The only streaks that matter to the women's basketball team are the paw-prints left by the Bobcats on their way out of the arena.
The Bulls had dropped their past two games and 10 of their last 13. They were facing an Ohio Bobcats squad who had won six of their past seven contests.
These streaks proved to be meaningless on the court in the second half, when Buffalo took control.
The Bulls (9-17, 4-10 Mid-American Conference) outscored Ohio (15-11, 8-6 MAC) 45-31 after the break en route to a 61-47 victory.
Bulls head coach Linda Hill-McDonald credited the victory to the homework the team had done on their opponent.
"I think that players really studied their scouts and they knew the personnel," Hill-McDonald said. "We also played this team before so we had an idea of who could hurt us and where and what we needed to do defensively to stop them. It was a very good defensive effort for the most part."
Before the game, Buffalo celebrated Senior Day and senior guard Belinda Gibb was honored prior to tip-off. She walked out with her family as was presented with roses from Hill-McDonald and greeted by her teammates.
"Sometimes it's been a challenge, but for the most part I can only take away positive memories," Gibb said. "It's been a great experience. Four years have gone by quick. I would not have changed any of it. It's been awesome."
Last year on Senior Day, guard Brooke Meunier led the Bulls with 28 points, while shooting 8-14 from the field. Gibb also went out in grand fashion. She was 5-10 on field goals and scored 15 points.
Gibb wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. Just under two minutes into the game, she drove into the paint and faked a pass to create enough space for a lay-up.
However, both teams struggled offensively for the rest of the first half. Neither team gained a lead larger than four. The Bulls shot just 28.6 percent from the field for the half, but held the Bobcats to meager 20.8 percent. The two teams went into the locker room tied at 16.
The second half was a different story for Buffalo. With the score 30-29, junior guard Stephanie Bennett found sophomore forward Jamie Schiebner open underneath. Schiebner made an uncontested lay-up with 7:59 remaining that sparked 11 unanswered points by the Bulls.
Down 41-29, Ohio called time-out to stop the momentum, but the damage was already done. The Bobcats fouled Buffalo for most of the rest of the game, but were unable to get the Buffalo lead out of double-digits.
Buffalo shot significantly better after the break, hitting 50 percent of their field goal attempts.
"I don't think we made a whole lot of adjustments," Hill-McDonald said. "We were getting good shots. We just weren't putting them down. In the second half, the same shots were available to us, but we were a little bit more relaxed, particularly when we started making some early."
The team was glad to win the last home game for Gibb.
"I'm really proud of (Gibb) and as a team we're really happy to be able to get this last win at home together," said junior forward Heather Turner. "We wanted to send her out in a good way."
Hill-McDonald shared in the joy that came from the victory.
"I think it's wonderful for her," Hill-McDonald said. "It's always a thrill to be able to finish your last game on your home court in a fine fashion. She certainly did that tonight, so I'm really pleased for her"
Gibb and Schiebner each had 15 points to lead the Bulls. Schiebner also had 11 rebounds. Turner had a double-double as well with 14 points and 10 boards while Bennett chipped in 7 assists.
For the Bobcats, Lauren Kohn scored 14 points. Rachel Frederick also had a solid game, with 10 points and seven rebounds in the losing effort.
Despite the solid defensive effort, the Bulls were only 62.2 percent from the foul line, as they were 23-37.
"We need to improve from the free throw line," Hill-McDonald said. "We had 14 more opportunities that we could have gotten points from. We'll continue to work on free throws."
Buffalo remained positive after the win as they finish up the regular season.
"I think that we are progressing," Turner said. "This gives us a little bit more fire to get into the next game."
The Bulls will travel to Akron to play their next game this Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off.
