Big Second Half Gives Buffalo Win over Bowling Green

The UB Women’s Basketball Team overcame an early 11 point lead by Bowling Green, shot the lights out in the third quarter, and wound up with an 82–74 win at Alumni Arena. The Bulls are now 8–3 overall and 5–1 in the MAC.

Hot three point shooting by Bowling Green led to them opening an early 21–10 lead in the first quarter. The Bulls scored the last two baskets in the quarter, the last one coming on a spectacular sequence by freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans. With about 5 seconds left, McEvans blocked a BG shot, chased down the loose ball, dribbled through traffic and let go a running shot from the free throw line which went in.

Bowling Green cooled off from the three point line in the second quarted, but made up for it with a dominant performance by 5–9 guard Katie Hempfling, who owned the paint as if she was the tallest player on the court. Hempfling finished the half with 17 points, but Buffalo cut into the lead and finished the half trailing 37–33.

And then, the third quarter was DFT — Dyaisha Fair Time. Sophmore guard Dyaisha Fair went 5-for-6 from three point land, senior guard Hanna Hall also hit one from downtown, and Buffalo opened up a 57–52 lead at the end of the quarter. Fair’s last three pointer, with Buffalo holding a 52-47 lead, came with 1 second left on the shot clock and Fair nailed it from 35 feet away along the far sideline.

And then Buffalo would maintain the lead throughout the 4th quarter. Hall hit two three pointers in the quarter, and added 3 free throws. One of the biggest plays came from little-used junior center Zena Elias, who with Buffalo leading 59–57, took a pass from Hall and without hesitation, knocked down a 10-foot shot from along the baseline.

Fair tied her career high with 36 points, plus 6 assists and 7 rebounds. Hall, who did not start the game for the first time this year, came off the bench and had her best game in quite a while with 17 points and 5 assists. Freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans scored 13 and had 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Junior forward Ade Adeyeye led the Bulls with 10 rebounds and junior forward Keowa Walters had 7 rebounds and 6 points.

Notes:

• Sophomore forward Loren Christie was injured in the first quarter after playing just one minute. She appeared to get hit in the knee, and had to be helped off the court. Later she was seen on the bench with ice on her knee, and she left the court after the game using crutches.
• Fair also was injured, with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when she was banged into the scorer’s table for a foul, and it appeared that the injury came when she hit the scorer’s table. Fair was able to walk off the court to the bench, but was taken out of the game, and sophomore guard Jessika Schiffer had to come off the bench, having not played in several games, and made two big free throws with Buffalo leading by just 4, to open up a 6 point UB lead. I note that the foul against Fair did not appear to be flagrant or malicious.
• Buffalo out-rebounded Bowling Green 38–31, not inclu ... well, you know.
• Buffalo had been tied with Bowling Green in the MAC standings with a 4–1 record, so they now move ahead of Bowling Green in the standings.
• Buffalo’s next game will be Saturday, January 16 at Ball State at 5pm.