UB women’s basketball (0-0, 0-0 MAC) took on the Daemen University Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) in an exhibition matchup to open the 2023-24 season, winning 58-42 on Saturday afternoon. This is the third straight season where the two teams have faced each other in a season opening meeting, with UB coming out on top every time.
Both teams traded possession and battled for the advantage early on in Saturday’s match. That was, until the second half of play when the Wildcats, who had been playing full court defense, appeared to run out of gas.
The Bulls began to push offensively as the game wound down, taking advantage of every visit to the free-throw line and dominating the paint. The Bulls ended the game with 36 points scored in the paint, compared to Daemen’s 24.
On the court, there were some stellar performances from redshirt senior guard Chellia Watson and graduate forward Kiara Johnson. Watson finished the game with 13 points and 3 rebounds. She also had a steal, a block and 3 assists.
Johnson scored 10 and finished with a 66% shooting percentage, four rebounds and an assist on her tally. She acted as the Bulls’ aggressive asset as she consistently pushed the pace of the game.
In their next game, the Bulls will begin regular season play at Alumni Arena against the Canisius Golden Griffins (0-0, 0-0 MAC) next Monday, on Nov. 6. at 5 p.m. That game will be followed by the men’s basketball season opener against last year’s March Madness Cinderella team, Fairleigh Dickinson University (0-0, 0-0 NEC) at 7:30 p.m.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
