Aggressive, tight defense was the solution to help snap Buffalo's five-game losing streak as the women's basketball defeated Western Michigan on Wednesday night. It was also their first win against a Mid-American Conference West opponent in 17 tries.
Coming into the game, the Bulls' challenge was to stop Western Michigan's and the nation's leading scorer Carrie Moore, who averaged 25.7 points per game. Buffalo's defense stifled Moore throughout the game and held her to only nine points on 3-12 shooting. She also committed 10 turnovers.
"We were able to force her out of her game from the tip-off," said head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. "We came close to shutting her down as much as possible tonight. It was a team effort and the team did a great job focusing on and executing the game plan."
Buffalo took control of the game from the very beginning. The Bulls jumped out to an 11-point lead 12:34 into the game with a three pointer from sophomore guard Rachelle Matthys. Buffalo's largest lead in the first half came with 6:44 remaining when junior guard Stephanie Bennett nailed a three to put the Bulls ahead by 17.
However, Western Michigan (9-15, 2-8 MAC) found its touch at the beginning of the second half. The Broncos used a 20-8 run to cut the Buffalo (7-15, 2-8 MAC) lead to one point.
"We needed to settle down," Hill-MacDonald said. "Our shots were not falling and they were getting shots from the free-throw line. We needed to play clean and aggressive and the team was able to respond positively."
Buffalo would not let the Broncos get any closer after this run. Sophomore forward Jamie Schiebner helped ignite the Bulls' offense by finding Matthys for a lay-up. Schiebner then stole the inbounds pass and hit two free throws. The Bulls ended the game on a 21-9 run to seal a 61-48 victory.
Buffalo finished the game with four players in double figures. Junior forward Heather Turner put forth an impressive performance, leading Buffalo in points and rebounds. Turner finished the night with 15 points and 15 rebounds, going 6-8 from the field.
Bennett chipped in with 13 points, shooting 50 percent from the field, and contributed seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
"It's a great feeling when the offense moves smoothly," Bennett said. "We moved the ball more tonight because everybody was moving and cutting and it makes it easier for me to distribute the ball when this is happening."
Buffalo got a boost from their bench players, especially freshman forward Kourtney Brown. Brown finished with 12 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of play. She shot 5-10 from the field and also blocked two shots.
Sophomore guard Dortae Freeman also played seven minutes and helped solidify the defensive effort to slow down Moore. The Bulls' defense forced the Broncos to commit 21 turnovers. This led to 25 points for Buffalo on the offensive side of the court.
"The team focused on the defensive end and created themselves more opportunities," Hill-MacDonald said. "Dortae Freeman came in and ran the floor as well as anybody tonight and created fast-break opportunities that I think made Western fold. It was good to see her get those kind of playing minutes and utilize them like she did."
Western Michigan shot 34.6 percent from the field for the game. The Broncos shot a mere 16 percent from three-point land, only hitting 2-12 from behind the arc. The Bulls hit 37.3 percent of their shots from the field, converting 4-11 of their three point attempts for 36.4 percent.
Buffalo was dominant in the paint as well. The Bulls out-scored the Broncos 28-16 in the interior near the hoop.
The Bulls will now begin a two-game road trip on Feb. 10 at Central Michigan. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
