After securing a hard-fought win against Kent State (16-10, 8-5 MAC) on Wednesday, women’s basketball (21-4, 10-3 MAC) continued their winning ways on Saturday by defeating the Miami (OH) RedHawks (16-9, 8-6 MAC) with a score of 68-54, building momentum ahead of the MAC tournament next month.
The first quarter was the most crucial of the night. The Bulls were able to establish a strong defensive identity that helped protect a 20-5 lead only allowing Miami to score on two of their 15 field goal attempts, good for only 13% field goal percentage.
The Bulls’ defense was too much for Miami to handle even after the first quarter. The RedHawks wouldn't have higher than a field goal percentage of 33% for the whole game, and were 20-70 from the field overall.
Buffalo was able to coast through most of the game without allowing Miami to catch back up. The closest Miami got was a seven-point deficit towards the end of the third quarter.
The RedHawks’ lackluster shooting performance allowed the Bulls to maintain control and win in dominant fashion. The bench scoring was another huge factor. Miami only netted nine points off the bench, while Buffalo’s second unit scored 26 points.
Another crucial aspect of the game was Buffalo’s knack for drawing fouls and earning extra free throw attempts. Miami shot only 10 attempts, making nine of them. UB had 22 shot attempts, making 19 of them. This disparity was just another compounding factor that led to the Bulls’ victory.
UB continues their streak of games on the road this Wednesday when they take on the Toledo Rockets (19-5, 10–3 MAC) at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
