came up with a steal and hit Watson for a fastbreak layup to pull UB within three at the 1:25 mark. Watson continued to heat up as she drained a pair of triples to tie the game at 55 with 11 seconds to go but the Rockets had the answer as Kendall Carruthers drilled a deep step-back triple with five seconds on the clock and the Bulls could not convert on a pair of shot attempts as time expired.

Buffalo won the battle in the paint, outscoring Toledo 34-26 inside, while also forcing 15 turnovers and recording 16 fastbreak points but the Rockets held the advantage on the glass.

Up next, Buffalo will take a break from league action as they travel down south for the second game of the MAC-SBC Challenge at Coastal Carolina on Saturday, February 8. Tipoff from the HTC Center is set for 4pm.

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