Bulls Fall to Northern Illinois on Wednesday

Wednesday, January 7

Buffalo, NY

6:00pm

University at Buffalo

2-12,0-3MAC

Northern Illinois

3-11,1-2MAC

NIU

Buffalo

Photo by: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics

Bulls Fall to Northern Illinois on Wednesday

1/7/2026 8:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BUFFALO, NY – Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in 35 days, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team fell to Northern Illinois 64-58 on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena.

Redshirt freshman guard Aniya Rowe led the Bulls in scoring for the fifth time this season with 16 points, including four-of-six shooting from beyond the arc. Fellow freshman Deana Thompson tied a career-high with 14 points, Amber Howard scored a career-high eight points while notching a career-best 11 rebounds and Ella Corry also added eight points.

The Huskies opened the game on a 9-2 run to take the lead at the first media timeout. The Bulls got to the free throw line and converted and then Howard drove to the basket and got a layup plus the foul to cut the NIU lead to three at the end of the first.

Buffalo stayed in attack mode as Thompson slashed to the rim for a tough layup through contact to pull UB within three early in the second quarter, but the Huskies answered with a 7-0 run to go up by double digits. Later, Diann Jackson bullied her way inside for a tough layup before Thompson scored seven straight points for UB, capped by a steal and an an-one bucket at the other end, but the Bulls would trail by nine at the half.

Northern Illinois used a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 16 and force a UB timeout early in the third quarter. Rowe drove to the basket for a layup before driving and kicking Gabby McDuffie in the corner for a corner triple and then Rowe drained an NBA-range triple from the top of the key to beat the shot clock to pull UB within 10 but NIU answered with a layup to go up by 12 at the media timeout. Rowe and Howard knocked down back-to-back threes before Corry drove to the basket for a layup, but the Huskies maintained a 46-37 lead at the end of the third.

Corry continued to be aggressive, slicing to the basket for a layup early in the fourth quarter before Rowe knocked down a step-back triple, but NIU maintained a nine-point lead at the media timeout. Corry got into the paint for two straight layups before Thompson got to the rim for a bucket and Rowe knocked down a pair of triples to pull UB within seven with one minute remaining but that would be as close as they would get as NIU sealed the game at the charity stripe.

The Bulls held a narrow edge on the glass and recorded 10 fastbreak points, but the Huskies had the advantage in the paint and scored 16 points off UB turnovers while also shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc.

Up next, Buffalo will close out the homestand on Saturday, January 10 as they welcome the Ohio Bobcats to Alumni Arena for a 2pm contest.

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 information on the Blue & White Fund and how you can help UB Athletics.