The women's basketball team was reminded that it is nearly impossible to win games with an excessive amount of turnovers.
Despite rallying from a 17-point deficit, Buffalo (5-18, 1-9 Mid-American Conference) accumulated 30 turnovers and dropped a 69-58 decision to Eastern Michigan (5-17, 1-9 MAC). It was the Bulls' third-straight loss after defeating Western Michigan at home on Jan. 31. Buffalo has lost 16 out of their last 18 games.
Buffalo's inability to hold onto the ball set the tone of the game. The pressing Eagles flustered the Bulls' attack and forced them to make numerous mistakes.
"At this point in the season, you don't expect your team to turn the ball over 30 times," said head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. "They weren't passing. They were chucking the ball all over the gym. The passing fundamentals were just horrific."
Buffalo came out sluggish and flat-footed, scoring just nine points in the first 11 minutes of the game. The home team took the Bulls by surprise with their pressure defense, which forced Buffalo into 14 first half turnovers.
Eastern Michigan built a 32-18 lead with 2:58 left in the half before junior guard Rachelle Matthys gave Buffalo a spark. Hitting two consecutive 3-pointers, Matthys pulled the Bulls within eight points nearing the end of the half. Freshman guard Brittany Hedderson continued to cut into the Eagles' lead after sinking a long 3-point shot at the buzzer. The shot capped an 11-4 Bulls run that left Buffalo down, 36-29 at halftime.
The intermission gave Hill-MacDonald the time to encourage her team to come out strong in the second half. As the half began, Buffalo continued where they left off and went on an 18-6 run. Senior forward Jamie Schiebner put Buffalo up, 50-45, after knocking down a 3-pointer with 7:53 remaining.
But the Bulls' five-point lead disappeared faster than it was reached. Eastern Michigan guard De'Ja Willis took the game in her hands, scoring on three-straight 3-point attempts, helping the Eagles gain a 59-51 lead.
Buffalo continued to struggle against EMU's full-court press. The Bulls turned the ball over 16 times in the second half and were held without a point for nearly five minutes. Despite a late rally, the Bulls could not regain the lead as Eastern Michigan hit 10 straight free throws to end the game.
The Bulls were led by a career night from Schiebner. In the losing effort, Schiebner set career highs in both points with 21 and 3-pointers with four. She also added eight assists.
Sophomore forward Bridgette Kendricks had one of her best performances on the season. Coming off the bench, Kendricks contributed with four points, four rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes.
For Hill-MacDonald however, Kendricks' solid play was not solely about the statistics.
"What impressed me most about Bridgette is she didn't turn the ball over. She played quality minutes and had zero turnovers," Hill-MacDonald said. "I'm really pleased with what she did on the floor tonight. She needs her teammates to come up with that kind of performance."
Sophomore forward Kourtney Brown, last week's MAC East Player of the Week, was held in check all night. The Bulls' leading scorer garnered the Eagles' attention all night and only generated seven points after her 31-point outburst against Ball State.
Hedderson finished with six points accompanied by a career best 10 assists. The 10 assists was the highest total by a Bull since Dec. 26, 2006.
Eastern Michigan's victory was a blow to the Bulls' morale. Trying to mend their losing ways, Buffalo could not generate enough offense to leave Michigan victorious.
Regardless, Hill-MacDonald remains optimistic the team can turn things around as the season reaches its home stretch.
"We just have to play one game at a time. We can't look behind or too far ahead," she said. "We have to get on the bus tonight, regroup at practice tomorrow, and get ready for our next game."
Buffalo wraps up the MAC West part of their schedule Saturday when they play host to the Northern Illinois Huskies at 2 p.m. The Bulls will be holding their annual Pink Zone event at Alumni Arena during the game.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
