The women's basketball team has found itself free-falling down a slippery slope filled with late-game collapses and overtime defeats this season. Buffalo has struggles to bounce back from losses and has fallen victim to three losing streaks – the longest of which lasted seven games.
Wednesday night, the Bulls (5-15, 1-6 Mid-American Conference) suffered their second consecutive overtime loss, 69-67, to the Toledo Rockets (16-4, 6-1 MAC). The Bulls had now dropped three-in-a-row and are currently tied for last place in the MAC East Division.
Head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald remained optimistic despite having to endure another heart-breaking defeat.
'I am pleased in the way we fought back tonight especially in those late minutes of the second half,' Hill-MacDonald said. 'Unfortunately we came up a little short in the end, but tonight proved to us that we can play with the best teams in the league.'
The Bulls were down by 14 points in the second half before junior forward Kourtney Brown and sophomore guard Brittany Hedderson helped Buffalo storm back and force overtime. The duo combined for 52 of the team's 69 points and became the first two Bulls to score 20 or more points in the same game since Nov. 28, 2008.
Buffalo found itself trailing 40-26 five minutes into the second half. Thanks to tough defense and strong ball movement, the Bulls went on an 18-4 run to tie the game at 44. Although the Rockets answered with an 11-3 run, the Bulls kept their composure and rallied back to tie the game at the end of regulation.
The score was tied four times in the extra period as both teams traded points. Buffalo jumped out to a four-point lead but Toledo responded with a 3-pointer from Jessica Williams. After a costly turnover, Tanika Mays knocked down two clutch free throws to lift the Rockets to a one-point advantage.
Buffalo faltered late in overtime and was unable to capitalize on opportunities Freshman guard Abby Dowd missed two off-balance shots that would have gave the Bulls the lead, and instead of leaving Alumni Arena on a high-note, the team headed to the locker room with its third-consecutive loss.
A major concern for the Bulls this season has been turnover ratio. While the team dished out 16 assists, they committed 21 turnovers to finish minus-five on Wednesday. Despite 18 turnovers, Toledo finished the game plus-three.
The Bulls were also outshot from the floor, behind the arc and from the charity stripe. Their productivity simply wasn't good enough and the Rockets were able to capitalize on their opponent's mediocre play.
"I'm proud of our kids," said Toledo head coach Tricia Cullop. "Sometimes you have to find a way to win. I thought down the stretch our players made some stops, some baskets and some free throws when they had to. This was a hard-fought contest."
Mays tied her career-high with 28 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. Melissa Goodall also reached double figures, scoring 16 points and snatching nine rebounds. Naama Shafir nearly recorded a triple-double after finishing with nine points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Still, no individual topped Brown, who finished with 30 points and 18 rebounds. It was her second 30-point performance of the season and the fourth of her career. She also added three blocks and three steals on the defensive end. Hedderson scored 22 points and finished with five assists and three steals.
The Bulls look to snap their losing streak when they visit the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday at 2 p.m.
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