The women's basketball team got a scare on Wednesday night. The team committed 27 turnovers and had just a four-point lead in the game's waning minutes.
The Bulls (5-2), however, defeated St. Francis (Pa.) (2-4) 87-77 on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena. The game turned into a track meet as both teams played with rapid offensive pace.
Buffalo had its highest offensive scoring outburst in a single game since the 2011-12 season. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Loesing led the team in scoring with a career-best 29 points, despite being in foul trouble throughout. Loesing finished the game 9 of 17 from the field and 11 of 17 from the free throw line.
In her absence early in the first half, her teammates stepped up.
"I have a lot of confidence in my teammates this year," Loesing said. "It's really great to be a part of a team that you can rely on every single night."
Along with Loesing's foul trouble, the depth was tested when senior guard Margeaux Gupilan was sidelined for the final 30 minutes due to a head injury.
Freshman forward Alexus Malone had the performance of her young career, filling the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals. It was her first double-double as a Bull.
Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack loves what Malone brings to the team, especially Malone's determination to win at all costs.
"I think she's going to be one of the best players in our conference," Legette-Jack said. "She is a very humble person and wants the team's success more than the credit."
Buffalo started the game strong, as it led by double digits throughout most of the first half. The 'D' was the key to the team's success, holding St. Francis to only 26 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from behind the arc in the opening half. The Bulls held the Red Flash to just 1-of-18 shooting early in the game. Buffalo ended the first half with a 41-31 lead.
The biggest challenge for the Bulls was dealing with St. Francis' full-court press. The Red Flash used the press the entire game, which led to 31 points off 27 Buffalo turnovers.
Though the Bulls got off to a fast second-half start as they widened their lead to 53-35 with 16:15 remaining, St. Francis rallied midway through the half and closed the gap to four points with 6:40 left.
Legette-Jack refocused her team to counter the momentum shift.
"I asked them to remember their roles," Legette-Jack said. "Remember what got us here, be present for the entire 40 minutes and don't take a possession off, and they understood that."
Loesing took the game into her own hands down the stretch - scoring 10 of her 29 points in the game's final five minutes.
The Bulls relied on their foul shooting to close the game, with 10 of their final 20 points coming from the charity stripe.
Junior forwards Christa Baccas finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, and junior forward Kristen Sharkey added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls will travel to take on Siena (3-3) on Saturday. Tip is set for 2 p.m.
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Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
