The number 50 came into play in Wednesday night's women's basketball game against No. 25 Bowling Green. Shooting 50 percent from the field kept the Bulls in the game, but shooting below 50 percent from the free throw line cost them the upset.
Buffalo (5-21, 1-12 Mid-American Conference) pushed top-ranked Bowling Green to overtime, but the Falcons (24-2, 12-0 MAC) displayed their talent in the extra period and knocked off the Bulls 89-82. It was Bowling Green's 24th-straight victory, while the Bulls extended their losing streak to six.
The Bulls shot nearly 49 percent from the floor, their best shooting performance of the season. Buffalo's defense held the Falcons to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor.
Bowling Green's performance from the free throw line made up for the lackluster shooting. The Falcons connected on every single one of their 24 free throws. On the other end, the Bulls shot 9-for-19 from the charity stripe.
Both teams combined for 39 points, setting an NCAA record for most points in an overtime period.
"Overtime was an unbelievable offensive performance by both teams," said Bowling Green head coach Curt Miller.
The back and forth contest was close from the opening tip. Both teams were tied six times in the first half. Buffalo started off slow, shooting just 41 percent from the floor and just 1-for-8 from 3-point range. Bowling Green opened up with a quick six-point lead five minutes into the game, but the Bulls held their ground and went into the locker room down just 34-28.
Buffalo's defense gave up a quick 3-pointer out of the locker room to fall behind by nine. This would prove to be the Falcons' largest lead. The Bulls chipped away at Bowling Green's lead and eventually put the Falcons on the ropes.
Down 43-39 with 15 minutes left, the Bulls went on a 10-0 surge that put them up 49-43 with 10 minutes left. The quick run instilled confidence in the Bulls and made the upset possible.
Both teams battled back and forth throughout the rest of the contest. Neither team has able to gain a lead larger than four.
The intensity level of the contest increased as the final minutes wound down. Two free throws by Falcons guard Tracy Pontius gave Bowling Green a 66-62 lead with 1:05 left in the game. Buffalo answered as sophomore forward Kourtney Brown connected on a layup with 56 seconds left to make it a one-possession game.
Buffalo's defense followed to get an important stop. Pontius missed a layup with 36 seconds left, giving the Bulls a chance to tie. With the clock winding down, freshman guard Brittany Hedderson nailed a clutch jumper that tied the game with 13 seconds left. A missed shot by Bowling Green forced the game into overtime.
Both teams shot the ball extremely well during the early part of overtime. Buffalo shot 58.3 percent from the floor during the extra period. Senior forward Jamie Schiebner made two 3-point shots in overtime, the last one giving a 78-76 lead with 2:30 left.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, Bowling Green missed only one shot in overtime. Pontius, who made four 3-point shots in the overtime, led the Falcons to the victory. Her last one proved to be the game-winner as Pontius broke an 82-all tie with one minute left. Buffalo struggled to make a shot down the stretch while the Falcons sealed the game with four free throws.
Three Bulls players logged at least 30 minutes, with Brown leading the way with 44 minutes playing time. She contributed during that time, scoring a game-high 30 points and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds. She recorded her sixth double-double while playing in foul trouble. Brown shot just over 75 percent from the field.
Brown wasn't the only Bull to aide in the team's bid for an upset. Schiebner racked up 18 points, including four 3-point baskets, and a career-high eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Jessica Fortman added 10 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Bridgette Kendricks contributed 10 points off the bench.
"I am pleased in the way we fought tonight against one of the top teams in the nation," said head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. "But you have to give them [Bowling Green] credit; they hit some big shots when they needed to."
Pontius, who scored 17 points in overtime and 27 overall, led Bowling Green to the victory. Miller was impressed with the way Buffalo came out to play.
"I thought we were outplayed," he said. "Buffalo played fantastic, but our kids just kept competing and we found a way to win."
Buffalo's quest for a win continues Saturday as the Akron Zips come into town. Game time is 2 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
Sports Editor David Sanchirico contributed to this report.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
