Thirteen-the number is usually associated with misfortune, but on Saturday it prevailed to be the women's basketball team's lucky number.
After losing 12 straight games, the Bulls were finally able to seize victory as they bested the Broncos of Western Michigan, 72-64.
With the win, Buffalo (5-15, 1-6 Mid-American Conference) picked up their first conference victory on the season. The teams shot lights out from the free throw line, 28-32, to help them defeat Western Michigan (5-15, 1-6 MAC).
The Bulls started the contest on a positive note as senior guard Dortae Freeman grabbed the opening tip and sped away for an easy layup. Buffalo came out fresh and seemed determined to win from the second that the game started.
The first half was evenly matched, with each side shooting a solid field goal percentage. Freshman guard Brittany Hedderson was a spark off the bench.
She started off the game with an errant turnover, but redeemed herself with hot shooting, scoring all 10 bench points in the first half.
Both teams struggled with turnovers, coughing up the ball far too many times.
"I hate turnovers," said Buffalo head coach Linda Hill MacDonald. "When we give up the ball it's one more defensive stop that we have to make."
Despite Buffalo's 14 first half turnovers, the Bulls held onto a two-point lead at halftime, 32-30.
As the second half unfolded, it became clear that Western Michigan was not going down without a fight. Early in the half, the Broncos were able to tie the game four times, but never had enough firepower to pull away from the Bulls.
Senior forward Jamie Schiebner seemed to come up with a big shot whenever her team needed it. When the score was tied at 41-41 with 12:29 to play, she knocked down a 3-pointer to capture the lead for the Bulls. Buffalo never trailed after that.
"I was feeling it from the outside today," Schiebner said. "They were doubling Kourtney [Brown], which gave me a few open looks, and I was able to knock down the shot."
Schiebner was 3-for-5 from long distance and perfect from the charity stripe, but the real story of the day came from a player who missed the only field goal that she attempted.
Freshman forward Beth Christensen was all over the court, making hustle play after hustle play. Christensen grabbed 10 rebounds, five offensive, as she sacrificed her body for the sake of the team in a very physical battle on the block.
Though she missed the only 3-pointer that she took, she proved that she could shoot from anywhere on the court. At one point, Christensen dribbled the ball up the court to relieve defensive pressure.
"Right now, my job on the team is to get rebounds, so that's what I was focused on doing," Christensen said. "[I'll do] whatever it takes to help the team win."
Towards the end of the game, Western Michigan pulled within three points. The Bulls' success from the free-throw line allowed MacDonald to breath easy.
"I wasn't nervous because I saw how confidently the women were playing," MacDonald said. "I was really proud of the way our team shot from the line today."
The number 13 proved to be the number of the day for a variety of different reasons. In addition to winning in their 13th attempt, junior guard Dayna Smith-No. 13 for the Bulls-was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line and finished the game with 13 points. Also, the Bulls knocked down their last 13 foul shots to seal their victory.
The Bulls have nine games remaining, all of them in-conference, leading up to the MAC Tournament in March. The women will look to continue their success as they visit Toledo on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
