Set to square off against the worst team in the Mid-American Conference, the UB women's basketball team will look to even out its conference record as well as rebound from a recent lopsided loss to Ball State. The Bulls will take to the road for a contest against the winless Akron Zips on Wednesday night.
The Bulls most recently suffered a 75-55 loss to Ball State on Sat., Jan. 15 at Alumni Arena to bring their record to 3-11 overall and 1-2 in the MAC.
Freshmen Heather Turner and Stephanie Bennett led the Bulls offensively with 11 points apiece, while senior Allison Bennett chipped in 10 points and junior Brooke Meunier added nine points and five assists on the night.
Turner was also big below the basket for Buffalo, grabbing a team-leading eight rebounds.
Despite having three players reach double figures in scoring against Ball State, UB head coach Cheryl Dozier cited a lack of offensive urgency as a factor in the Bulls' loss to Ball State on Saturday.
"We were too tentative on offense (Saturday night) and didn't take our open looks," Dozier said in a press release. "We also needed to do a better job on the glass and of taking care of the basketball. I know the kids are just as disappointed as I am. It's not going to get easier going on the road, but hopefully we can rebound at Akron."
Akron is in last place in the MAC, sitting at 0-15 overall and 0-4 in the league following a 66-57 overtime loss at Kent State on Saturday night. This season, the Zips are averaging 54.4 points per game while surrendering 71.8 points per game to their opponents.
But the Zips have been playing better lately, with four players reaching double figures in the scoring column on Saturday against Kent State. Courtney Stewart had a breakout game for Akron, ending the contest with a career-high 12 points.
Jessie Crooks leads the Zips in scoring, averaging 9.1 points per game this season while Angie Hutchinson is Akron's leading rebounder on the season, averaging 4.4 rebounds per game.
"Our kids have a lot of pride in what they do," said Akron head coach Kelly Kennedy in a press release. "They work hard, play hard and are competitors."
The Bulls hold the advantage over the Zips, winning 11 of the 17 competitions between the two teams. Last season UB and Akron split a series of games, with Akron winning in Alumni Arena 71-59 on Feb. 14 and the Bulls taking a tight 61-54 victory in Akron, on Feb. 21.
In the last meeting between the two teams, Meunier had a big game for UB in its victory over the Zips, scoring 14 points and adding four rebounds and four assists.
Meunier is also leading the team in scoring this season, averaging just over 11 points per game, while Turner is doing a decent job crashing the boards in her first season as a Bull, leading Buffalo with 6.8 rebounds per game. The freshman leads UB in field goal percentage, shooting 61-for-107 from the floor (.570), placing her second in the MAC. As a unit, UB is averaging 53.5 points per game, while allowing an average of 71.5 points per game to its opponents.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Jar Arena in Akron, Ohio.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
