Buffalo Bulls Women's Basketball vs Ohio Bobcats Preview: Bulls take on the MAC's best

If UB Women's Basketball is going to get off the schneid of a five-game losing streak, they've got their work cut out for them tonight against the Ohio Bobcats, who rolled through the MAC in 2015 and ended Buffalo's season in the conference semifinal round en route to the NCAA Tournament.

Bob Boldon's team hasn't looked back at all, and are now 9-0 in the MAC in 2016. An absolute buzzsaw that has swiftly wrested the top of the East Division from historical power Bowling Green.

In 2014-15 the Bobcats made their mark with off-the-charts three-point shooting, but this year are getting it done especially through the defensive side of the ball, where they lead the MAC in FG% and 3P% against, as well as blocks and point differential. Outside of their actual point production, their offense isn't terribly efficient, but they play at a rapid enough pace to overcome (or perhaps sacrifice) more mediocre shooting and rebounding numbers.

Individually, Kiyanna Black and Quiera Lampkins both return from last year, and average together 32 points per game. Boldon has used those two along with Lexie Baldwin, Yamonie Jenkins, and Jasmine Weatherspoon as the starting lineup in a remarkably 18 of Ohio's 20 games, and he generally sticks to an eight-woman group after the starters.

There's little other to say than that UB will have their hands full with the Bobcats. In theory, there's not a ton of scoring depth after Black and Lampkins, but the two are better than the Hannah Plybon - Anita Brown pairing from Akron that victimized the Bulls a few weeks ago. In theory, UB could slow the game down and try to win with an advantage on the glass, but giving the visitor's conference-leading defenders more time to contest and block shots may not be wise.

Tip off is at 7:00 PM in Alumni Arena. Video will on ESPN3 and audio from Sloane Martin and livestats available on UB's website.